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Firing the IT Manager

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by rkelley

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What steps and precautions need to be taken when firing the IT Manager?

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by admin

Seriously, you need to make sure someone has access and is authorized and actually understand how it works and can run it. That person with the know how also knows how to take precautions and properly remove his priviledges. I would make sure I had someone in place to do this first in most scenarios, although I can think of a ton of different situations that could make differing strategies necessary.

by timwalsh

There is massive potential here for some serious problems.

Is there someone to take his place as soon as he is fired?

Does this person know he is being fired?

Disgruntled former employees have caused all sorts of problems in the past. A person with the knowledge and expertise that an IT Manager has, can cause you problems you won't even know about until it's too late. He essentially has the keys to your IT kingdom. If this parting of ways is anything other than friendly, I would be worried.

SOME things to think about (this list is by no means all inclusive):
Info to collect:
How everything works/is connected
Administrative passwords for everything
Software and hardware inventories
Location of any off-site backup media
Status of critical maintenance/service contracts
Keys to physical locks on IT-controlled rooms and server cabinets

Precautions (the first few of these should be accomplished before the individual is informed he is being fired, if possible):
Disable individuals user account
Change ALL administrator passwords
Probably, force all users to change their passwords
At a minimum, change all IT-related physical locks
Recover all off-site back-up media
Conduct 100 percent software and hardwareinventory
(continued)

by timwalsh

In a perfect world, you would have a knowledgeable assistant to the IT Manager start compiling the data mentioned above as soon as it is determined that the IT manager is being considered for termination. Once the terminations decision is final, this assistant would start taking the precautions mentioned above. As soon as possible after the decision is made, the IT Manager should be notified and then given only minimal time to clear out personal belongings before being escorted out. He should be allowed NO unmonitored access to computer systems. Ideally, he shouldn't be allowed any access to any systems. Depending on the level to which this employee is trusted (or degree of observed hostility), and the possibility that he may have learned of his forthcoming termination ahead of time, you might consider holding some or all of his severance pay (if it is substantial enoughpending successful completion of inventories/system checks/lock changes, etc.

While it may seem very mean-spirited to treat any employee like this, I assume this person is being fired for a reason other than simple "down-sizing." While there is as much chance that nothing untoward will happen here, is at least as great as the chance for disaster, this is definitely a case for "planning for the worst case."

I'm reminded of an ad for a company called Internet Security Systems, in an IT-related magazine. The ad shows an obviously pissed-off individual with the byline "My goal is to get you back for firing me. My goal is to exploit your overtaxed IT department. My goal is to take you down."

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