Don’t lay off anyone until you’ve notified your IT Service Provider
Employee Termination isn’t a fun conversation. But, it’s a conversation we must have. No matter how uncomfortable it may make you feel, your firm’s long-term success depends on it.
Why? Because, right now, a lot of people have lost their jobs and many more will.
It’s heartbreaking.
And it’s stressful.
No one is at their best when stressed. Our emotions run hot and our tempers flare easily.
All it takes is for your employee to take something the wrong way and, the next thing you know, you’re confronting destroyed documents, missing equipment, or a stolen client list.
Get these 3 details right before laying off an employee
Property
First, account for all of your assets. Many employees have a cellphone, tablet, computer or laptop, but they may also have a portable WiFi hotspot, desk phone, office fob, video camera or projector.
Do you have a signed receipt for each asset?
There are three big reasons to prioritize identifying and reclaiming of property. 1) You want to limit your future expenses by recovering as many assets as you can. 2) These devices may contain sensitive data that can be used against you in the future. 3) Should the information contained in these assets or the asset itself be used against you, you will have a paper trail to associate the asset to the former employee.
Revoking Access
Second, are Email and File access. These two are usually top of mind. But, what is often overlooked is that email, phone lines, and files can be forwarded or shared with personal accounts.
Do you know the steps to check these systems?
We live in a highly collaborative world. Small firms don’t always have the technology in place to work from home securely. Many staff use their own phones on a regular basis or unofficially work from home. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to prevent unauthorized sharing.
So, what can we do? Perform an audit prior to termination. Audits offer a strong defense against unknown risks. First, record, then remove any rules that forward to non-business systems, emails, or phone numbers.
Password Management
Third, Password Management. The reality is that people both share and hoard accounts. Your team should change their passwords when an employee is terminated.
But, also, you should keep a secure master list for all accounts and passwords.
Do you if the person you’re laying off is the only person with access to a system or document?
So, how do you know who has what password? One way to get a better handle on passwords using a Password Manager. Password Managers come with many features. But, the feature you’re most interested in is the ability to share Secure Passwords.
You can use the Secure Passwords limit who can see, update, and use a password. A Secure Password is stored on the shared user’s computer in an encrypted format so they cannot see it.
Take action; don’t push this off
There’s a lot happening right now and Employee Termination is an ugly topic. It’s easy to push aside. Hopefully, this short list will help you focus on the most important details to protect your law firm. Remember, the cornerstone of a good Employee Termination IT Checklist are Property, Revoke Access, and Password Management.
But, there’s a lot more.
Get a Free Employee Termination IT Checklist
You can request a free Employee Termination IT Checklist customized for law firms by email.
