Fired, former Employer requesting UserID's and passwords

[maico1]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? North Carolina.

Hi, after 24 years I was laid off 2 weeks ago as part of a massive lay off. I received a message on my machine from the HR person requesting that I email her the UserIDs and passwords to all the systems I had access to. (I worked in IT).

I'm uncomfortable doing this because I don't think anyone should be logging on as me. They could delete data etc. using my UserID and blame me for it.

Do I have any obligation to do this? Can they withhold my severance if I don't?

Thanks

 

[cbg]

You are probably not obligated to to this and whether or not it can affect your severance depends on the terms of the agreement.

However, it is not unreasonable of them to need the information you suggest.

Is there another way you could provide them with the information other than by e-mail?

 

[maico1]

Hi CBG,

Thanks so much for your reply. I could give it to them by phone I guess. Is there any reason I should not do it by email? I guess this would give me some proof if something happened that it was not me. (That other people could log on as me.) Do you think it would be unreasonable of me to request who will receive them and what they will be used for? As mentioned before in other messages an administrator could change the password on my accounts and they could access them that way so I really don't see the need for it, but I'm not too adverse to it.

 

[Mister Darcy]

Depending on the type of company you work for, you may want to ask HR if revealing your password would be in compliance with any of the followng:

Sarbanes-Oxley for any publicly traded companies

Gramm-Leach Bliley for any companies involved in Financial sales or services

Hippa for any companies involved in health care.

If your company falls within any of the above categories, then I would suggest that you get confirmation in writing that you are not going to be in violation of any internally developed security controls by divulging your password.

 

[Gadfly]

If you are the ONLY person with your level of access (super user, etc) then you need to make arrangements to have your accesses passed on to whoever they think will replace you. If others have the same (or higher accesses) then someone needs to delete you access.

 

[pattytx]

I have never heard of a User-ID and password an experienced and knowledgeable IT person couldn't find out on their own. May take a little detective work, but it is really so impossible they have to ask you for them?

 

[Zigner]

Get a receipt/release

I would suggest hand-delivering the information, in writing and making sure they sign a release saying that, as of a certain date, they have taken possesion of the information and release you from any further liability related to it.