Terminating IT/Security Manager

Katy Lu · November 2006

I am getting ready to fire our IT / Security Manager at the end of the month. He is the only IT employee. He was a good employee for about 10 years but the last year has had very poor performance, anger issues, inappropriate behavior to co-workers, etc.

The CEO has finally listened - it took our attorney and me to convince him that it is getting worse and he needs to go. He should have been fired after a few of the incidents.

Does anyone have any tips or checklists for firing an IT Manager? I'm afraid that I will forget something (or not realize something needs to be done) and leave us vulnerable to a techological attack.

In my 25+ years of HR (only 2 years with this company) with firings, layoffs, discipline, etc this is the first time that I have been worried for my personal safety.

He has never threaten me or anyone else - that I know of. But I think that he is unbalanced. The CEO says that the employee will be upset but not violent but that his wife will be vindictive. Either way doesn't sound safe to me.

Any advice for handling this too would be appreciated.

marc · November 2006

First, it should be the person the IT Manager reports to that terminates him. Second, no termination should be handled alone, always have a witness - and if you still have to do it yourself, get more than one witness if you don't have a burly person to join you.

If you don't have these sorts of folks available, meet him at the door with a box full of his personal belongings, tell him he is terminated and here is his final check. I don't advise this last one other than as a last resort.

Finally, you should make sure you have disabled his access to your systems and buildings. This may require you to pull in an outside consultant while you are replacing the position.

Much more to this - I am sure others will add.

Katy Lu · November 2006

The CEO & I will be terminating him together. We will have a local policeman in the building during the meeting. The employee is over 6' tall & 250#. The policeman we plan to have there is of similar size.

I'm not as worried about that meeting because we can control it. I'm more worried afterwards - at home.

Two of our security guards are married to state troopers who work the area. We may ask if they can drive by the property, the CEO's house & mine.

ray a · November 2006

Having police on location is a good idea if you think he could become violent. I had to do that once and I contracted with the Sheriffs dept to provide security for one month - they are next door to us making it easier.

An IT manager probably has access to a lot of confidential information on your company, plus he is the guy who knows the most about your networking system. Have you taken steps to ensure his access will be cut off immediately, preferably during the termination interview?

lnelson · November 2006

We termed our IT person pretty recently all I can say is make sure nothing is password protected with the IT person only knowing the password.

Also make sure you have a confidentiality agreement in place because this person knows alot of valuable company info.

E Wart · November 2006

If you have security on site, which can be good, I recommend they be plain clothes. You don't need to embarass the employee in front of others... can make it worse. Just have him "hanging around" outside the conference door and then follow the employee back to his station. You should have boxes already at his station when he returns so that he can pack up whatever he needs to.
Normally I recommend doing terminations at the end of the day. However, this one you may want to do like right after lunch to give you time to get stuff done.
During the meeting, I would ask for his keys back (before he leaves.) Hopefully he has't made duplicate copies. However, you should have your outside locks changed and by all means any passwords to the building, the same day.
Another thing you can do is (not only have someone (consultant or off site company, depending upon your computers and how your system is set up but)also have someone either just unplug all his equipment and "hide the cords" until he is gone, or if you are really worried, then have someone literally lock up all equipment either in the room that it is presently stored or move it during the meeting.
I wouldn't let him out of your site (or the site of the security) until he drives out of the drive way. In fact, someone could be going through his work areas and retrieving any disks/tapes that could be taken or even destroyed during his departure.
Also, is he able to "charge" purchasing of equipment. If so, you need to have the accounts closed out or changed. (Look back through your AP bills to see who you have paid for anything to do with your computer system). You could be surprised one day with a HUGE bill for things you have never bought.
Also, if you are able to call into your system (off premsis access, which most folks have now adays), you had better get with someone on how to "disconnect this" before you go into a meeting.
This is a perfect example of why there should be one person who has a list of the access codes, but then also a set kept in a safe or lock box.
If you are really scared, get a restraining order.
Good luck.
One last thing, I have heard of someone scheduling an off site informal "breakfast meeting" and do the termination there and not let the person back on the work site. They would have to find out from the employee about any personal stuff that belongs to them and ship/deliver it to them. (Sometimes the person behaves better in "public" than they would in the office.)
I hope you only have one location. Otherwise that could be a nightmare. Good luck.
E Wart

Evergreen · November 2006

I agree w/E Wart. As president of a IT security firm, I have seen and been involved in way too many of these types of scenarios. I recommend you have a discrete IT firm on-site prior and when you perform the termination and they can then immediately take action to change all passwords and lock down accounts and look for access holes. Make the firm sign a NDA so it doesn't make the papers.

Unfortunately, this guy probably also used his ID to run backups and other jobs....so many things will break in the process of the lock-down. But it's far better than having a weasel like him around.

Good luck!

Katy Lu · November 2006

Thanks for the advice. Feel free to keep it coming!

WT · November 2006

I really cannot add too much to the good advice already given. However, most IT people like to build a "back door" into their system. This gives them access in case an employee quits, suddenly dies, or forgets a password. In this day and age, contact by phone line from a remote location is possible and likely. Such a back door can be really difficult to find. Should an IT person be vindictive, an algorithm to erase critical information could be introduced.

I would have a competent person at least look for this back door and would back up all critical information for a period of time so files could be recreated if the worst happens.

Good luck.

sonny · November 2006

I hope you will let us know how this goes. Someone mentioned firing at the end of the day. We were recently discussing what day of the week is "best". I thought I had read studies that recommended certain days and times of day, but can not find anything. Anyone have info?

HRinGA · November 2006

We've always avoided Friday. Usually early to mid-week and first thing in the morning. I always thought it was better that they could get up the next day and start looking for a job rather than stew about it all weekend. And I wouldn't want someone to work all day and then get fired.

baseballcoach · November 2006

We also avoid Fridays, but usually try to do the termination just before lunch. We allow the employee two choices: they can pack up and leave quietly during lunch (avoiding possible embarrassment) or to come back at an appointed time in the evening to pick up their belongings (we always have two people present in either case).

Indiana Catbert · November 2006

Perhaps this is obvious, but I would be taking the opportunity to get some perception from your consultant about how to avoid duplicating this situation (having an indispensible person) before hiring the IT Manager's replacement. Should the job be split between two people? What controls should be implemented (with your consultant's advice) to avoid over reliance on the IT Manager? What kind of audit could be done periodically to test the controls and to also uncover security gaps?

I realize that relying on a consultant isn't always advisable, but when your IT function is a one man band, it makes sense to me to protect the company in such a sensitive area.

Indiana Catbert · November 2006

Perhaps this is obvious, but I would be taking the opportunity to get some perception from your consultant about how to avoid duplicating this situation (having an indispensible person) before hiring the IT Manager's replacement. Should the job be split between two people? What controls should be implemented (with your consultant's advice) to avoid over reliance on the IT Manager? What kind of audit could be done periodically to test the controls and to also uncover security gaps?

I realize that relying on a consultant isn't always advisable, but when your IT function is a one man band, it makes sense to me to protect the company in such a sensitive area.

Terminating IT/Security Manager

Comments