IT restrictions after giving notice
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I currently work at a large firm that provides professional/advisory services. I've given notice and am off to pastures new for more money, less travel and fewer hours.
IT have now applied the Leavers provisions to my user account, which is "to protect the firm's intellectual property", i.e. stop me stealing confidential/client files. The effect of these provisions is to disable
- USB ports
- CD/DVD drive
- ability to connect to wireless networks
I don't have a problem with the first two, it's sensible enough. The fact that I cannot connect to wireless networks, however, means I can't actually do my job. I spend 3-5 working days a week out at client's offices and am reliant on their networks to connect my laptop to pick up emails as well as actually do work (I get emails on my phone, but try reviewing a report with lots of tracked changes on an iPhone, it takes forever and drives you nuts).
Is it just me that thinks that disabling your ability to connect to wireless networks is overkill? If I wanted to take a bunch of files away I'd have done that before I handed my notice, surely?
I currently work at a large firm that provides professional/advisory services. I've given notice and am off to pastures new for more money, less travel and fewer hours.
IT have now applied the Leavers provisions to my user account, which is "to protect the firm's intellectual property", i.e. stop me stealing confidential/client files. The effect of these provisions is to disable
- USB ports
- CD/DVD drive
- ability to connect to wireless networks
I don't have a problem with the first two, it's sensible enough. The fact that I cannot connect to wireless networks, however, means I can't actually do my job. I spend 3-5 working days a week out at client's offices and am reliant on their networks to connect my laptop to pick up emails as well as actually do work (I get emails on my phone, but try reviewing a report with lots of tracked changes on an iPhone, it takes forever and drives you nuts).
Is it just me that thinks that disabling your ability to connect to wireless networks is overkill? If I wanted to take a bunch of files away I'd have done that before I handed my notice, surely?
It's very good of you to care whether or not you can now do your job, many wouldn't!
Are you worried about disciplinary for not doing your job? Or just keen to make sure you can do it, or perhaps a bit of both?
Put your concerns to your line manager in writing so there is a trail to show you were not not swinging the lead or being uncooperative. They'll either allow your Wifi again, say it doesn't matter or ignore, none of which should impact badly on you.
Are you worried about disciplinary for not doing your job? Or just keen to make sure you can do it, or perhaps a bit of both?
Put your concerns to your line manager in writing so there is a trail to show you were not not swinging the lead or being uncooperative. They'll either allow your Wifi again, say it doesn't matter or ignore, none of which should impact badly on you.
Personal hotspot on your iPhone still comes up as a wireless network you try to connect to... which I now can't! 
10PS - I've got a nice email trail to one of the partners explaining that this is unhelpful, he's apparently going to look at it tomorrow. I'm not concerned about disciplinary stuff, but find it extremely frustrating when the firm has moved a lot of it's infrastructure to 'the Cloud' or online stuff and I now cannot access it! I've got another two months of notice to get through, I don't see why I should spend it staring out of the window when everyone else is working pretty hard
10PS - I've got a nice email trail to one of the partners explaining that this is unhelpful, he's apparently going to look at it tomorrow. I'm not concerned about disciplinary stuff, but find it extremely frustrating when the firm has moved a lot of it's infrastructure to 'the Cloud' or online stuff and I now cannot access it! I've got another two months of notice to get through, I don't see why I should spend it staring out of the window when everyone else is working pretty hard
Are you going to work for a competitor? Do you have any covenants in your contract that may become relevant? Have you discussed this with your employer?
Could be totally barking up the wrong tree, but it seems as if your employer might be inclined to run a hard line on such things if your wifi experience is anything to go by. It's better to discuss these things before they become a point of disagreement.
Could be totally barking up the wrong tree, but it seems as if your employer might be inclined to run a hard line on such things if your wifi experience is anything to go by. It's better to discuss these things before they become a point of disagreement.
ModMan said:
Can't you just plug a network cable in to your laptop?
In my office, yes... in a client's office, if I could get access to anything by just plugging in one of their network cables I'd promptly be selling them an IT Security Review for about £30k 
Hence the need to access their guest wifi.No particularly onerous covenants (usual stuff about not poaching clients, not stealing IP, etc) and I'm not going to work for a competitor. Currently hoping that IT can be made to see sense.
Shirt587 said:
In my office, yes... in a client's office, if I could get access to anything by just plugging in one of their network cables I'd promptly be selling them an IT Security Review for about £30k Hence the need to access their guest wifi.
No particularly onerous covenants (usual stuff about not poaching clients, not stealing IP, etc) and I'm not going to work for a competitor. Currently hoping that IT can be made to see sense.
This is why I have a 3G dongle thingy. I've found even guest wifi can block me from where I want to get. So fall back position is plug in the dongle/cable to the phone. Hence the need to access their guest wifi.No particularly onerous covenants (usual stuff about not poaching clients, not stealing IP, etc) and I'm not going to work for a competitor. Currently hoping that IT can be made to see sense.
Podie said:
Raise it with your line manager.
Always makes me laugh when they do this - it's as if you'd never have thought about getting stuff prior to handing in your notice...
Exactly, me too- generally you would know that you were moving jobs before handing in your notice and if there was something in particular you wanted to make sure you kept (even a personal file, not necessarily all the company's trade secrets), you'd do this before giving notice...Always makes me laugh when they do this - it's as if you'd never have thought about getting stuff prior to handing in your notice...
I'd always welcome the gardening leave option too!
I had the joy of being nearby when one of the partners rang IT. He was very direct, and I now have functional wireless again, although the partner had to send them an email confirming that he was fully aware that this was directly in contravention of policy and against IT's recommendation...
Shirt587 said:
I had the joy of being nearby when one of the partners rang IT. He was very direct, and I now have functional wireless again, although the partner had to send them an email confirming that he was fully aware that this was directly in contravention of policy and against IT's recommendation...
it sounds like a very bizarre policy - quite how or why someoen should be expected to attend work and not be able to function effecxtively vs gardening leave is really extremely bizarre. also surely if you were going to pinch Intellectual property /client lists you'd do som immediately before handing in your notice ?
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