by Scott Jack
Content Contributor, E-N Computers
More than a decade of experience in technical support including end user support, mobile device management, application deployment, and documentation.
Your IT manager quit — or you’re about to fire them — without any notice. You’ve heard generic advice like immediately disable their accounts and reset admin passwords. You know how important it is to act quickly — you’ve heard horror stories about IT sabotage, and you can’t risk the resulting data loss, disruption to operations, or financial impact. But the reality of implementing that advice is daunting.
There are so many questions that come up when the sole IT person leaves and systems need to be secured. One of our clients described the sudden loss of their IT person and the resulting challenges as “overwhelming”, “exhausting”, and like being “in a virtual prison”.
We’ve helped dozens of companies to recover from sudden IT departures, and we can help you, too. Even in stressful situations where sabotage is a real risk, we can get you back on track. It’s easier when the departed IT person is cooperative, so we encourage you to start with patience and planning — even when theft, deception, or mismanagement are involved. Here’s what you need to know.
QUICK ANSWER:
What do I need to do when my IT manager suddenly quits?
While a sudden departure is a crisis, it’s also your opportunity to build a more resilient IT environment. While the immediate priority is to regain control of your systems and prevent any risk of data loss, the long-term solution isn’t just about hiring a new person. It’s about building a solid foundation with the right people, processes, and technologies so your business is never dependent on a single individual again.
Potential warning signs
There are a few key indicators that you’re headed toward the resignation or burnout of your IT manager.
Chaos when they go on vacation
Everyone needs a break sometimes, even your IT manager. Paying attention to what happens when they’re away can give you an idea of what will happen when they leave for good. For example:
- Do support requests pile up?
- Do IT operations grind to a halt?
- Are other business functions impacted?
- Is there chaos or confusion among staff?
Projects are backlogged
It’s safe to say that if you have a solo IT person, you have a project backlog. There are a few reasons for this:
- IT managers must split their time between end user support requests, maintenance, and projects
- Project time gets interrupted by users with a ‘quick question’ or executives with a new, urgent priority
- IT manager is hesitant to do a critical project because of rusty or missing skills
- Executives effectively have a zero-tolerance attitude about downtime, which makes it impossible to get projects done
When these project backlogs grow, they affect the security and stability of your systems. As the technical debt of not completing these projects piles up, many IT managers get frustrated and start to burn out. The company is impacted with:
- Unreliable servers and workstations running outdated operating systems
- Network equipment running on outdated firmware
- Poor performance of hosted line-of-business applications
- Security holes, bugs, reduced productivity
Unrealistic business expectations are driving over-engineered solutions
Some executives effectively demand both zero downtime and zero cybersecurity issues. Either one of these is unrealistic on its own; achieving both at the same time is impossible. When you ask for this, the proposed solution will be ridiculously overengineered and over-priced.
Companies with deep pockets are particularly susceptible to over-engineering and over-securing. But throwing money at the problem, or swapping out a single person, does not fix this problem. IT is a combination of people, processes, and technologies, and good solutions require starting with realistic expectations. “No downtime ever” is not a realistic expectation.
When the problems finally become too much
Sometimes, despite your best efforts at collaboration and support, the situation reaches a breaking point. Here are common scenarios we see.
Management changes
Changes in your executive team can affect the relationship with IT. New executives often have different expectations and priorities. They may not tolerate IT inefficiencies and instead demand rapid changes.
IT paranoia
We’ve talked with more than a few clients that experienced IT paranoia, where the IT manager micromanaged everything. This hurts operations because systems are too secure and nobody can do anything. Sometimes it stems from a distrust of reckless users, but often it’s a way to make the IT person irreplaceable. Unfortunately, IT paranoia can also lead to burnout because it puts so much extra work — and pressure from others — on the IT manager.
Bombshells
We’ve seen all sorts of bombshells in our time helping companies survive an IT departure. We’ve worked with companies whose IT managers were stealing, secretly working another full-time job, and grossly mismanaging resources.
While it can be tempting to cut them loose right away, we strongly advise you to be patient and plan for the exit as well as you reasonably can. Even in difficult situations, a measured approach will serve you better than acting impulsively.
Start from a place of calm and cooperation
Before problems escalate to the breaking point, a collaborative approach is more likely to yield good results and a smoother transition. Starting from a place of paranoia and assuming your IT manager will be adversarial will put you in a more difficult position.
Collaborate on solutions
Instead, get your IT person support before things spiral out of control. More perspectives and help could reduce any sense of overwhelm that could be building.
- Consider implementing weekly meetings with the IT manager. Weekly meetings are opportunities for you to collaborate on business IT problems. In time, you’ll have a much better understanding of your IT environment and the challenges you face.
- Set boundaries with the general staff. There may need to be more structure around requesting assistance. If you don’t have a ticketing system, implement one. Require users to submit a ticket. Discuss whether help desk hours would be helpful in leaving time for projects and maintenance.
- Discuss whether you could benefit from co-managed IT services. You can enlist the help of a managed service provider that works alongside your existing IT team. We’re able to help with things like monitoring, patching, and documentation that could let your IT manager focus on valuable projects.
- Establish or update your acceptable use and IT policies. If you don’t have clear policies around acceptable use, password management, data handling, and personal device usage, now is the time to create them. These policies protect both your company and your IT staff by setting clear expectations. They also reduce confusion among employees during transitions, which minimizes security risks.
- Try our free IT self-assessment as a starting point. Our IT self-assessment has you look at the people, processes, and technologies that come together in your IT environment. Based on your responses, it provides a list of action steps you can take to begin improving your systems.
Find the right framing
To earn the cooperation of your IT manager, find the right framing for your interest. Try to understand your IT manager’s perspective and find alignment. Here are some ideas.
- ‘Hey, it looks like we’re falling behind on projects. Let’s figure out how to prioritize these and what barriers exist to getting them done. I’d like to bring in an MSP to help us.’
- ‘We want to give you some breathing room to get caught up on projects or take some time off. Could we find a way to split some responsibilities with an MSP — someone that can handle user support or back you up with server and network maintenance.’
You can even task your IT manager with finding an MSP to work with. IT managers are often suspicious of MSPs and executives who want to bring them in. But when they are involved in the selection process, they may be more willing to work with the MSP instead of viewing them as an adversary.
Remember, the problem is bigger than one person
Usually, IT is a mess because a combination of people, processes, and technology is broken. Replacing your IT manager — even with a more experienced, knowledgeable IT worker — is not going to dig you out of the hole you’re in. Who you put in the role is only one part of the puzzle.
This is why an MSP can save your bacon: we have the people, processes, and technologies to solve common IT problems. Transitions are a core part of our business — we come into organizations with no IT, IT that is departing on good terms or bad, or replacing other MSPs. We have experience dealing with cooperative counterparts as well as forcibly regaining control of systems.
You might be thinking, “But our business is unique — we need someone on-site who understands our specific needs.” While some organizations do benefit from dedicated on-site IT staff (particularly those requiring white-glove service for executives), this doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from MSP support. In fact, even companies with dedicated IT staff benefit from having an MSP to provide backup, documentation, and specialized expertise. The key is having the right combination of people, processes, and technologies — not relying solely on a single individual.
If you’re dealing with a backlog of projects and maintenance, keep in mind that paying off technical debt requires real money. You will need to establish a realistic budget to get your IT back on track. An MSP can help with building a tech roadmap and budget that meets your needs.
Will they cooperate?
Understanding the likely cooperation level of your departing IT person will help you plan your approach. Here are the most common scenarios we encounter.
Scenario 1: You’re planning to terminate them and need to prepare first
If your IT person is still in the role and you want to have things in order before terminating them, proceed cautiously. Many IT people are extremely wary of giving any sort of admin access to anyone. The more hands there are in the admin pie, the more chances there are for something to break.
In this situation, if you decide to work with a managed service provider like us, you may need to be cautious about installing MSP tools on your systems. Trying to do this surreptitiously will backfire — your IT person will likely notice new software installations and remote access tools, which could damage trust or prompt an immediate resignation on bad terms.
This is where collaboration and proper framing come in. If you’ve decided together to bring on an MSP in a co-managed capacity where they’re handling monitoring and patching, you can introduce these tools as part of that collaboration. Frame it as bringing in support rather than preparing for their departure. This approach lets you gain some access and visibility while maintaining a working relationship.
If the situation involves serious issues like theft or gross mismanagement, you may need to act more quickly. In these cases, consult with your legal counsel before acting, and be prepared to work with an MSP to regain control of systems immediately upon termination.
Scenario 2: They quit suddenly and are uncooperative
When an IT person quits without notice and refuses to cooperate, you’re in the most challenging position. They may refuse to provide passwords, documentation, or any transition assistance. In extreme cases, they might actively obstruct your access to systems.
Here’s what you need to do immediately:
First 24 hours:
- Contact a managed service provider experienced in emergency IT transitions. We’ve handled many of these situations and know how to regain access systematically.
- Gather any documentation you can find, including old emails, network diagrams, or vendor contacts.
- Identify your most critical systems and prioritize regaining access to those first.
Regaining access:
- For cloud services like Microsoft 365, you can often prove business ownership to the provider and regain admin access. This process typically takes 24-48 hours.
- For on-premises servers, you may need to use password reset tools or recovery procedures. An experienced MSP will have these tools and know-how to use them safely.
- For network equipment, you may need to perform factory resets, which will require reconfiguration but gets you back in control.
Legal considerations:
- Document everything, including attempts to contact the former employee and their responses (or lack thereof).
- Have your attorney send a formal request for access credentials and company property.
- In cases of suspected sabotage or data theft, consult with a cybersecurity forensics firm.
The uncooperative scenario is expensive and time-consuming, but it’s manageable with the right help. Most companies are fully operational within a week, though full cleanup and optimization may take longer.
Scenario 3: They quit suddenly but will cooperate — for a price
Some IT people will quit but offer consulting services to help with the transition. This is less common than you might expect, but when it happens, it can be the smoothest path forward — if handled correctly.
Evaluate the offer carefully:
- Is the rate reasonable for consulting work in your area? IT consulting rates are typically 1.5-2x their former salary on an hourly basis.
- What specifically are they offering to provide? Get a clear scope of work in writing.
- How long will the arrangement last? A 2-4 week transition period is reasonable; months of dependency is not.
Set clear terms:
- Create a formal consulting agreement that specifies deliverables, timeline, and payment terms.
- Require them to provide full documentation and transfer all admin credentials as part of the contract.
- Make it clear that the goal is to make your systems manageable by others, not to create ongoing dependency.
- Consider having them train your new MSP or IT person rather than providing ongoing support directly to users.
Watch for red flags:
- If they’re unwilling to provide documentation or credentials, even as a paid consultant, they’re trying to maintain leverage over you.
- If they propose an arrangement where only they can manage certain systems, decline and work with an MSP to regain independent control.
- If their rate seems inflated (3x+ their previous salary), they may be trying to take advantage of your vulnerable position.
This scenario can work well when the departing IT person is genuinely trying to help and you negotiate fair terms. Think of it as paying for a proper transition rather than ongoing IT management. Once you have full access and documentation, you can part ways and move forward with your permanent IT solution.
Document everything
The foundation of regaining control is knowing what you have. Start by making a comprehensive list of all your systems. Get input from each department so that you’re less likely to miss anything. Your IT person may have had access to:
- Local servers, which may include domain controllers and hosted Exchange email servers
- Microsoft 365 cloud
- Other systems where they created user accounts
- Your website domain registrar, web host, and content management system
- Internet and phone provider accounts
- Mobile device management
- Zero trust or privileged access management
- Backup and failover systems
- Monitoring systems
- Door access and security camera systems
- Network equipment
- Password manager
- IT documentation
Consider setting up a separate documentation and password management system, at least until you gain full control of your systems. We use MyGlue for this and include it with all of our managed services plans. MyGlue is great because it combines password management and documentation in a unified platform. It has unique formats for different types of services, so that you can be sure to collect all the critical pieces of information.
Critical questions to answer
As you’re building your inventory, make sure you’re gathering answers to these critical questions:
Account Access
- Do they have more than one account?
- Are there any generic admin accounts they have access to?
- What systems do they have access to?
- Who has rights to reset passwords and disable accounts, and how do we do it?
System Dependencies
- Are there any services or systems that will stop working if we disable their account?
- Are any systems set up with a personal account that we don’t have control over?
- What software licenses are tied to their personal email?
- Are there any undocumented shadow IT systems they are managing?
Recovery and Security
- Are there any personal devices that were used for work that need to be wiped or secured?
- Is multi-factor authentication enabled on all accounts, and who controls the recovery options?
- Where is the documentation and is it current?
This documentation process may seem tedious, but you have to do it. We’ve seen companies discover critical systems they didn’t even know existed during this inventory process.
Gain control of your systems
Once you’ve documented what you have, it’s time to secure it. In the immediate aftermath of a departure, your main concern needs to be securing your systems. For companies with a mix of local servers and cloud services, this would be admin credentials for your domain server, email server, Microsoft 365, and your network solution. If your IT person is cooperative, great. If they’re not, you may be able to get access to cloud services by proving business ownership to the cloud service provider.
Secure access the right way
Here’s the proper way to set up administrative access:
- Choose key people who will have admin rights. These might be senior partners in your firm or trusted executives who understand the responsibility.
- Create a unique admin account for each of them, separate from their standard, daily driver accounts. It’s best for each person with administrative rights to have their own account. Shared admin accounts are completely insecure and put you at serious risk. Each admin account should have a strong, unique password stored in your password manager, and should have multi-factor authentication enabled.
- Disable the former IT person’s access systematically. Start with the most critical systems (domain controller, email, cloud services) and work your way through the list. Don’t forget to check for any scheduled tasks or automated processes that might be running under their credentials.
Plan for long-term manageability
Once that is done, you can worry about setting things up for better long-term manageability. For example, you can create generic service email addresses like “it-alerts@yourcompany.com” that forward to your IT team or MSP. This way, critical notifications and password reset emails don’t go to an individual’s personal inbox that might be inaccessible if that person leaves.
System security isn’t a one-time event — it’s an ongoing process. Work with your MSP to establish regular access reviews, documentation updates, and succession planning so you’re never caught in this position again.
You don’t have to face this alone
If you’re reading this article, you’re likely feeling some combination of overwhelm, anxiety, and uncertainty about what comes next. That’s completely understandable. The sudden departure of your only IT person — or the realization that you need to let them go — can feel like a crisis that threatens your entire operation.
Here’s the good news: while this situation is serious, it’s also manageable with the right approach and support. We’ve guided dozens of companies through exactly what you’re experiencing right now. Whether your IT person left cooperatively or not, whether you’re dealing with a simple transition or potential sabotage, there is a clear path forward.
What to expect: In most cases, we can stabilize your critical systems within 24-48 hours and have you fully operational within a week. Complete cleanup, optimization, and establishing best practices for the long term typically takes 30-60 days, depending on the complexity of your environment and how much technical debt has accumulated.
Your next steps depend on where you are
In crisis mode? If your IT person just quit without notice, refused to provide passwords, or you’ve just terminated them — contact us immediately. We specialize in emergency IT transitions and can begin regaining control of your systems within hours. Don’t wait; every hour increases your risk and potential costs.
Planning ahead? If you’ve decided to terminate your IT person but haven’t done it yet, or you see the warning signs and want to prepare — reach out to discuss co-managed IT services or a transition plan. A little preparation now can save you thousands of dollars and countless headaches later.
Want to prevent this situation entirely? If you have an IT person who seems overwhelmed, or you simply want to ensure you’re never dependent on a single individual — our managed services plans provide the backup, documentation, and processes that protect your business. We can work alongside your current IT staff or serve as your entire IT department.
Ready to move forward?
Contact E-N Computers today for a free consultation. We’ll assess your situation, answer your questions, and provide you with a clear roadmap for securing your systems and moving forward with confidence.
This is a stressful situation, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. We’re here to help you regain control, protect your business, and build an IT environment that works for you — not against you.
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