Key facts
- A former company director was laid off despite meeting performance targets.
- The company's IT systems, including multi-factor authentication for key accounts, remained linked to the former employee's personal phone number.
- The ex-CEO emailed the former director requesting assistance with the IT issue.
- A separation agreement had been signed, with both parties confirming all matters were resolved.
- Legal advice suggested the former employee has no obligation to assist and should not respond to the request.
A former company director, who was laid off over a year ago despite meeting his performance targets, has received an unexpected email from his former CEO requesting assistance with an IT problem. The issue stems from the company's multi-factor authentication (MFA) for several critical email accounts still being tied to the ex-employee's personal phone number.
The director had been with the mid-sized company before it was sold and subsequently reorganized. His departure followed a period where the company also laid off its IT lead and head of accounting. The initial severance package offered was minimal, prompting the director to engage his brother-in-law, an employment lawyer, to negotiate a more favorable agreement, which ultimately resulted in a package approximately five times larger than the original offer. A formal separation agreement was signed, with both the CEO and company controller confirming all matters, including severance and benefits, were fully resolved.