Issues with non-furloughed colleague

JReacher1

If they want your password they can get it from someone in IT. 

You’ve been furloughed which is obviously a bit of a shock but you just need to completely ignore work and don’t get involved in anything work related. What they do with your password is not your concern as it is to access a company system. 

Unless you have a personal friendship with any colleagues you should have no contact with them at all

Forum_Name

Tinkberbell said:

I appreciate all the responses and am more than happy to adhere (as I have been since I have been furloughed) but I don't think the company is aware that my colleague is making these phone calls - I understand that to an extent I am at fault for picking up as is my Team Leader. 

Obviously I am now concerned about her needing my password and secondly for the phone calls I've answered - is there anything I can now do to cover my back should anything come out of this?

I doubt anything will come of it. It's new to all so people are making mistakes. You answered the phone because it was your natural reaction to do so. You've only since learned that you're to do absolutely 0.000000000000% work while furloughed so from this point on that's precisely what you're going to do. If they need to do anything and you're the only one who can give them whatever it is they need to do then unlucky for them.

You'll know whoever it is in the workplace who gives you the green light to come back. At some point you will be contacted to return. You only communicate with that person. 

I would love to be off. People are complaining about being off. This week i earned only a few quid more for being at work on long days at risk than i did last week sat on my backside. It wasn't even £50 more, honestly.
What i'm saying is enjoy your time off. Relax. Forget about work. Make the most of being as safe as you can be because I personally would love to be in your position.

Tinkberbell

JReacher1 said:

If they want your password they can get it from someone in IT. 

You’ve been furloughed which is obviously a bit of a shock but you just need to completely ignore work and don’t get involved in anything work related. What they do with your password is not your concern as it is to access a company system. 

Unless you have a personal friendship with any colleagues you should have no contact with them at all

It is a shock and I've been struggling since the day it happened, nevertheless I've found a 101 things to do with my spare time but today I called my TL for advice whilst in Tesco about an electric whisk and that's when she told me and my emotions got very high.

I just feel so powerless that there is nothing I can do in terms of having some sort of trail apart from the WhatsApp messages of her asking work related questions.

JReacher1

Tinkberbell said:

JReacher1 said:

If they want your password they can get it from someone in IT. 

You’ve been furloughed which is obviously a bit of a shock but you just need to completely ignore work and don’t get involved in anything work related. What they do with your password is not your concern as it is to access a company system. 

Unless you have a personal friendship with any colleagues you should have no contact with them at all

It is a shock and I've been struggling since the day it happened, nevertheless I've found a 101 things to do with my spare time but today I called my TL for advice whilst in Tesco about an electric whisk and that's when she told me and my emotions got very high.

I just feel so powerless that there is nothing I can do in terms of having some sort of trail apart from the WhatsApp messages of her asking work related questions.

Yeah it’s a horrible situation to be in. I’ve not been furloughed but have many friends who have. I imagine it’s a shock to suddenly go from working to being stuck at home.  

You just need to look after yourself and in a few weeks this will hopefully be over and you can return to work. In the short term it’s best not to worry too much about work and just wait for when they call you to return. 

All the best

General_Grant

Tinkberbell said:

JReacher1 said:

If they want your password they can get it from someone in IT. 

You’ve been furloughed which is obviously a bit of a shock but you just need to completely ignore work and don’t get involved in anything work related. What they do with your password is not your concern as it is to access a company system. 

Unless you have a personal friendship with any colleagues you should have no contact with them at all

It is a shock and I've been struggling since the day it happened, nevertheless I've found a 101 things to do with my spare time but today I called my TL for advice whilst in Tesco about an electric whisk and that's when she told me and my emotions got very high.

I just feel so powerless that there is nothing I can do in terms of having some sort of trail apart from the WhatsApp messages of her asking work related questions.

What sort of trail are you concerned about?  If it is about what was done with the use of your password then remember that there should be a trail of when things were done (which will be when you were furloughed and not able to access the system).

TELLIT01

I would have thought the furlough issue was more of a problem for the employer than the employee.  There is no reason for an employee to be au fait with all the rules around the furlough process.  My concern would be more around handing my password over to anybody else.  If it is important that somebody else access the system then IT will be able to reset the password assuming they are given permission to do so by a manager with the required authority.

steampowered

I wouldn't worry about it.

It sounds like they are just trying to avoid contacting you while you are on furlough.

No doubt the people who are not furloughed are just trying to do their best in difficult circumstances. Perhaps you could offer to let your team leader have passwords etc. that might be needed.

TELLIT01

I would not offer passwords to others without a direct instruction from management, and I'd want that in writing.  It can be classed as serious misconduct to give out passwords.  I know we are working in very strange times but IT security is probably more important than ever now because there are likely to be fewer checks.

eamon

If your employer is big enough to have its own IT dept or similar then it should have been possible for a new user account to have been created. Assuming of course that its not soley linked to the OP's login. As with other posters don't get involved with the ongoing internal politics if you can avoid it.

Barney_Rubble_0403

Do not give out passwords. That will put you in the wrong when it comes to your it policy and could be a saveable offense.