New User and Former User IT Standards establish the required process for employee changes that affect organizational technology. A new employee may need accounts, equipment, permissions, licensing, security controls, and support authorization before the first day of work. A departing employee may require carefully timed access changes, account handling, email decisions, device recovery, and removal from the supported-user list. Every request must ultimately exist in a ticket so the work can be authorized, scheduled, audited, completed, and reviewed.
| Topic | Standard |
|---|---|
| Who needs the process? | Any employee who will have an organizational technology identity, email, device, account, support eligibility, or other technology access. |
| New User timing | A minimum of 72 hours of notice is required for a normal New User request. Fourteen business days is preferred whenever possible so accounts, equipment, applications, licensing, access, and other dependencies can be planned well before the employee’s first day. |
| Planned Former User | Notify IT as soon as the departure is known. Include the final date and the exact time access should change when timing matters. |
| Immediate or sensitive departure | Call the Support Desk immediately so timing can be coordinated with HR or leadership. A formal ticket is still required for the change record. |
| Who can authorize it? | An authorized Human Resources or Level 99 contact. Additional permission decisions may also require an Access Control contact. |
| How do I submit it? | Use the New User or Former User form in the IT Support Panel, send the completed Word form, or send the required information through an approved written support channel. The important result is a trackable ticket number. |
| Where are repeatable instructions stored? | Repeatable organization-wide and role-based IT instructions are maintained in the IT Documentation platform. Unique one-time directions stay with the employee’s ticket. |
| Does the monthly Coverage Report replace this process? | No. The Coverage Report reflects the underlying authorized-user, device, and identity records. New User and Former User tickets are what update the authorized-user record. Do not wait for the next report to tell IT that someone joined, left, or changed responsibilities. |
The ticket number is the checkpoint: For IT change-management purposes, a New User or Former User request is not considered entered into the IT workflow until a ticket exists. If you do not have a ticket number, do not assume the employee change has been scheduled or processed.
The IT Department can monitor computers, accounts, software, and security systems. It cannot reliably determine an organization’s employment decisions. A Microsoft account appearing or disappearing does not tell IT whether someone was hired, resigned, changed jobs, went on leave, was terminated, or simply had a licensing change. This is why employee lifecycle communication remains a manual control. The organization supplies the employment decision. IT performs the authorized technology changes. The ticket connects those two responsibilities.
| Area | Why the process matters |
|---|---|
| Security | IT needs an authoritative record of who should be recognized as a current employee and when access should change. |
| Support authorization | The supported-user list helps the Support Desk verify callers. A new employee who was never reported may fail verification. A former employee who was never reported may remain authorized in support records longer than intended. |
| Billing | Employee coverage, licensing, security, backup, and related recurring services may become inaccurate when staff changes are not reported. |
| Employee experience | Advance notice gives IT time to prepare accounts, hardware, applications, permissions, and support access before a new employee needs them. |
| Audit and change management | A ticket records who requested the change, what was authorized, what was performed, when it happened, and what follow-up was needed. |
The process applies to employees who interact with organizational technology. This includes people who have an organizational email address, computer, tablet, phone, account, application access, support eligibility, remote access, or another technology identity that IT needs to recognize or manage. Employees who have no organizational technology identity, no technology device, no account, and no reasonable need to contact IT do not need to be added solely for IT recordkeeping. The objective is an accurate technology and support population, not a duplicate copy of the organization’s entire HR system.
New User and Former User requests should be authorized by a Human Resources contact or Level 99 contact. Access Control may also participate when the employee needs permissions to sensitive folders, mailboxes, groups, applications, or other protected resources. See the Role-Based Permissions Standards for the broader approval model.
The same process applies in co-managed environments. EasyITGuys views the internal and external IT resources as one coordinated IT Department. Internal IT may perform some of the work while EasyITGuys performs other parts. The employee change should still be documented through the agreed ticket workflow so both teams can coordinate responsibilities and maintain a consistent record. The more the combined IT team knows about staffing changes, the easier it is to keep access, security, devices, support authorization, and documentation aligned.
The form and the ticket serve different purposes. The form creates a consistent minimum information set. The ticket becomes the formal change-management record used to coordinate and document the work.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Organization communicates the change | HR or Level 99 tells IT that someone is joining or leaving and provides the applicable effective date. |
| 2. A ticket is created | The request receives a trackable ticket number. Standard subjects are New User - Employee Name and Former User - Employee Name. EasyITGuys may normalize the subject to maintain consistent search and audit records. |
| 3. Required information is reviewed | IT reviews the form or written instructions. If something important is missing, the team works with the authorized contact to complete the request rather than simply rejecting it. |
| 4. Access and purchasing decisions are confirmed | Permissions, licensing, equipment, applications, and other decisions are confirmed with the appropriate authorized contacts when needed. |
| 5. Work is planned and performed | The IT Department schedules and performs the applicable account, device, access, support, licensing, security, and application tasks within the agreed responsibilities. |
| 6. Results are documented | The ticket records the work performed, decisions, exceptions, outstanding items, and follow-up. |
| 7. Coverage and billing remain aligned | Applicable user coverage and recurring services can be reviewed through the normal coverage and billing process. |
A strong first day starts before the employee arrives. The New User process gives the IT Department time to understand who is joining, what they will do, what technology they need, what access is approved, and what must be ready for them.
Hiring timelines are normally known before an employee’s first day. Sharing the information early gives everyone more options. See Prepare New Employees Before Their First Day for the broader planning guidance.
| Notice | What to expect |
|---|---|
| 14 business days or more | Preferred whenever possible. This creates more planning time for equipment, licensing, applications, permissions, vendor coordination, and other requirements before the employee starts. |
| 72 hours | Required minimum notice for a normal New User request. |
| Less than 72 hours | Submit the request immediately. IT will work with the organization, but complete first-day readiness may not be possible. Hardware availability, shipping, licensing, vendor response, approvals, complex applications, or unusual requirements can add time. Expedited or extraordinary work may also have additional costs when applicable. |
The New User form establishes a repeatable minimum. It helps IT gather the information commonly needed to begin preparing the employee.
| Area | Typical information |
|---|---|
| Requestor | Authorized requestor name and contact information. |
| Employee | Name, start date, title, user type, location, and phone information. |
| Identity and permissions | Expected network identity and an existing employee who may be used as a permissions reference. Access is still subject to the appropriate authorization. |
| Replacement or additional staff | Whether the employee is an additional user or is replacing someone who is leaving. A replacement also requires the appropriate Former User request for the departing employee. |
| Computer | Whether existing or new hardware will be used. |
| The employee’s organizational email requirements. | |
| Additional settings | Applications, phone needs, remote access, special configuration, or other employee-specific requirements that are not already covered by the standard process. |
Organizations often have requirements beyond the standard New User form. The best place for those directions depends on whether they repeat. This keeps common work repeatable without making every employee request identical. A Sales employee, Accounting employee, Production Manager, executive, or other role may have different approved application and access needs. When those needs are consistent, documenting them once reduces tribal knowledge and makes future onboarding easier.
| Requirement | Where it belongs |
|---|---|
| Core employee setup | New User form and employee ticket. |
| Something every employee receives | Documented as an organization-wide standard in the IT Documentation platform. |
| Something every employee in a role receives | Documented as a repeatable role-based procedure in the IT Documentation platform. |
| Unique requirement for one employee | Add it to that employee’s New User form, email, or ticket as a one-time instruction. |
Technology readiness and employee readiness are related, but they are not the same thing. A computer can be configured correctly while the employee still does not know how to contact IT, find the IT Support Panel, request help, or follow the organization’s technology process. HR, leadership, or the hiring team should include IT orientation in the organization’s normal New Employee Training process. At minimum, the employee should receive the one-page or full New Employee Guide available through the IT Support Panel. The guide is a starting point and does not replace other assigned organizational, security, application, safety, compliance, or productivity training.
Planned onboarding improvements: EasyITGuys is planning broader standardized employee onboarding and training capabilities for Plan 1 and Plan 2 clients during Q4 2026 and Q1 2027. Planned capabilities include employee welcome guidance, ongoing check-ins, IT process education, security and productivity training, and options for organizations to include their own training material. These are roadmap items, so exact features and rollout timing may change as the platform is completed.
A Former User is any technology-using employee who is leaving the organization. This can include a resignation, retirement, layoff, termination, contract completion, or another departure. The reason for the departure does not change the need for an authorized and documented IT process.
| Situation | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| Employee gives advance notice | Submit the Former User request as soon as the departure is known. IT can coordinate the planned end date, access timing, data handling, equipment, and other approved steps. |
| Sensitive or immediate separation | Call the Support Desk immediately. Provide the exact access cutoff time and authorized instructions. IT can coordinate discreetly with HR or leadership. The work must still be captured in a formal ticket. |
| Unexpected same-day departure | Contact IT immediately rather than waiting for a normal planning window. Fast coordination is more important than advance notice when the employment decision itself could not reasonably be planned earlier. |
See Coordinate Departures and Changes in Responsibility for related guidance.
The Former User form gives IT the minimum information needed to begin the offboarding workflow. It does not assume every departure should be handled identically. Data, email, and accounts should not be deleted merely because someone has left. Retention, ownership, legal requirements, operational needs, licensing, and authorized instructions may affect what happens next. IT follows the approved process rather than making the employment or data-retention decision independently.
| Area | Typical decision |
|---|---|
| Requestor | Authorized requestor and contact information. |
| Employee and timing | Who is leaving and the effective end date or access-change time. |
| Network account | Whether the account has an authorized reason to remain enabled and whether password handling is required. |
| Incoming email | Whether incoming messages need to be forwarded and to whom. |
| Historical email | Whether another authorized person needs access to historical email. |
| Additional items | Other accounts, applications, permissions, devices, remote-access methods, or organization-specific requirements that need review. |
A license change is not a Former User request: EasyITGuys will not assume that an employee left the organization merely because a Microsoft license, mailbox setting, account, or another individual service was changed. The formal Former User request is the authoritative instruction that tells the IT Department to begin the employee offboarding process.
The same documentation principle used for New Users applies to Former Users. If every departing employee requires an additional repeatable step, that process should be documented in the IT Documentation platform. If the step applies only to a particular role, it should be documented as a role-based standard. If the request is unique to one employee, include it directly in that employee’s ticket.
The Support Desk verifies who is requesting assistance. An employee’s statement that they work for the organization is not enough by itself to establish support authorization. Attackers can impersonate employees, claim to be new staff, or attempt to persuade support personnel to change accounts and credentials. A maintained authorized-user list gives the Support Desk an independent record to compare against the person requesting help. Support authorization is user-specific. One employee being authorized does not automatically authorize another employee. Staff should not rely on another team member’s support identity as a substitute for having the correct employee listed. Support authorization and system access are separate controls. A former employee appearing on a supported-user list does not prove that their Microsoft, network, or application access is still active. It does mean the employee lifecycle record is no longer aligned with the organization’s current staffing information and needs to be corrected.
| Situation | Possible result |
|---|---|
| New employee was never submitted | The person may not appear on the supported-user list and may fail support verification until the organization confirms their authorization. |
| Former employee was never submitted | The person may remain recognized as a supported user in IT records because the IT Department was never formally told that the employment relationship ended. |
The monthly Coverage Report is a readable reflection of the records used to manage the organization’s IT coverage. It is not the source of truth for employee authorization. Authorized supported users are stored and tracked in the IT ticketing and service-management system. New User and Former User tickets are what formally add, change, or remove those authorized-user records. Managed device information is synchronized through the applicable device-management systems. Microsoft identity information reflects licensed identities in the organization’s Microsoft environment. Current Microsoft licensing and directory details can also be reviewed through the IT Support Panel. The Coverage Report brings these records together so the organization and EasyITGuys can audit coverage, identify differences, and keep support and billing aligned.
Use the Coverage Report to verify, not to announce: The Coverage Report reflects the underlying support, device, and identity records. Submit New User and Former User changes when they happen so the authorized-user record can be updated through the formal ticket process. Then use the report to verify that users, devices, identities, services, and billing remain aligned.
The Business Client Coverage Reporting and Billing Cycle Policy explains the recurring review process. The Billing Coverage Audit Process for Business Clients explains how deeper reconciliation is performed when records need review. Billing can become inaccurate in either direction when employee changes are missing. A former user may remain associated with support or recurring services longer than intended. A new user or service may also be in use without the billing and coverage records being fully aligned. Eligible recurring items can be adjusted through the normal billing process after the underlying change is confirmed. Some licensing commitments, vendor terms, minimums, subscriptions, or other committed services may not be immediately cancellable.
| Coverage record | How it is maintained |
|---|---|
| Authorized supported users | Stored and tracked in the IT ticketing and service-management system. New User and Former User requests are the manual control used to add, change, or remove employee support authorization. |
| Managed devices | Device records are synchronized through the applicable management systems and are reflected in the coverage data. Devices may automatically appear, update, or retire based on the management workflow and environment. |
| Microsoft identities | Identity records reflect Microsoft identities that have a license assigned in the organization’s Microsoft environment. Licensing and Microsoft directory information can also be reviewed through the IT Support Panel for auditing and reconciliation. |
| Mobile devices | Mobile devices that require management or MDM services may require enrollment or other manual coordination depending on the organization’s environment and management platform. |
| Coverage Report | A reporting and reconciliation view of the underlying user, device, identity, and coverage records. The report helps identify differences. It does not replace the systems and tickets that maintain those records. |
Planned device-management direction: EasyITGuys is working toward a Q1 2027 expectation that applicable client devices use Microsoft Intune or a comparable modern management platform for device management and authorization to organizational resources. Modern device management improves device visibility and control, but it does not replace the manual employee New User and Former User process.
Not every employee change involves someone joining or leaving. Tell IT when an existing employee changes departments, responsibilities, title, approval authority, or job function when that change may affect technology access. A role change does not normally require treating the employee as a New User or Former User. Instead, submit a ticket with the effective date and describe the new responsibility. HR confirms the employee change. Access Control can confirm which folders, mailboxes, groups, applications, or protected resources should change.
This matters in both directions. New responsibilities may require additional access. A promotion, transfer, or demotion may also mean that access from the person’s previous role should be removed. Permissions should reflect the employee’s current responsibilities rather than becoming a permanent collection of every role the employee has held.
The New User and Former User forms establish the core workflow. Organizations may also have additional onboarding or offboarding procedures. Repeatable IT procedures above and beyond the standard forms are maintained in the EasyITGuys IT Documentation platform. This standard supports audit history, controlled access, technician efficiency, consistent execution, and repeatable processes across the entire client base. The IT Department must be able to locate the same type of information through the same documented workflow rather than requiring technicians to learn a different documentation system for every organization.
| Documentation | Standard location or action |
|---|---|
| Core New User or Former User request | Employee form and ticket. |
| Repeatable IT step for every employee | IT Documentation platform. |
| Repeatable IT step for a specific role | Role-based procedure in the IT Documentation platform. |
| Unique employee request | Employee-specific ticket, form, or related written instructions. |
| Organization’s own HR or onboarding documentation | The organization may maintain its own system. Changes that affect IT must be sent to the IT Department so the IT-side standard remains aligned. |
Organizations are welcome to maintain their own documentation, HR platform, onboarding system, or internal checklist. EasyITGuys does not normally log in to a separate client-selected documentation platform to maintain the Managed IT Department workflow. Doing so would split operational records, permissions, audit history, and technician processes across many different systems. Instead, the organization sends IT any updates that affect the technology process. EasyITGuys will likewise communicate material changes it makes to the documented IT-side procedure so both sets of records can stay aligned.
The organization does not need to perform IT’s technical work. IT does not make employment decisions for the organization. The process works when each participant supplies the information or decision they own at the right time.
| Participant | Primary contribution |
|---|---|
| HR or Level 99 | Communicate the employment decision, timing, role, and other authorized employee-lifecycle information. |
| Access Control | Approve applicable permissions to organizational information, mailboxes, folders, groups, applications, and protected resources. |
| Hiring manager or department leader | Explain job-specific technology, application, equipment, and workflow needs. |
| Internal IT or co-managed IT | Coordinate assigned responsibilities with EasyITGuys and document the work through the shared process. |
| Managed IT Department | Plan, perform, coordinate, document, and validate the authorized technical work within the applicable scope. |
| New employee | Complete assigned onboarding, authentication, and training steps. Learn how to contact IT and ask questions when something is unclear. |
Missing information does not mean EasyITGuys will simply refuse to help. The team will work with the organization to fill in missing details and confirm what is needed. The problem is that incomplete or late information creates uncertainty and additional work at exactly the time when accuracy matters most. A clear process is easier for everyone. HR and leadership know how to notify IT. Employees receive a more consistent experience. Support can verify who should receive assistance. IT has a reliable change record. Billing and coverage can be reconciled against the same employee lifecycle information.
| Missing process | Possible effect |
|---|---|
| New User not reported | Accounts, equipment, applications, permissions, or licensing may not be ready. The employee may also fail Support Desk verification because they are not yet listed as an authorized supported user. |
| Former User not reported | Support authorization, coverage, licensing, or other records may remain associated with a person who is no longer employed. IT also lacks the authoritative instruction needed to complete and document the full offboarding workflow. |
| Incomplete request | IT must stop and request additional information, which can delay account, device, application, or access work. |
| Informal verbal instruction only | There may be no durable change record showing who approved the work, what was requested, or whether the entire employee workflow was intended. |
| One technical item changed without a lifecycle request | Changing a license, mailbox, password, device, or application does not tell IT whether the employee was hired, left, transferred, or simply needed that one technical change. |
| Coverage is not reconciled | Support and billing records can drift from the actual environment, potentially creating overbilling, underbilling, unsupported users, or users who remain listed longer than intended. |
This article explains the standard New User and Former User workflow and does not replace applicable service agreements or organization-specific approved procedures. The current Master Service Agreement and Terms of Service, Service Guide, accepted Quote, Order, Statement of Work, documented configuration, authorized employee-change instructions, and current IT Documentation remain the applicable sources of truth. Billing timing and cancellability may also depend on vendor commitments, licensing terms, minimums, and the organization’s current service configuration.
No. The Word form is an easy way to provide the standard information, and the same forms are available through the IT Support Panel under Forms. An authorized contact may also send the required information in writing through an approved support channel. The important part is that IT receives the minimum information and a formal ticket is created.
Do not assume the employee request has entered the IT workflow. The ticket number is the trackable change record. Follow up with the Support Desk so the request can be confirmed and assigned.
A Human Resources or Level 99 contact should authorize employee lifecycle changes. Access Control may also be needed for permissions to sensitive systems, folders, mailboxes, groups, or applications.
No. The process is intended for employees who use organizational technology, have an organizational technology identity or account, receive IT support, or otherwise need technology access. Staff with no technology identity, device, account, or need to contact IT do not need to be added solely for IT recordkeeping.
Submit the request immediately. EasyITGuys will work with the organization to prepare what can reasonably be completed. Less than the required 72-hour notice increases the chance that hardware, licensing, applications, permissions, or other dependencies may not be ready on the first day. Fourteen business days is preferred whenever hiring timelines allow it.
Call the Support Desk immediately and provide the authorized timing instructions. IT can coordinate the technical work with HR or leadership. A ticket is still required so the change is formally documented.
No. A licensing change is a technical change, not an employment decision. IT will not infer that someone left the organization merely because a Microsoft license, mailbox setting, application, or individual account changed. Submit the Former User request.
The Coverage Report should be used to audit and verify the underlying records, not as the primary employee notification process. Authorized supported users are maintained through the IT ticketing and service-management system. Submit New User and Former User requests when staff changes occur. Then use the Coverage Report to confirm that users, devices, identities, services, and billing remain aligned.
Submit both employee changes. The new employee needs a New User request. The departing employee needs a Former User request. One request does not automatically complete the other employee’s lifecycle process.
Yes. Organizations are welcome to maintain their own HR, onboarding, training, or documentation platform. Changes that affect the IT process must be communicated to EasyITGuys. Repeatable Managed IT procedures are maintained in the EasyITGuys IT Documentation platform so technicians can follow a consistent, controlled, and auditable process across the client base.
Not as the normal Managed IT workflow. Maintaining separate client-selected documentation systems would fragment IT procedures, audit history, permissions, and technician workflows across many platforms. Your organization may maintain its own copy. Send relevant changes to EasyITGuys, and EasyITGuys will communicate material changes to the IT-side procedure so both can remain aligned.
Submit a ticket describing the role change and effective date. HR confirms the employee change. Access Control may need to confirm new or removed permissions. The objective is for access to reflect the employee’s current responsibilities rather than every role they have previously held.
Potentially. If the person remains on the authorized supported-user list because no Former User request was received, the Support Desk may still recognize that person according to the information available in its records. This does not prove that the person’s Microsoft or application access is active. It demonstrates why the supported-user record must be updated when employment ends.
Not necessarily. The request allows IT to begin aligning the user and associated services with the current environment. Actual billing changes depend on the services involved, billing-cycle timing, applicable minimums, licensing terms, vendor commitments, and other non-cancellable costs. Review the current Coverage Reporting and Billing Cycle Policy for billing details.
The applicable Master Service Agreement and Terms of Service, Service Guide, accepted Quote, Order, Statement of Work, documented configuration, authorized employee-change instructions, and approved IT Documentation control where applicable. Ask EasyITGuys to review any apparent difference so the records and process can be aligned.
