How Do We Recover Passwords After an Employee Absconds with Critical Code?

Dear Team, This is a very serious concern to share with you all. One of our employees, who is a software engineer and controls panel programming, was on a notice period. His last working day in the organization was January 31st, but for the past 7 days, he has been absconding. After his disappearance, we discovered that he has password-protected all programming and is not responding to calls or messages.

He belongs to another state, where he was staying in the company guest house which he has now vacated. We do not have his local address, but we do have his village address. As a 9-year-old employee, he had control over such confidential work.

Please suggest how we can proceed to recover the passwords.

Thank you.

Dear Colleague, this is very serious. If you believe the absconding engineer may have dubious or criminal intentions to use the data illegally for his advantage, then consider filing a police case against him.

Send a letter immediately to his last known address providing factual data of his criminal acts and requesting him to report promptly to provide an explanation. Also, warn him of a police case if he fails to explain, mention the withholding of his dues, and issue a release letter.

This approach might be effective. At an appropriate time later, consider publishing his photo in a prominent newspaper, highlighting his misdeeds, and urging him to come forward for an inquiry. Consult a legal expert for every action.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant