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Reset Access or Archive? What to Do When a Support Worker Leaves or Gets Locked Out

A practical guide to resetting staff sign-in access versus archiving a worker who has left, including what stays in the record and what does not.

Published 18 October 2026. Published by Sparks Support Pty Ltd, the makers of Sparks Provider.

The short answer

If a worker is locked out, reset their sign-in access. If a worker has left, archive them rather than deleting their profile. Archiving removes access but keeps completed shifts, notes and documents in the business record.

A support worker messages to say they cannot log in for tonight's shift. Another one finishes up after two years and you are not sure what happens to their old shift notes. Both situations come down to two different tools, resetting access and archiving staff, and knowing which one to use saves a growing provider from either locking someone out of work they still do, or losing the paper trail for work they already did.

Reset access first, when someone is locked out

Not every login problem means a worker has left. Password trouble, a new phone or a typo in their email address are far more common, and they call for a different fix to archiving. Open the worker's profile under Staff, then go to Sign-in and access. From there you can reset or repair their sign-in without touching their roster, shift history or documents. Their record stays exactly as it was. Only their ability to sign in changes.

Archive someone who has left, do not delete them

When a worker genuinely leaves, the instinct can be to tidy up by deleting their profile. Resist it. Deleting is meant for staff records that were added by mistake and never actually joined, not for someone who worked real shifts and built a history. Archiving is the right tool for a departure. From Staff, open the worker, go to Profile and select Archive staff at the bottom of the page. This removes their day-to-day access immediately. Completed shifts, shift notes and any documents attached to their profile stay in the business record. You keep the history. They lose the login.

Why that history matters later

A completed shift from eight months ago might still matter for an invoice query or simply confirming who worked a particular date. Archiving keeps that available inside the business record, searchable the same way it was before, just without active access for someone no longer on shift.

A fictional example: a two-person team through a busy season

Picture a small, fictional support service with two part-time workers, run by a sole owner still learning the admin side of things. One worker takes parental leave and plans to return in a year. The other leaves for a different industry altogether. The owner archives both. For the worker on leave, archiving simply switches off access until she is ready to return. For the one who has left for good, archiving keeps a tidy record of every shift he worked, without an unused active account sitting in the system. When the first worker is ready to come back, the owner goes to Staff, opens Archived, finds her profile and selects Restore staff. Her history is already there waiting, and she is active again without being re-entered from scratch.

Unjoined records are a different case

Sometimes a staff record is created and an invitation sent, but the person never actually joins. That record can be archived too, which keeps their details without deleting anything. Before archiving an unjoined record, revoke the invitation first and reassign or cancel any shifts that were pencilled in for them. Delete staff record is only for records added by mistake with no roster history. Deletion is permanent and needs confirmation, and anyone who was ever invited, joined, or appears in roster history is protected from deletion. Archive is the safer default whenever there is doubt.

Employment dates are separate from access

Started with us and Last day sit under Profile, Employment dates. They are useful for keeping an accurate record of when someone joined or finished, but entering them does not archive anyone and does not change the roster on its own. Archiving and employment dates are two separate actions, and it is worth doing both when a worker leaves, so the record is accurate and their access is actually switched off.

Common questions

Does archiving a worker delete their shift notes?

No. Archiving keeps completed shifts, notes and documents in the business record. It only removes the worker's ability to sign in.

Can I bring an archived worker back without re-entering their details?

Yes. Go to Staff, then Archived, open their profile and select Restore staff. Their existing record returns to active staff.

What's the difference between archiving and deleting a staff record?

Archiving keeps the record and its history, just switched off from day-to-day access. Deleting permanently removes a record and is only available for unjoined records added by mistake with no roster history.

A worker can't log in. Do I need to archive and restore them?

No. Use Sign-in and access on their profile to reset or repair the login. That's a separate action from archiving.

If I update someone's Last day, does that archive them automatically?

No. Employment dates are recorded separately under Profile, Employment dates, and do not archive anyone or change the roster on their own.

This article is general information about provider operations and Sparks Provider. It is not legal, financial, employment, NDIS or compliance advice. Check current requirements with the relevant authority or an adviser for your business.

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Questions or corrections? Contact the publisher. Please do not send client or health information.

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