The Block Login Access feature is used to immediately prevent a user with an existing AWARDS login from accessing the system, by removing his or her password. Once blocked, a user can only access the system again if another user with the proper authority, such as a supervisor or system administrator, resets the blocked individual's password.
Required Permissions
Unless you are a member of the "Executive Officer" and "System Administrator" user group, use of the Block Login Access feature requires at least ONE of the following permissions:
- Display Executive Administration Buttons
- Permissions Data Entry
- Permissions Data Entry for All Staff and Layers
Permissions are assigned using the Permissions Maintenance feature. If you do not have access to that feature and need a permission listed here, please contact your supervisor or your local Help Desk for assistance.
Blocking User Login Access
To block a user's login access to AWARDS by removing the password from his or her login information, complete the following steps from the AWARDS Home screen:
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Click Administration from the left-hand menu, and then click System Setup. The System Setup fly-out menu is displayed.
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Click Login Maintenance, and then click Block Login Access. The Block Login Access page is displayed.
To see a list of already blocked users, click the + icon next to "Existing Blocked Users" at the top of the page. Click again to hide the list.
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Click the User Login drop-down arrow and select the name of the individual(s) whose login access is to be blocked.
This list contains the names of all current AWARDS users - both employee and consumer (when applicable) - whose access is not already blocked. Next to each user's name in the list is his/her AWARDS username to help you identify the correct individual.
To block access for multiple consecutive users in the available selection list, press <SHIFT>, click the first name in the series, and then click the last name in the series. To block access for multiple non-conservative users in the available selection list, press <CTRL> and click each name.
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Click CONTINUE. A Block User? confirmation pop-up is displayed.
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Click OK to proceed with blocking the selected user; otherwise, click Cancel. The user's access is blocked and the updated Block Login Access page is displayed with the user's name now included in the "Existing Blocked Users" list.
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Repeat steps 4 through 6 to block other users if necessary.
The process of blocking login access is now complete. The blocked user's login will remain in place in AWARDS until such time as he or she is officially terminated under Human Resources; however, his or her AWARDS password will no longer be valid, preventing access to AWARDS until such time as the password is reset using the Password tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I view a list of users whose login access is currently blocked?
To do so, go to Administration > System Setup > Login Maintenance > Block Login Access. At the top of the page click the + icon next to "Existing Blocked Users." The list that is then displayed shows all users - employee or consumer - whose access is blocked, indicating that they do not currently have a password assigned to their logins. Click the - icon to hide the list.
- How do I restore a blocked user's access?
In order for a blocked user to access AWARDS again, you must create a new password for him or her. To do so, use Administration > System Setup > Login Maintenance > Password. The procedure for creating a new password is the same as that for resetting an existing user's password as detailed under Resetting a Password.
- Is blocking logins captured in the audit trail?
Yes. When Block Login Access is used to block a user's AWARDS access, that information is captured in the audit trail and can be viewed using the Audit Trail ReportBuilder.
- What happens if a blocked users tries to access AWARDS?
Upon attempting to login to AWARDS a blocked user will receive the following notification message: Your AWARDS access has been blocked. Please contact your supervisor or AWARDS administrator. This message is distinct from other login errors so that the user is aware he/she is being prevented from logging in rather than simply encountering an error because of an incorrectly entered username and/or password. A similar notification message is also displayed if the user attempts to use the Forgot Username or Password? links on the login page.
- What is the difference between terminating a login and blocking login access?
Blocking login access using the Block Login Access tool removes a user's password, preventing him/her from accessing AWARDS but not entirely removing his/her login to the system. This can be particularly helpful if you ever need to temporarily remove someone's access; for example, if you wanted to prevent a user from accessing AWARDS while on leave, but anticipate that they will be returning in the future.
Terminating an employee is done using the Human Resources module's Staff Information feature by placing an end date on his/her current payroll group record without creating a new one. It moves the employee's staff information record to the staff archives and removes his or her login entirely so that it would need to be re-created were the employee ever to need to access the system again in the future.
Because the termination process can involve several steps some agencies may choose to immediately block a user's login access as an interim step so that they can take their time with the full termination data entry process.