Members of staff who are about to leave CERN need to complete several computing tasks before they go. Here are some guidelines for what to do.

Register private e-mail address

We recommend that users who have a computer and an external e-mail provider at home register their private e-mail address before they leave CERN. The private e-mail address (or physical e-mail address, PEM) will replace the CERN e-mail for all further contact with CERN. The PEM can be registered in advance (using the field "Deferred Physical E-mail") and must be done at least before the end of the contract date. Users should simply connect to Computing Resources Administration (CRA) through http://cra.cern.ch. On the "My Details" page they should enter the PEM in the field "Deferred Physical E-mail", then in the "Date As Of" box complete the effective date as the contract end date, and finally click "Update".

Should users have any difficulties with CRA they can contact helpdesk@cern.ch (tel 767 88 88).

Automatic account closure

We would also like to remind you about the rules regarding the automatic closure of accounts when users leave CERN. Depending on the individual, two leaving dates might be registered on the Human Resources database and they are not necessarily the same:

  • the "last working day" (or last "physical date"); and
  • the "end of contract".

These two dates can differ, especially in the case of early retirement or users who have accumulated lots of holiday.

The rules regarding the blocking of computer accounts when users leave CERN are as follows:

  • all accounts (including NICE) are blocked on the "last working day" plus two months;
  • the AIS and MAILSERV accounts are blocked only at the "end of contract" plus two months (this extension allows time for pay slips to be generated).

Users are notified about two months before either of the above actions are taken. If the "last working day" and "end of contract" are different, users will receive two messages. In this case they should read the message carefully to understand which account will be blocked and when.

CERN external account

This year, at the request of the finance department, we have made it possible for CERN pensioners to obtain their annual internal tax certificate via the web. To do this they have to create a CERN external computer account, which will enable them to access the CERN website. For the time being only former staff members require this external account to access their annual internal tax certificate.

An external account can be created using the PEM that is registered with CRA. First the user should connect to http://cra.cern.ch/Externals (this url can be accessed from outside CERN); then click on "Online Registration" and complete the fields under "Account Information". The "E-mail" field must contain the same PEM as was recorded with CRA. Click "Register" to confirm.

To validate this account the member of staff will receive an e-mail that enables him/her to register a password. The user will need both the PEM and the password to access the new external account.

When the CERN external account has been created, users can access their internal annual tax certificate at http://aismedia-ext.cern.ch/aismedia/taxcert. The full procedure is described on the Human Resources website. Staff who do not have a home computer or an e-mail address can still obtain the tax certificate by post, by contacting the bureau des salaires in the finance department.