Need advice locked surface rt

[laxstx1]

Hello,
I run a small company and give my employees tablets for daily orders.
I recently had to fire a worker and asked him to return his surface he did and we made sure it worked before he left. I sit in on the desk and left it alone for 2 months. Today i went to charge the surface in prep for a new employee and when it turned on user and password locked. I did the recovery steps from microsoft customer service. And was prompted for bit locker number code which i do note have. I called the previous employee he said kick rocks.

so my options?
trash its?
try a recovery image ?

my company dosent have an it guy, I pretty much try to google/ fix things on my own any help would be great.

 

[jnjroach]

You should have an option when booting into recovery to "Skip This Drive" otherwise the Key is stored on your previous employee's OneDrive if he/she used her Microsoft Account.

 

[laxstx1]

I choose skip but am given bit locker prompt code
The previous user has a micro account. But is not helping me at all

 

[jnjroach]

Bitlocker is doing exactly what it is designed to do protect the user's data. Did you enable another account on the machine prior to your former employee's exit?

You may be able to get Microsoft to assist further. Or in take the User to Small Claims Court for destruction of property.

 

[laxstx1]

Microsoft could not help me further I called.
And court would not be cost effective with time and just upgrading. If I can't find a new option I will buy a new one before the week is over and junk the current unit