How to Handle a Terminated Employee’s Email
- Change the former employee’s password
- Choose who will handle any future emails addressed to the former employee
- Setup an auto respond to reply to incoming emails
- Setup a filter to forward emails to the employee’s replacement
- Wait for a set amount of time (2 weeks to 1 month)
- Backup and delete the former employee’s account
Process Process Process.........
Change the Former Employee’s Password
Hopefully this goes without saying, but your absolute first step should be changing the former employee’s password.
Determine the Former Employee’s Replacement
If applicable, choose who will be responsible for handling any future emails that are sent to the former employee’s email address. In the steps below, we’ll make the introduction to this person, as well as forward them any emails the former employee receives.
Setup an Auto response
In most cases, the biggest challenge to overcome is making sure that any of the former employee’s contacts know that the former employee is no longer with the company, and more importantly who at the company they should contact in the future (the person you chose in step 1.)
To accomplish this, I find it easiest to create an auto respond (or vacation response in Gmail) for anyone that emails the former employee. I include a couple of lines similar to the following:
Thank you for contacting (company name). We regret to inform you that (former employee) is no longer employed here. Please direct any future correspondence to (person responsible) at (person responsible’s email and/or phone).
Best Regards
This is an automated reply. For your convenience, this email has been automatically forwarded to (person responsible).
Setup a Filter to Forward Emails
While you’re setting up the autoresponder, go ahead and create a new filter that will forward the incoming emails to whomever you chose as a replacement for the former employee.
Set a Reminder to Delete the Account
Pick a date in the near future when you think it’s safe to delete the former employee’s email account. The amount of time might vary based on the company, their industry, client base, etc., but I usually wait anywhere from two weeks to a month.
Set a reminder for yourself so you don’t forget.
Backup and Delete the Account
When your target date arrives make a backup of the former employee’s account, inbox, etc. if necessary (just do it. disk space is cheap, and having a backup when you need one is priceless!)
At this point, all of your bases should be covered and it should be safe for you to delete the former employee’s email account.
