Effectively managing the mailboxes and emails of departing employees is crucial for IT and human resources to ensure information security and maintain business continuity. The following suggestions are designed to help you handle these tasks efficiently and in compliance with regulations:
1. Preparations before departure
Prior to the employee's departure, discuss and agree on how their mailbox and emails will be managed.
Remind the employee to back up important emails and cloud drive files. If the email archiving feature is active, emails are automatically backed up.
2. Account data processing
Select a method for processing the account data based on business requirements. Disable the departing employee's mailbox on their last day to prevent unauthorized access.
Retain account
In cases where the mailbox needs to be used by someone else, such as when the email address is publicly known or linked to other emails, the following options are available:
Associate mailbox (recommended for public mailbox transitions). Remove the departing employee's association and assign a new one to the incoming employee. What is the function of associate mailbox?
Password reset. Change the password of the public account and hand it over to the successor. How to reset an employee's account password?
Third-party client security password. Generate a unique client password for the employee to use and ensure it is deleted after they leave. How can employees enable and use third-party client security passwords?
Automatic reply. Configure an autoresponder for the departing employee's mailbox to notify senders of their departure and provide alternative contact details. Automatic reply email feature
Automatic forwarding. If necessary, set up email forwarding to redirect messages sent to the departing employee to a designated successor. How to set up automatic email forwarding in Alibaba Mail?
Account alias. Remove the old account and use the account recycle bin to transfer emails to a new account, which can then create an alias with the original email name. How to create an account alias?
Remember to delete the departing employee's third-party client security password and create a new one to ensure the client they used is logged out and invalidated. How can employees enable and use third-party client security passwords?
Freeze or delete account
Freezing an account retains it within the active sub-account quota and allows for future restoration.
Deleting an account frees up the active sub-account quota, but data cannot be recovered after 30 days from deletion.
Email transfer
Email transfer is not necessary for associated mailboxes. If association is not an option, consider the following methods:
Account recycle bin (recommended): Alibaba Mail automatically retains deleted mailbox accounts for 30 days, during which emails can be transferred or the account restored. How can administrators recover the email data of a departed employee?
Email migration: Email migration