IT account closure: Your leaver checklist

When you leave the University, your IT account will close and you’ll lose access to email, OneDrive, Teams, and other digital services. Before this happens, there are a few important steps to complete to make sure your files are handled correctly and your team can continue their work without interruption.

Use this checklist to prepare your account for closure and return any University equipment.

Please note this checklist is in addition to the University staff leaver’s process — please follow it carefully if you haven’t already done so.

Key things to know

• Check your closure date: You will receive an email confirming when your access ends. If the date is incorrect, contact staffing@essex.ac.uk immediately.
• Access ends overnight: You will lose access to services overnight on your final date of employment.
• No email forwarding: For security reasons, automatic email forwarding is not permitted after you leave. Please notify your contacts of your new address manually. 

What you need to do before your account closes

1. Update any personal accounts using your University email

If you’ve used your University email for any personal services (for example shopping accounts, banking, bookings, or MFA/security verification), update these before your final day. You will not be able to access your University mailbox after closure. 

2. Save any personal files before your account closes

Your files and emails will be permanently deleted when your IT account closes. If you have any personal files stored on University systems, save copies before your final day.

Examples of personal files include:

• Photos or images
• Personal notes or documents
• Personal receipts, bookings, or travel confirmations
• Anything unrelated to University work

You can download or move files to your own personal storage.

3. Transfer work files to your team

Work-related files must remain accessible to your team after you leave. Make sure you:

• Move any work files stored in your personal OneDrive into an approved shared location (e.g. a shared Box folder), or
• Reassign ownership of documents, shared inboxes, calendars, or Teams resources where appropriate

If you’re unsure what needs transferring, check with your line manager before your final day.

4. Review shared resources you manage

If you manage or own shared digital resources, hand these over to someone else in your team. This may include:

• Shared mailboxes
• Top-level Box folders
• Distribution lists
• Shared calendars
• Microsoft Forms
• Qualtrics surveys (transfer ownership)
• Shared SharePoint sites
• Team channels or group permissions

Update group owners and permissions to ensure continued access. 

5. Return any University IT equipment

Any equipment issued to you as part of your role must be returned before you leave. This includes:

• Laptops and docking stations
• Monitors and peripherals
• Mobile phones
• Headsets, webcams, or specialist equipment

Your line manager will confirm where and how to return equipment. If you are a line manager, please complete an IT Equipment Returns Form.

After your account closes

Once your IT account is closed:

• You will no longer be able to sign in to your email, OneDrive, Teams, or any Microsoft 365 services
• Your mailbox and OneDrive content will be permanently deleted
• Any services linked to your University login will stop working

Access cannot be restored after deletion, so please ensure you have completed all steps above. 

If you’re continuing with the University

If you’re leaving one role but remaining with the University in another capacity (for example a visiting role, external examiner, or casual appointment), your IT access may continue in another form.

Need help?

• For anything relating to your employment record, leaving date, or the staff leaver’s process, contact staffing@essex.ac.uk.
• For technical queries — including data access, file storage, and account or sign-in issues — contact the IT Helpdesk.