Guide to Offboarding Employees in Microsoft 365: Securely Manage Email & OneDrive Access

Offboarding employees can be a sensitive and complex process. This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to offboard an employee from Microsoft 365, manage their license, and control access to their OneDrive and email.

Offboard user in Microsoft 365

1. Locate the User: In the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to "Active users". Select the user and make a note of the license they're using.
2. Delete User: Choose "Delete User". A series of checkboxes will appear, allowing you to manage license removal, alias deletion, and more. The last two options let you:
   • Grant another user access to the deleted user's OneDrive files for 30 days.
   • Assign another user access to the deleted user's email. This will prompt you to change the display name, set up an automatic reply, and delete aliases.
3. Email Forwarding (Optional): You can set up email forwarding to another mailbox. Go to "Shared mailboxes", select the mailbox, and set up "Email forwarding".
4. Reduce License Count: Email IT Solver at support@itsolver.net to request a reduction in the license count, referencing the license type noted in step 1.

Note: If you've granted email access to another user, this converts the user to a shared mailbox. The unlicensed user may appear in Active Users as a shared user (e.g., "Rahul Ligma (Shared)"). Do not delete this user or the shared mailbox will stop working. For the shared mailbox to continue working, the unlicensed user must not be deleted from Active Users.

How to Suspend a User in Microsoft 365

If you need to temporarily suspend access for a user, follow these steps:

1. Block Sign-In: In the Microsoft 365 admin center > Active users, select the user and choose "Block this user".
2. Sign Out: On the user's page, select "Sign out of all sessions".
3. Reset Password and MFA: Open Azure AD (Entra ID), navigate to "Users", find the user, and perform the following actions: Reset password, Require re-register multifactor authentication, Revoke multifactor authentication sessions, and manually delete any remaining phone numbers or authentication methods.
4. Unblock Sign-In: When the user returns or is replaced, unblock their sign-in access in the Microsoft 365 admin center > Active user.
5. Email Forwarding (Optional): To forward emails to another mailbox, go to "Shared mailboxes", select the mailbox, and set up "Email forwarding".

By following these steps, you can ensure the smooth transition of duties and safeguard your organization's data when an employee departs.

For more personalized assistance with Microsoft 365 offboarding or any other IT-related concerns, contact IT Solver, your trusted support provider. Explore our support plans and sign up today for tailored solutions that fit your business needs.