Microsoft 365 offboarding means removing a departing employee’s access while handing over the email and files colleagues need to keep working. HR, the manager and IT can use one checklist with an agreed cutoff time and an owner for each action.
Before departure, identify what needs a handover
Ask the manager which folders, calendars, messages and collaboration spaces must remain available and who should own them. Check your organization’s retention policies. List devices to recover and external services the employee used, such as supplier portals or invoicing tools.
At the agreed time, remove access
Block sign-in and revoke sessions according to your IT procedure. Check group memberships, roles and external application access. Coordinate replacement of any shared credentials the employee used. If a personal device holds work data, have IT confirm the appropriate handling and the scope of any remote action.
After departure, verify the handover before removing the licence
Ask the new owner to open the files and verify that email is handled as agreed. Record what was done and remove or reassign the licence once data retention and transfer are addressed. Microsoft Learn’s offboarding guide explains the administrative steps and how they affect data.
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