Staff leavers: IT guidance

Required actions before leaving

Before your account is closed, you must complete the following steps to ensure business continuity and data compliance:

1. Forward business-critical emails: forward any emails that need to be retained for operational purposes to your manager or relevant colleague(s).
2. Remove non-essential content: delete any non-essential emails and/or files from your N Drive, Google My Drive, and OneDrive.
3. Move images to a shared location: any images must be moved to an appropriate shared drive within Google Drive.
4. Transfer files from your N Drive: all files stored on your N Drive must be moved to a shared Google Drive or sent directly to your manager or colleague(s). Do not rely on sharing files, as your account will be deleted.
5. Change ownership of Google Drive files: in the My Drive area of Google Drive, transfer ownership of any files or folders that need to remain accessible after you leave. The video below demonstrates how to change ownership. If files are shared but ownership is not transferred, those files will be removed after 6 months.

Keeping a copy of personal data

If you wish to retain a copy of any personal data stored within University systems before leaving, you can do so using the appropriate export tools.

Guidance on downloading your personal data from University systems is available here:

Taking your data with you when leaving the University

Ensure you hand back:

• Laptop(s)
• phone(s)
• tablet(s)
• Docking station(s)
• Monitor(s)

All peripherals and cables are to be handed back to your manager on your leaving date. 

When these devices are returned the storage will be securely wiped with no option for recovery.

University cards are to be handed to your manager on your leaving date

Note: Building access automatically stops on your last day.

Not essential, but you can easily notify colleagues of your leaving date ahead of time by providing information and/or alternative contact details set as an automatic email reply. You can follow these steps for:

Google Gmail: Send an automatic reply when you're out of office - Computer - Gmail Help

Microsoft Outlook: Set up auto-reply (out of office) - Microsoft Support

For the manager to complete on the leaving date:

• Confirm that ownership of all business files has been transferred to the appropriate colleague(s) or placed in an appropriate team drive.
• Confirm that business-critical emails have been forwarded to the appropriate colleague(s).
• Obtain all leaver's University equipment (laptops, phones, tablets, etc.)
• Obtain the leaver's staff/university card. These should be cut up.
• Complete the Staff Leavers form to request a computer account closure (link below)

Note: While HR does notify IS of Staff Leavers, this may not always be immediate, and as such, completing the Staff Leavers form is an essential security measure.

For casual staff, this is particularly useful as contract end dates may be well after a leaver's last shift.

Staff Leavers form