When your employment ends, your access to Microsoft 365 applications (including email, calendar, and OneDrive) is automatically terminated.
When Does Access End?
Your access to Microsoft 365 applications is normally removed at 11:59 AM on your last day of employment. Your supervisor may request an earlier termination for security or operational reasons.
Once access is terminated, you will no longer be able to:
- Log in to your Microsoft 365 account
- Access your email mailbox or calendar
- View or retrieve files from your OneDrive
- Access shared SharePoint sites or Teams
- Participate in shared documents or collaborative workspaces
How to Request Your Data
If you need specific files or data from Microsoft 365 after your employment ends, follow these steps:
Step 1: Contact Your Previous Supervisor
Reach out directly to your immediate supervisor or department manager and request the specific files or data you need. Your supervisor should have context about what information you require and whether it is appropriate for you to access.
When contacting your supervisor, be as specific as possible about:
- The file names or document titles you need
- The location where the files are stored (OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, email folder, etc.)
- The business or personal reason for your request
Step 2: Your Supervisor Reviews Your Request
Your supervisor will evaluate whether your request is appropriate. They may:
- Locate and provide the files directly to you
- Verify that the data is appropriate for you to receive
- Determine if any sensitive or confidential information needs to be redacted or excluded
Step 3: Your Supervisor Requests Data Access from the Help Desk (If needed)
If your supervisor determines your request is valid but does not already have access to your data, they can submit a request to the Help Desk for access to needed Microsoft 365 account and data.
Your supervisor's request must include:
- Terminated employee's name
- Location of the files or data being requested (email, calendar, or OneDrive)
The Help Desk cannot assist former employees directly with accessing data from Microsoft 365 after employment ends. All requests must come through your supervisor.
Only your supervisor or authorized departmental management can request that the Help Desk give a current employee access to terminated user account data. This protects sensitive information and ensures proper authorization and oversight of data access requests.
Data Retention
Your Microsoft 365 data is retained for at least one year after your employment ends. It is important that you:
- Retrieve needed data before your last day of employment whenever possible
- Allow time for processing: Your request for data access may take several business days to process