Step 4 - Forward a former employee's email to another employee or convert to a shared mailbox

In this step, you assign the former employee's email address to another employee, or convert the user's mailbox to a shared mailbox.

Convert former employee's mailbox to a shared mailbox

When you convert a user's mailbox to a shared mailbox, all of the existing email and calendar are retained. Only now it's in a shared mailbox where several people will be able to access it instead of one person. You can convert a shared mailbox back to a user (private) mailbox at a later date if you want.

• Creating a shared mailbox is the less expensive way to go because you won't have to pay for a license as long as the mailbox is smaller than 50 GB. If it is over 50 GB, you'll need to assign a license to it.
• If you convert the mailbox to a shared mailbox, all the old email will be available, too. This can take up a lot of space.
• If you set up email forwarding, only new emails sent to the former employee will be sent to the current employee.

Follow these steps to convert the user's mailbox to a shared mailbox.

Forward a former employee's email to another employee

Important

If you're setting up email forwarding or a shared mailbox, in the end, don't delete the former employee's account. The account needs to be there to anchor the email forwarding or shared mailbox.

1. In the admin center, go to the Users > Active users page.
2. Select the name of the employee that you want to block, and then select the Mail tab.
3. Under Email Forwarding, select Manage email forwarding.
4. Turn on Forward all email sent to this mailbox. In the Forwarding address box, type the email address of the current employee who's going to get the email.
5. Select Save.
6. Remember, don't delete the former employee's account.

Important

In scenarios where the mailbox is inactive due to compliance reasons, mail forwarding or converting the mailbox to a shared mailbox would not work.

Cancel Outlook meetings

Make sure to cancel all meetings that the former user had on their calendar. This lets people remove the meetings created by the former user.

If the person had meetings that booked equipment or rooms, they won't be available to be booked until those meetings are canceled. Read Delete an appointment or a meeting for the steps.

Related content

Open and use a shared mailbox in Outlook

Access another person's mailbox

Exchange admin center in Exchange Online

Manager another person's mail and calendar items