Our Leaver Process Forwarded Her Mailbox to the Manager Her Grievance Was About

Description and use

An automated leaver workflow forwarded a departing employee’s mailbox to her manager despite an ongoing grievance, exposing sensitive HR information. The process was revised to stop forwarding, use an auto‑reply, and require HR‑approved manager access.

Problem

The automated leaver workflow forwarded a departing employee’s mailbox to her manager despite an ongoing grievance, exposing sensitive HR information.

Outcome

The updated process prevents accidental forwarding of sensitive emails, gives HR control to pause the workflow, and requires manager access to be granted only after grievance clearance.

Workflow

• 1. On leaving date, workflow disables account, removes licences and group memberships. 2. Raises ticket for laptop collection. 3. Forwards mailbox to line manager for 90 days. 4. HR can pause any step via HR system flag for open grievance, investigation or claim.

Evidence

On the leaving date it disables the account, removes licences and group memberships, raises a ticket for the depot to collect the laptop, and forwards the person's mailbox to their line manager for ninety days, so that nothing from a customer or supplier is missed.

Source

The automation had done precisely what it was built to do. The rule was right for nearly every leaver. What it lacked was any way to know when it was wrong, and the people who did know, in HR, had no part in the workflow at all.

Source

We changed three things. Mail is no longer forwarded. The leaver's address now sends an automatic reply naming a team mailbox, and a manager who needs the old mailbox can request access, which IT grants once HR confirms there is no open case involving the two of them.

Source

The HR system has a flag for an open grievance, investigation or claim, and any leaver carrying it stops at a person before anything is granted to anyone. And HR can pause any step of the workflow from their own screen.

Source