The 5-Minute Google Workspace Handover Guide for Staff GOING on Extended Leave

When a team member heads off on long service leave or another form of extended leave, the last thing you need is the lingering worry of missed client emails or locked-away files.

In this guide, we cover the exact 5-minute process to lock down an absent employee’s Google Workspace account, give covering staff instant access to their files, and route incoming emails seamlessly—all without deleting a single document or paying for extra licenses.

The Step-by-Step Solution

Before you start, log into the Google Admin Console (admin.google.com) as a Super Administrator. Make sure you have two email addresses on hand, for:

• the staff member going on leave and
• the covering employee taking over their duties.

Step 1: Lock the Account (Without Deleting Data)

The first step is suspending the account so the absent employee cannot log in while away.

1. From the left-hand menu, select Directory > Users.
2. Hover over the absent employee’s name and click More options.
3. Select Suspend user and click Suspend to confirm.

Note: Suspending an account simply stops sign-ins. It will not delete their emails, Drive files, or profile settings. Everything remains safe and intact for their return.

Step 2: Ensure Access to Critical Documents

If you use Shared Drives: Simply make sure the covering employee is added as a member of the relevant Shared Drives.

If they use My Drive: Transfer ownership directly from the Admin Console:

1. From the left-hand menu, go to Apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs.
2. Scroll down and click Transfer ownership.
3. Enter the absent employee’s email in the From field.
4. Enter the covering employee’s email in the To field.
5. Click Transfer files, then click OK.

The covering employee will get an automated email once the transfer completes. The files will appear in their Google Drive inside a new folder labeled with the absent employee’s name and the date of transfer.

The absent employee keeps edit access, meaning they can jump straight back in when they return.

Step 3: Redirect Incoming Emails

1. In the left-hand menu, go to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail.
2. Scroll to the bottom and click Routing.
3. Scroll to the bottom and under Email forwarding, click Configure (or Add another rule).
4. Enter a clear short name (e.g., Email sent to absent employee).
5. In the table under Step 1, click Add.
6. Enter the absent employee’s address, then enter the covering employee’s address.
7. Leave the default settings as they are and click Save.

Always test your setup right away. Send a test email to the absent employee’s address and confirm that it lands in the covering employee’s inbox.

Step 4: Reactivating the Account When They Return

Reversing this process takes under a minute when your employee gets back to work:

1. Return to Directory > Users, hover over their name, select More options, and click Reactivate.
2. Head back to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Routing and delete or disable the email forwarding rule so new mail routes back to them exclusively.

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