How long can a company keep email activated after layoff?

[fumsm]

Just wondering if anyone knows how long a company can keep an email activated after employee is laid off. Prefix to company is employee name (ex. [e-mail]). Company keeping active mos after to try and capture sales leads.

[jayfish]

1. Until The Sys Admin Responsible For Their E-Mail...

system disables the account. It's probably already forwarded to another user account.

Jay

[Matariki]

2. what do you mean by 'can'? Legally?

if legally, the answer is for as long as the want. they own the email address, not the employee.

[Catch22Dem]

6. They own the individual e-mail accounts too

Therefore any e-mail sent to that account is legally the property of the company, not the employee to whom the mail was sent.

[NYC_SKP]

3. That's a great question. It never occurred to me.

Usually, they close the account immediately.

But all kinds of mischief could come from changing your password and leaving it open, including catching your sales leads, collecting other data about your contacts, and even fucking with your life.

They could even send emails FROM you and make life difficult.

Usually I wouldn't look for a new law to be written, but maybe a little legislation is in order.

[w4rma]

4. Forever, I would think. Although, probably not in an identity theft, type of manner.

There are probably laws that prevent someone from pretending they are someone else by using their old company email.

[ashling]

5. I once had my email account turned off

about midday and was told that afternoon about 15 minutes prior to close that I was being let go.

When I wasn't able to check my mail I reported the problem to my supervisor. She knew, but didn't tell me.

[Catch22Dem]

7. Forever...they own it

Every e-mail sent to that address legally belongs to the company, not the employee.

[Thor_MN]

8. If I were in that situation I'd be tempted to drop that email address on

some of the "Win a vacation", "Win a whatever" cards you see in malls that inevitably lead to being placed on spam email lists. Your mileage may vary.

Most responsible companies close the account and erase your existence as soon as possible, as they do not want to be placed in a situation where they are required to produce evidence that could be used against them in a lawsuit. A company that I worked for wanted to wipe the hard drives of a laid off co-worker within a week of the lay-off. That was their standard policy, I had to scramble to back up the info that we needed.