This is the operating checklist for seasonal worker mailboxes: prepare domains and owners, create and secure accounts at scale, run peak-season access, archive after the season, and reactivate returning hires. For the account-state policy model (when to use active, archived, disabled, or deleted), use the Seasonal employee email lifecycle pillar—then come back here for the step-by-step playbook.
Policy alone does not create mailboxes on time. Operators need named owners, end dates, and a repeatable prepare → onboard → archive → rehire sequence.
Every create action should map to a named worker, site, and planned end date—not an ad-hoc Slack request.
Groups and templates must exist before the first start date so schedules and safety notices land on day one.
Archive or delete from the same roster—so idle seats and leftover logins do not wait for someone to remember.
State definitions and seat-cost policy live on the Seasonal employee email lifecycle pillar. This guide stays operational: prepare → onboard → operate → archive → rehire.
Short definitions for operators. Full seat-cost and rehire behavior live on the pillar matrix.
Full login and send/receive. Use for workers currently on roster.
Login revoked; history retained for reactivation. Prefer after season when rehire is likely.
Login blocked pending review. Transitional only—decide archive or delete next.
Mailbox removed per retention timing. Rehire requires a new account, not a restore.
See the full state-transition matrix on Seasonal employee email lifecycle (SmtpMan product behavior · Verified: 2026-07-22).
Decide where mailboxes live and who owns each step before the first hire date.
Confirm the employee mailbox domain (often a subdomain) can create accounts at scale without touching primary-domain MX.
HR/ops owns hire lists and end dates. IT/admin owns create, group join, and archive. Store managers request—not invent—access.
Pre-build site, shift, and role groups so new hires receive schedules and safety notices on day one.
Provision from the hire list—not ad-hoc requests—so every active seat maps to a real start date.
Import or create from hire list
Match each row to one mailbox. Prefer CSV or roster import over one-off tickets during a spike.
Set credentials and MFA policy
Issue temporary credentials, require reset, and apply the same security baseline you use for permanent staff where policy allows.
Join site and shift groups
Place accounts into broadcast groups so operational mail reaches them without personal chat threads.
Mid-season changes should follow the same ownership model as onboarding.
Transfers between sites or shifts update group membership first. Disable or archive early leavers the same week they leave—do not wait for season end.
Prefer group broadcasts for schedules and safety notices. Keep personal chat for one-off coordination so critical mail stays auditable.
Industry examples: Internal communication for retail staff and Internal communication for hotel and restaurant staff.
Default to archive—not delete—when rehire or history may still matter.
At season end, run the hire list in reverse: confirm end dates, remove group membership where needed, then archive accounts so access stops while mailbox history remains available for next season. Seat cost drops while archived under SmtpMan product policy (Verified: 2026-07-22).
Full procedure: Archive employee email without deleting data. Do not paste a second copy of that guide here—link and execute.
Returning workers should restore the right mailbox—not last season’s open access by accident.
Match the returning person to the archived account and current site assignment.
Move archived → active, reset credentials, and rejoin the correct groups.
Notify managers and update the roster so billing and ownership stay accurate.
Secure reactivation steps: Reactivate a former employee email account securely. Retention decisions: Employee offboarding email retention policy.
Seasonal employee email operating checklist — owners by phase (IT, HR, store manager).
Seasonal employee email operating checklist
Product steps: SmtpMan capabilities · Verified: 2026-07-22 · HR/legal notes are general guidance only
| Phase | Task | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Confirm employee domain, DNS, and create capacity | IT |
| Before | Publish hire list with start/end dates and site | HR / ops |
| Before | Pre-build site / shift / role groups | IT + store manager |
| During | Create accounts from hire list; join groups | IT |
| During | Request transfers and early exits promptly | Store manager |
| During | Send schedules and safety notices via groups | Store manager / ops |
| After | Confirm end dates; archive (do not delete by default) | IT + HR |
| After | Remove from active broadcast groups | IT |
| Rehire | Verify identity and employment before restore | HR |
| Rehire | Reactivate, reset credentials, rejoin groups | IT |
Operations
Usually no. Shared mailboxes hide ownership, complicate offboarding, and make archive or rehire decisions ambiguous. Prefer one account per worker with group membership for shared announcements.
Archive when you may rehire the person or still need mailbox history. Delete only when there is no rehire path and your retention policy says the mailbox should not be kept.
Ops or HR owns the hire list and end dates. IT or an admin owns provisioning, group membership, and archive actions. Store managers request access changes but should not be the only record of who still needs a seat.
Next step
See the seasonal email lifecycle pillar for the decision model—or request early access to run it.