Content in a Google shared drive remains with the organization when a member leaves. That continuity is different from individually owned My Drive files, which can require an authorized ownership transfer before an employee account is deleted.
Separate content locations
Inventory the person’s important project records and distinguish shared-drive originals from My Drive files, shortcuts, and external content. A shortcut in the shared drive does not necessarily mean its target is organizationally owned there.
Confirm which files the departing person merely edited and which they actually own. Transferring a My Drive folder alone does not establish ownership of every child file.
Review ongoing responsibilities
Assign appropriate remaining Managers and confirm that the team has the required access and workflows. Do not grant broad management rights to every member merely because one Manager is leaving.
Review direct and group-based membership under the organization’s offboarding process. Removing a shared-drive member has documented effects on access to content directly shared with that member, so verify the intended final audience.
Verify before account deletion
Open key original links under authorized continuing accounts and check important content, automation ownership where relevant, and external collaboration dependencies. Have the administrator handle eligible My Drive ownership transfers and any retention or hold requirements separately. Keep the departing account under the approved process until necessary transfers and checks are complete. Shared-drive continuity does not automatically migrate every personal workflow or account-owned integration. Document unresolved items instead of claiming that all business data is safe merely because the main project folder appears in a shared drive.
References
- Create a shared drive
- Add files & folders to a shared drive
- Transfer Drive files to a new owner as an admin | Drive & Docs | Google Workspace Help
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.