User Deactivation & Data Retention FAQs

Overview

When employees leave your organization, their accounts need to be properly managed to balance security, compliance, and business needs. This guide explains how user deactivation works, what happens to their data, and how to access information when needed.

General Questions

What happens when I deactivate a user?

When you deactivate a user:

  • Immediate effects: User loses access to the platform instantly, all active sessions are terminated, and they stop receiving automated emails

  • Data retention: All learning records, course progress, and user data remain stored securely for 3 years

  • Reporting impact: The user no longer appears in active user lists, course enrolments, or people reports

  • Historical data: Their past learning activity remains included in engagement charts and analytics for accuracy

What's the difference between deactivating and deleting a user?

Deactivating (Soft Delete):

  • User loses access immediately

  • Data is kept for 3 years for compliance

  • Can be done by regular admins

  • User data can be accessed through support if needed

Permanent Deletion (Hard Delete):

  • User data is completely removed from the system

  • Only anonymized aggregate data (like lesson counts) is retained

  • Only available to super administrators

  • Cannot be reversed

Why do you keep user data for 3 years?

We retain deactivated user data for 3 years to:

  • Meet legal and compliance requirements for employee training records

  • Support potential audits or investigations

  • Maintain data integrity for business analytics and reporting

  • Comply with various industry regulations that require record retention

This practice is standard for organizations with compliance requirements and follows GDPR-compliant data retention policies.

For Administrators

How do I deactivate a user?

  1. Go to the People section in your admin panel

  2. Find the user you want to deactivate

  3. Click the Actions dropdown next to their name

  4. Select Deactivate User

  5. Review the information in the confirmation dialog

  6. Click Deactivate User to confirm

Can I reactivate a deactivated user?

Yes, but this requires assistance from our support team. Reactivation is typically done when:

  • An employee returns from extended leave

  • There was an error in the original deactivation

  • An employee's role changes and they need access again

To reactivate a user, contact support with the user's email address and reason for reactivation.

What if I accidentally deactivate someone?

Contact our support team immediately with:

  • The user's email address

  • When the deactivation occurred

  • Confirmation that reactivation is needed

We can reverse the deactivation quickly if caught soon after the action.

Data Access & Retrieval

How can I access a deactivated user's data?

During the 3-year retention period, you can access deactivated user data by:

  1. Contacting support: Email our support team with the user's email address and specific data you need

  2. Specifying requirements: Let us know what information you need (learning records, course progress, certificates, etc.)

  3. Business justification: Provide the reason for accessing the data (audit, legal requirement, etc.)

Typical response time is 1-2 business days for data retrieval requests.

What user data do you keep during the retention period?

We retain all user data during the 3-year period, including:

  • Personal information (name, email, employee ID)

  • Learning records and course progress

  • Quiz results and assessment scores

  • Certificates and achievements

  • Login history and activity logs

  • Course enrollment history

What data is kept after permanent deletion?

After the 3-year retention period, we permanently delete all personal and identifiable information. We only retain anonymized aggregate data for business analytics:

  • Number of lessons watched (no user identity)

  • Number of quizzes attempted (no user identity)

  • General usage patterns for platform improvement

This anonymized data cannot be traced back to any individual user.

Reporting & Analytics

Why don't deactivated users appear in my reports?

Deactivated users are excluded from operational reports to provide accurate pictures of your current active user base:

  • People lists: Only show users who can currently access the platform

  • Course enrollments: Only display active participants

  • Activation rates: Calculate based on users who should be engaging

  • Learning records: Focus on current active learners

Are deactivated users included in historical analytics?

Yes, for accuracy in historical reporting:

  • Engagement charts: Include learning activity from when users were active

  • Trend analysis: Historical data points remain intact

  • Year-over-year comparisons: Past activity is preserved for accurate comparisons

This ensures your analytics maintain historical accuracy while focusing current reports on active users.

How does this affect my user count for billing?

Deactivated users do not count toward your active user limits for billing purposes. Only users with "active" status are included in subscription counts.

HRIS Integration

What happens when our HRIS marks someone as "terminated"?

When your HRIS system sends a status update of "Inactive" or "Terminated":

  • The user is automatically deactivated in the learning platform

  • Their access is immediately revoked

  • The 3-year retention period begins automatically

  • No manual admin action is required

Can I override HRIS-triggered deactivations?

HRIS-triggered deactivations follow the same process as manual deactivations. If you need to reactivate someone who was deactivated by HRIS:

  1. Contact support to reactivate the user

  2. Update the status in your HRIS system to prevent re-deactivation

  3. Coordinate with HR to ensure the employee's status is correctly reflected

What if there's a delay in HRIS updates?

If there's a timing issue between when someone leaves and when HRIS updates:

  • You can manually deactivate users immediately for security

  • HRIS sync will recognize the user is already deactivated

  • No duplicate actions or conflicts will occur

Troubleshooting

I can't find a user to deactivate

If a user doesn't appear in your people list:

  • Check if already deactivated: Use the search function and filter to show inactive users

  • Verify user exists: Confirm they were actually created in the system

  • Check permissions: Ensure you have admin rights to manage users

  • Contact support: We can help locate the user and their current status

The deactivation isn't working

If you're having trouble deactivating a user:

  • Refresh the page: Sometimes a simple refresh resolves interface issues

  • Check browser: Ensure you're using a supported browser with JavaScript enabled

  • Verify permissions: Confirm you have the necessary admin permissions

  • Try incognito mode: This can help identify browser-specific issues

  • Contact support: We can complete the deactivation manually if needed

A deactivated user says they can still log in

This shouldn't happen, but if it does:

  • Verify deactivation: Check the user's status in your admin panel

  • Clear sessions: We can manually terminate all sessions for the user

  • Reset password: As an additional security measure

  • Contact support immediately: This requires immediate investigation

Compliance & Legal

Is this GDPR compliant?

Yes, our user deactivation process is designed to comply with GDPR and other data protection regulations:

  • Lawful basis: We retain data for legitimate compliance and legal requirements

  • Data minimization: Only necessary data is retained during the retention period

  • Right to erasure: Permanent deletion after the retention period

  • Audit trail: Complete logging of all deactivation and deletion activities

  • Access controls: Immediate revocation of access upon deactivation

What if someone requests immediate data deletion?

Under GDPR, individuals have the right to request immediate deletion of their personal data. However, this right is balanced against legitimate interests for compliance and legal requirements. If you receive such a request:

  1. Document the request: Keep a record of the deletion request and your response

  2. Consult legal counsel: Determine if immediate deletion conflicts with retention requirements

  3. Contact our support: We can assist with expedited deletion if legally appropriate

  4. Communicate timeline: Inform the individual of the standard retention period and reasons

How do I prove compliance during an audit?

Our system maintains comprehensive audit trails for compliance purposes:

  • Deactivation logs: When users were deactivated and by whom

  • Data retention records: Clear timeline of data retention and deletion

  • Access logs: Record of any data access during retention period

  • Deletion confirmations: Verification when data is permanently deleted

Contact support for compliance documentation and audit trail exports.

Getting Help

When should I contact support?

Contact our support team for:

  • Reactivating deactivated users

  • Accessing data from deactivated users

  • Technical issues with deactivation

  • Compliance documentation needs

  • Questions about specific retention requirements

  • Bulk deactivation requests

How to contact support

  • Email: support@5mins.ai

  • Help desk: Available through your admin panel