How long should you keep work emails?
As long as your company's rules say, so ask your boss or IT if there's a rule before you delete anything. Until you know, keep them and move the old ones into a folder, so they're out of your way and still there if someone asks.
Keep it. Just move it.
Ask if there's a rule
Your boss, HR, or IT will know.
Move, don't delete
One folder per year gets it out of sight.
Search, don't scroll
Old mail is for looking things up, not reading.
Keep the yeses
An email that says "approved" or "go ahead" is worth keeping.
I want to tidy my work inbox without deleting anything I might need. Suggest a simple set of folders for old email. Then write a short note asking [my boss / IT] whether our company has a rule about how long to keep email.
Before you paste work stuff into any AI, check what your company allows.Email to English
Tap an office email phrase. See what it really means, and a calmer way to say it.
Translate one Learn this in the Lab, free
A free group where you learn to use Claude for the repeat parts of your job: email, reports, forms. Start with a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job.
- Free
- No coding
- Works in Claude
How do I catch up on work emails?
Draw a line at two weeks and park the rest in one folder. Flex has a page on it.
Too many emails at work?
Sort by who's actually waiting on you. Flex has a page on it.
How do I stop getting emails from apps?
Unsubscribe at the bottom of the email, or turn it off inside the app. Flex has a page on it.
Want to hand this to Claude?
Start in the Lab with the free 9-to-5 Job Triage: a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job. Everything inside is free.