Employee Offboarding Checklist Template

Phase 1: Departure Confirmation, Planning & Stakeholder Notification

The offboarding process starts the moment departure is confirmed — not the week before the last day. Every day of the notice period is a day available for knowledge transfer and an orderly handover. Use all of it.

• Confirm the departure date — last working day agreed and confirmed in writing; for voluntary departures, confirm whether the full notice period will be worked or if payment in lieu applies
• Confirm the departure type — voluntary resignation, retirement, redundancy, dismissal, or contract completion; confirm the applicable legal requirements and documentation for each type
• Notify all relevant internal teams — HR, IT, finance, the line manager, and any other teams with dependencies on the departing employee; initiate their offboarding actions
• Confirm whether a garden leave period applies — for senior roles or where the employee has access to sensitive information; garden leave conditions and obligations should be confirmed at the outset
• For involuntary departures — confirm legal counsel has been consulted before the departure conversation; ensure the process meets all statutory and regulatory requirements; consider whether immediate access revocation is required
• Identify the role transition plan — who covers the departing employee’s responsibilities during the notice period and after their departure? Is the role being backfilled or redistributed?
• Initiate the recruitment or backfill process — where the role is being replaced; confirm timeline and overlap where feasible
• Set up the offboarding checklist in CheckFlow — assign tasks to HR, IT, the manager, and finance; confirm all task owners are notified
• Brief the line manager — confirm the manager’s responsibilities in the offboarding process; knowledge transfer, exit interview, farewell, and team communication
• Document the departure confirmation — written record of the departure date, type, and notice terms; retained in the personnel file

Phase 2: HR Documentation & Final Pay Processing

• Process the resignation letter or termination documentation — confirm the appropriate written documentation is received or issued; file in the personnel record
• Issue a termination letter or departure confirmation — confirming the agreed departure date, notice terms, and any conditions; signed and filed by both parties
• Calculate final pay — salary to last working day, accrued but untaken annual leave, any outstanding bonuses or commissions, and any statutory entitlements; confirm calculation is accurate before the final payrun
• Process payment in lieu of notice (PILON) if applicable — confirm the tax treatment and payment timing
• Confirm redundancy pay calculation where applicable — statutory minimum and any contractual redundancy entitlement; confirm tax treatment
• Review benefits termination — health insurance, pension contributions, company car, share schemes, and any other benefits; confirm termination dates and any required notifications to benefit providers
• Issue COBRA notification (US) or equivalent — confirm timing and method meet statutory requirements
• Review and remind of confidentiality and non-compete obligations — confirm any post-employment restrictions in the contract are communicated clearly at departure; do not assume the employee has retained this information
• Confirm expense claims — all outstanding expense claims submitted and approved; confirm any company credit card balance or company loans are settled
• Issue P45 (UK) or equivalent tax documentation — on or promptly after the last working day; confirm timing meets statutory requirements

Phase 3: Knowledge Transfer & Structured Handover

Knowledge transfer started on the last day is knowledge transfer that does not happen. This phase should begin within 48 hours of departure being confirmed — not in the final week of the notice period.

• Identify the knowledge transfer scope — what processes, relationships, projects, systems knowledge, and institutional context does the departing employee hold that must be documented or transferred?
• Identify the knowledge transfer recipients — who needs to receive each piece of knowledge? The replacement hire, the line manager, a colleague, or a documented procedure?
• Document key processes and procedures — any recurring tasks, processes, or workflows the departing employee owns that are not yet documented; create written documentation during the notice period
• Document key client, partner, and stakeholder relationships — client names, relationship history, key contacts, preferences, and any outstanding commitments or sensitivities
• Brief the successor or covering colleague — structured handover meetings; the departing employee walks the successor through key responsibilities while still in post
• Introduce the successor to key external contacts — clients, suppliers, and partners who need to know who their new contact will be; a joint introduction is more effective than a cold handover
• Transfer ownership of key documents and files — confirm all work files, project documents, and institutional materials are stored in shared systems and not solely in personal drives or local storage
• Review and transfer any active projects — project status, next actions, key contacts, deadlines, and any known risks transferred to the successor
• Update CRM records and shared systems — contacts reassigned, account ownership transferred, and any system records updated to reflect the change in ownership
• Confirm handover is complete — the line manager confirms they are satisfied the key knowledge and responsibilities have been adequately transferred

Phase 4: IT Access Revocation & System Management

IT access revocation is a security imperative — not an administrative formality. Access should be revoked on or before the final working day. For involuntary departures, immediate revocation on notification should be standard procedure.

• Initiate IT offboarding — notify IT of the departure date and type; trigger the IT offboarding checklist; confirm the revocation schedule
• Revoke email account access — on the last working day; set up an out-of-office or auto-forward to the relevant colleague for the appropriate period
• Revoke all application and system access — CRM, HR system, financial software, project management tools, cloud storage, and any other business applications
• Revoke remote access — VPN, remote desktop, and any other remote access credentials revoked on or before the final day
• Revoke physical and building access — key cards, PIN codes, and any biometric access deactivated
• Transfer or archive email and digital files — the departing employee’s email archive and digital files transferred to the relevant colleague or archived according to the data retention policy
• Confirm no shared or personal accounts are used — business accounts that were shared with other employees should have passwords changed; personal accounts used for business purposes should be reviewed
• Manage any social media or external accounts — company social media accounts, LinkedIn admin access, or any external platforms where the departing employee had administrative access
• For detailed IT offboarding steps — see CheckFlow’s dedicated IT Offboarding Checklist for a complete technical process covering every access and device step
• Confirm IT offboarding is complete — IT team confirms all access has been revoked and the departing employee has no remaining active access

Phase 5: Asset Recovery & Return

• Identify all company assets held by the departing employee — laptop, mobile phone, tablet, access cards, company car, uniforms, tools, specialist equipment, and any other company property
• Arrange return of all assets — confirm collection or return method; for remote employees, arrange a secure return shipping process
• Inspect returned assets — confirm condition and identify any damage beyond normal wear and tear
• Manage any deductions for unreturned or damaged assets — confirm the contractual and legal basis for any deductions; confirm the employee has been notified and agreed in writing
• Recover any company documents or intellectual property — physical documents, printed materials, and any company property held at the employee’s home address
• Cancel company credit cards or procurement accounts — confirm the employee’s company card is cancelled and final statements reconciled
• Settle any outstanding loan or salary advance — company loans or salary advances repaid or deducted from final pay in accordance with the written agreement
• Return personal property — confirm any personal items left at the workplace are returned to the departing employee
• Confirm asset recovery is complete — all company property accounted for; any outstanding items documented with a recovery plan
• Update the asset register — all returned assets logged; any lost or damaged assets recorded and relevant insurance notified where applicable

Phase 6: Exit Interview & Departure Feedback

• Schedule the exit interview — ideally conducted by HR or a senior leader who is not the departing employee’s direct manager; at least three to five working days before the last day
• Confirm the exit interview format — in-person, video, or written survey; a live conversation produces more nuanced feedback than a form alone
• Conduct the exit interview — covering reasons for leaving, what the employee valued, what could be improved, management quality, culture feedback, and any specific observations they are willing to share
• Listen without defensiveness — the value of an exit interview depends entirely on the interviewer’s ability to receive candid feedback constructively; confirm responses will be used to improve the organisation
• Document the exit interview findings — a written summary retained in the HR record; anonymised feedback shared with relevant leadership where appropriate
• Offer to serve as a reference — confirm the organisation’s reference policy; if appropriate, offer the departing employee a named reference contact
• Invite to the alumni network — where an alumni programme exists; or at minimum connect on LinkedIn and maintain contact
• Analyse exit interview data over time — individual exit interviews are interesting; patterns across multiple departures are actionable; confirm aggregate analysis is conducted periodically
• For involuntary departures — the exit interview may not be appropriate; consider a post-departure survey or call as an alternative once legal matters are resolved
• Use exit feedback to improve onboarding — the best source of insight for improving the new hire experience is feedback from people who have lived it

Phase 7: Team Communication & Transition Management

• Plan team communications — who tells the team, when, what is said, and what is not said; for voluntary departures, agree the message with the departing employee before communicating
• Communicate the departure to the team before rumours do — colleagues notice when someone is clearing their desk or absent from meetings; a clear, timely communication is better than speculation
• Communicate to external stakeholders — clients, suppliers, and partners who work directly with the departing employee; introduce their replacement proactively
• Manage workload redistribution — confirm how the departing employee’s responsibilities are distributed during the gap period; communicate clearly to the team to prevent uncertainty
• For involuntary departures — the communication should be carefully prepared in advance with HR and legal guidance; delivered respectfully and with minimal operational disruption; security and access implications addressed before the communication
• Plan the farewell — for voluntary departures; a genuine, team-led farewell reflects organisational culture and leaves a lasting impression; even a modest farewell matters more than its absence
• Confirm the team’s morale is monitored — departures — particularly valued ones — affect team morale and confidence; confirm the manager is aware and engaged with the team
• Address any team concerns about workload, role security, or direction — departures raise questions; address them proactively
• Update org charts, team pages, and internal directories — remove or update references to the departing employee on the last working day
• Confirm the business continuity plan for the gap period is in place — all key responsibilities have a named cover and clients or partners have been notified of their new contact

Phase 8: Final Day, Post-Departure Compliance & Alumni Relations

• Conduct a final day check-in — the line manager or HR confirms all offboarding tasks are complete before the employee leaves
• Confirm all assets have been returned — on or before the final day; do not let the employee leave with company property outstanding
• Confirm all access has been revoked — IT confirms revocation is complete; do not rely on scheduled revocations alone
• Issue a written confirmation of departure — confirming the last working day, final pay details, and any post-employment obligations; retained by both parties
• Maintain the personnel file for the required retention period — employment records must be retained for the statutory period (typically six years in the UK, varies by state in the US); confirm GDPR or FERPA-equivalent data protection obligations are met
• Monitor for any post-departure access attempts — IT should confirm no login attempts using former credentials in the weeks following departure
• Maintain the alumni relationship — connect on LinkedIn; add to alumni communications where the former employee consents; maintain a professional relationship for referrals, future business, and potential rehire
• Record the departure type and reason — in the HR system; aggregate data over time informs retention strategy and identifies flight risk patterns
• Conduct a post-departure review of the offboarding process — what worked, what was missed, and what should be improved for the next departure
• Close the offboarding record — all tasks completed, all documentation filed, and the checklist archived as a complete record of how the departure was managed