Employee Offboarding Checklist

An employee offboarding checklist (also referred to as employee exit or separation checklist) helps ensure that the end of employment process is handled consistently, securely, and professionally. It supports a smooth transition for both the organization and the departing employee while helping reduce operational and compliance risks.

This checklist is designed for anyone managing an employee exit, resignation, or separation. It focuses on clear, task-based steps that can be adapted to different roles, team sizes, and global work environments.

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Pre-Offboarding (Before the Last Working Day)

Confirm employee resignation or termination details
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Agree on the final working day
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Notify HR, payroll, IT, and relevant stakeholders
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Plan internal communication about the employee exit
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Review employment contract and separation terms
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Identify company assets to be returned
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Define access revocation timeline
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Assign responsibility for knowledge transfer
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Document current responsibilities and open tasks
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Plan handover to colleagues or successors
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Last Working Day

Collect company equipment and physical assets
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Revoke system, email, and tool access
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Update internal directories and team lists
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Set email auto-reply and forwarding rules
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Complete final payroll calculations
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Issue final paycheck (as applicable)
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Provide required employment or experience documents
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Conduct exit interview
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Allow time for team farewells and wrap-up
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Post-Offboarding (After the Employee's Exit)

Confirm final pay and documents were received
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Close payroll and benefits enrollment records
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Reimburse outstanding expenses
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Archive employee files and records
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Update organizational charts and systems
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Retain required employment records
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Maintain updated contact details
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Offer references if appropriate
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Invite to alumni network (if applicable)
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Review feedback and improve offboarding process
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Employee offboarding is more than a last working day checklist. A structured offboarding process helps ensure that payroll, documents, access, and follow-up steps are completed consistently after an employee exits. Clear post-employment handling reduces misunderstandings, protects internal systems, and supports a professional, respectful separation.

Who this is for

Small businesses managing employee exits
HR teams handling resignations or terminations
Managers responsible for staff transitions
Founders overseeing end-of-employment processes

Frequently Asked Questions

An offboarding checklist is a structured list of tasks used to manage the employee exit process from resignation or termination through post-employment follow-up.

Offboarding should begin as soon as an employee resignation, termination, or contract end is confirmed, not on the last working day.

No. Offboarding applies to resignations, layoffs, contract endings, and any form of employee separation.

After an employee leaves, it's good practice to confirm they received their final paycheck and all required documents, such as pay stubs, benefits notices, or tax forms. A short follow-up a few weeks after the exit helps prevent disputes and reinforces goodwill.

Offboarding supports HR compliance by ensuring payroll, access control, documentation, and record retention steps are completed correctly.

Next step

For more HR processes, see our HR compliance checklist.

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