Purpose
Make every departure orderly, secure and fair. This procedure makes sure work and knowledge are handed over, company access and property are recovered, final pay is correct, and the person leaves on good terms whatever the reason.
Scope
Covers employees leaving voluntarily or involuntarily, and contractors whose engagement is ending (skip the payroll and benefits steps for contractors). For involuntary departures, follow the separate steps under Exceptions for timing.
Roles and responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| HR or office manager | Owns the procedure, handles paperwork, final pay and exit interview |
| Manager | Plans the handover, reassigns work, tells the team and clients |
| IT or [systems admin] | Removes access, recovers and wipes equipment |
| Finance or payroll | Processes final pay and any expense claims |
| Departing employee | Completes handover notes and returns property |
Before you start
- Written resignation or termination decision, with the last working day
- The employee’s list of system access, from [access register or IT]
- Equipment register entries for the employee
- Your jurisdiction’s requirements for final pay, benefits and notice
Procedure
- Confirm the departure. HR confirms the last working day in writing to the employee within 1 business day of the resignation or decision, and opens an offboarding record in [system].
- Tell the right people. HR informs IT, payroll and the manager the same day. The manager agrees with the employee how and when the team and any clients will be told.
- Plan the handover. Manager lists the employee’s open work, recurring tasks, accounts and relationships, and decides who takes over each. Share the plan with the employee within 2 business days.
- Capture the knowledge. Departing employee writes or updates the SOPs for anything only they know how to do, and handover notes for open work, before their last week. Manager reviews them while the employee is still available to answer questions.
- Transfer ownership. Manager and IT move ownership of files, shared drives, calendars, client accounts and any accounts in the employee’s name to the new owner. Change passwords for any shared accounts they used.
- Schedule access removal. IT schedules every account to be disabled at [end of the last working day], using the access list: email, [chat tool], [CRM], [finance tools], building access, VPN, and third-party tools. Set email forwarding or an auto-reply as agreed with the manager.
- Recover property. HR collects laptop, phone, keys, cards and other equipment on the last day, checking each against the equipment register. For remote staff, send a prepaid return kit [5 business days] before the last day.
- Process final pay. Payroll calculates final pay, unused paid time off where applicable, and outstanding expense claims, and pays them on the date required by your jurisdiction. Confirm with [payroll provider] if unsure.
- Handle benefits. HR tells the employee in writing when their benefits end and what continuation options they have, per your jurisdiction’s requirements.
- Hold the exit interview. HR runs a [20 to 30 minute] exit interview in the final week and records the notes. Share themes, not quotes, with leadership.
- Close out. On or after the last day, IT confirms all access is removed and equipment wiped, HR files all documents and closes the offboarding record, and the manager updates the org chart and team pages.
Checklist
- Last day confirmed in writing
- IT, payroll and manager informed
- Handover plan agreed and notes written
- SOPs updated for work only the employee knew
- Files and accounts transferred
- All access disabled on schedule
- All equipment returned and checked off
- Final pay and expenses processed on time
- Benefits end date communicated
- Exit interview held and noted
- Offboarding record closed
Exceptions and escalation
- Involuntary departure: HR and IT agree the exact time of the meeting in advance. IT disables access while the meeting takes place. Collect property at the meeting where possible, and have [HR lead or employment advisor] review the process beforehand.
- Equipment not returned: HR follows up in writing twice over [10 business days], then refers to [owner]. Check your jurisdiction’s requirements before deducting any cost from final pay.
- Employee held admin rights or financial authority: IT and [finance lead] review and remove those rights first, and update bank and payment approvals.
- Departing employee raises a complaint: HR records it and escalates to [HR lead] before the last day.
Records to keep
- Resignation or termination letter, final pay records and benefits notices in the employee file
- Access removal confirmation and equipment return record
- Handover notes and updated SOPs in [shared drive or SOP system]
- Exit interview notes, stored with restricted access
Keep employee records for the period your jurisdiction requires.
Review
HR reviews this SOP every 12 months, and after any departure where access was left active or knowledge was lost. Test the access list against a real departure at least once a year.