Employee Offboarding Checklist
An employee offboarding checklist for HR and managers: notice, handover, access removal, final pay, equipment return and a clean exit, with an audit trail.
- Typical schedule per leaver
- The checklist 5 sections, 24 items
- Variables
{{employee_name}}{{last_day}}{{manager}} - Start from CI
Use this checklist whenever an employee leaves, whether they resigned, their contract ended or the company ended the employment. Start it on the day the departure is confirmed, not on the last day. Most of the work, such as handover and final pay, needs the notice period to get done.
Who owns it
HR or operations owns the run, because it spans payroll, legal documents and equipment. The manager owns the handover section, and IT owns access removal. For a tense or involuntary exit, agree in advance who removes access and at what time, and keep that step tightly timed.
Common pitfalls
- Access removed late, or too early. Leaving accounts active after the last day is a security risk. Cutting them off on a Monday while the person still works the week is disrespectful. Agree the exact time with IT.
- Forgetting the shadow accounts. Shared passwords, personal API tokens, social media admins and supplier portals are not in your single sign-on. Ask the leaver to list them.
- Handover as a single meeting. Knowledge transfer needs written notes and a named recipient for each responsibility, spread over the notice period.
- Final pay surprises. Unused holiday, overtime, bonuses and expense claims all affect the last payslip. Rules differ by country and contract. Adapt this to your jurisdiction; it is a practical checklist, not legal advice.
Runbook keeps a timestamped record of who removed which access and when, which is useful evidence for audits and for any later dispute.
The checklist: Offboard {{employee_name}} (last day {{last_day}})
When the departure is confirmed
-
Resignation or termination confirmed in writing and filed
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Last working day
{{last_day}}agreed and recorded in the HR system -
Notice period, remaining holiday and any garden leave calculated
-
Team and key contacts informed, with wording agreed with
{{employee_name}}Agree what is said and when. Clients should hear it from the company, not through rumours.
-
Exit interview scheduled for the last two weeks optional
Handover
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{{manager}}lists every responsibility, project and recurring task held by{{employee_name}} -
A named successor is assigned for each item on that list
-
Handover notes written: open work, contacts, passwords location, where files live
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Files in personal drives moved to shared storage
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Client and supplier contacts told who their new contact person is
-
Email forwarding or auto-reply plan agreed for after
{{last_day}}
Access and equipment
-
List of accounts outside single sign-on collected from
{{employee_name}}Shared logins, API tokens, social media, domain registrar, supplier portals, bank access.
-
Single sign-on and email account suspended at the agreed time on
{{last_day}} -
Access to systems outside single sign-on removed, and shared passwords rotated
-
Laptop, phone, keys, access cards and other equipment returned and checked off
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Company data removed from personal devices, or remote wipe of the work profile done
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Ownership of documents, calendars and recurring meetings transferred
Pay and paperwork
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Final pay calculated, including unused holiday, overtime and open expense claims
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Payroll, pension and benefits providers informed of the end date
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Reference letter or employment certificate prepared optional
Some countries require an employment certificate on request; check what applies to you.
-
Personnel file updated and retention period noted
After the last day
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Mailbox converted or archived according to your retention policy
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Licences cancelled or reassigned
-
Final check that no active accounts remain for
{{employee_name}}Search your admin consoles by name and email, not only the main directory.
Checklist as Markdown
Start this checklist from your pipeline
When a termination date is entered in your HR system, POST /api/v1/runs with template "Offboard {{employee_name}} (last day {{last_day}})".
curl -X POST https://runbook.metastic.ch/api/v1/runs \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $RUNBOOK_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"template": "Offboard {{employee_name}} (last day {{last_day}})", "variables": {"employee_name": "…", "last_day": "…", "manager": "…"}}'Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an employee offboarding checklist and an IT offboarding checklist?
This checklist covers the whole exit: notice, handover, final pay, paperwork and equipment. An IT offboarding checklist goes deeper into one part, the removal of accounts, devices and data. Small companies often use only this one, while larger teams hand the access section to IT as a separate run.
When should offboarding start?
On the day the departure is confirmed. Handover and final pay need the notice period. Starting on the last day turns offboarding into a rush where access and knowledge both get lost.
How do I handle offboarding after a termination?
Keep the same checklist but plan the timing more tightly. Access removal and the conversation are usually coordinated so that accounts are suspended during or right after the meeting. Get legal or HR advice for your situation before acting, because the rules on notice and conduct vary a lot between countries.
Can offboarding be triggered from our HR system?
Yes. When a termination date is saved, a webhook or small script can call POST /api/v1/runs with the
employee name and last day. The checklist then exists from the start of the notice period.
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