SOP owner: Human Resources — Last reviewed: [Date] — ID: SOP-HR-003
Overview
This SOP ensures that every employee departure — voluntary or involuntary — is handled consistently, professionally, and securely. A well-run offboarding protects the company (data security, compliance, continuity) and leaves a positive final impression with the departing employee. Key principle: The goal is to make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone — the departing employee, their team, and the business. Timeline: Most offboarding steps should be completed on or before the employee’s last day. Some steps (final payroll, documentation) happen within 1–2 weeks after departure.Types of departure
Offboarding checklist
HR responsibilities
- Confirm the employee’s last working day in writing and update HR systems
- Initiate exit interview (see Exit Interview below)
- Confirm final paycheck amount and timing, including accrued PTO payout per policy and applicable law
- Process COBRA notification (health insurance continuation) within required timeframes
- Collect signed separation agreement and any required non-disparagement or release documents (if applicable — Legal to review)
- Update payroll system to close the employment record on the last day
- Confirm benefits termination dates and notify the employee in writing
- Archive employee file and ensure record retention requirements are met
- Send departing employee a confirmation of their final pay and benefits end dates
IT responsibilities
- Immediately upon learning of departure: schedule access revocation for the last working day (or immediately for involuntary terminations)
- On the last day:
- Disable all SSO and company accounts (Google Workspace, Slack, GitHub, cloud platforms, etc.)
- Revoke VPN access
- Remove from all security groups and distribution lists
- Revoke any API keys or service account credentials assigned to the employee
- Recover company-owned devices (laptop, phone, access fobs, etc.) on or before the last day
- Transfer ownership of the employee’s Google Drive files to their manager or designated successor
- Set an out-of-office auto-reply on the employee’s email and route to their manager (for at least 30 days)
- Archive email per the record retention policy
- Remove from any external-facing platforms (website, client portals, etc.)
- For involuntary departures: access revocation must be completed before the employee is notified
Manager responsibilities
- Work with HR to confirm last day and communicate to the team at an appropriate time
- Document and transition all open projects and responsibilities — create a written handoff document
- Identify who will cover each of the departing employee’s key responsibilities in the interim
- Notify relevant clients, partners, or external contacts as appropriate (coordinate with HR on messaging)
- Ensure the departing employee completes outstanding timesheets, documentation, and project handoff materials
- Recover any company materials (client files, proprietary documents, etc.) stored on personal devices
- Thank the departing employee publicly (if voluntary and appropriate) with a message to the team or broader org
Finance responsibilities
- Confirm and process any outstanding expense reimbursements
- Cancel or reassign any corporate credit cards on the last day
- Update vendor records and contracts where the employee was a designated contact
- Ensure the employee has submitted all outstanding expense reports before departure
Exit interview
HR conducts an exit interview with all voluntarily departing employees. The exit interview is an opportunity to:- Understand the employee’s reasons for leaving
- Gather feedback on their experience, team, and management
- Identify trends (if multiple people leave for the same reason)
- Leave the employee with a positive final impression
- What prompted your decision to leave?
- What did you find most rewarding about working here?
- What could we do better as a company?
- How would you describe the culture to a friend considering joining?
- Is there anything we should know that might help us retain others like you?
Knowledge transfer
For roles with significant institutional knowledge or client relationships, a formal knowledge transfer plan should be developed at least two weeks before the last day. Knowledge transfer document should include:- Overview of current projects and their status
- Key contacts (internal and external) with context
- Location of important documents, files, and credentials
- Recurring processes and deadlines the successor needs to be aware of
- Access and login information that should be transferred (shared credentials via the password manager, not email)
- Open issues or risks that need attention
Communications
Principle: Announce departures honestly and promptly, but do not disclose the reason for an involuntary departure beyond “we’re wishing [Name] well in their next chapter.”
Post-departure
- Former employees may be entitled to references. HR provides factual references (dates of employment, title). Managers may provide personal references with the employee’s consent.
- Non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality obligations survive employment per the signed employment agreement. Remind the departing employee of these obligations in the exit paperwork.
- If a former employee returns company data or reports a security issue after departure, treat it as a priority and involve IT and Legal.
Related documents
- Onboarding Guide
- Hiring SOP
- Data Privacy Policy
- Acceptable Use Policy
- [Separation Agreement Template — Legal / HR system]
Last updated: [Date] — SOP owner: HR