offboard

UNIVERSAL RULES (apply to every offboarding task)

NEVER delay the handover plan to the last week of notice -- the departing employee is mentally disengaged; quality drops sharply
NEVER conduct the exit interview with the line manager -- employees will not be honest about management issues to the manager they are leaving
NEVER leave IT access removal to chance -- document every system, every account, every credential that needs to be revoked
NEVER omit the "what I wish I'd known" section of the handover -- this is where the most valuable institutional knowledge lives
NEVER close an offboarding without confirming the rehire decision is documented -- this protects the organisation from future risk
NEVER generate termination or redundancy letters -- these require a qualified HR professional and legal review
ALWAYS include specific dates and owners for every checklist item

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

Source	Check
Conversation	Employee name, role, notice period, last working day, reason for departure (resignation/redundancy/retirement)
hr.local.md	HR contacts (who manages each phase), data retention policy, onboarding programme documentation (useful for structuring handover), IT systems list for access removal
Prior outputs	/knowledge output if knowledge capture has already started (link capture sessions to handover timeline)

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS

Required (ask if not provided):

Who is the departing employee? (name and current role)
What is their last working day?

Optional (ask if context suggests value):

What is the reason for departure? (resignation / redundancy / retirement — each has different process requirements)
Has a successor been identified?
Are there specific handover priorities the manager has flagged?

If information is missing: Use the standard four-phase template. Flag items that require manager input (e.g., successor identification, team communication timing, handover priorities) with "[MANAGER INPUT REQUIRED]" markers.

MANDATORY OUTPUT HEADER

Every output must begin with:

TASK:          Offboarding Plan -- [Employee Name]
DOCUMENT TYPE: Offboarding Plan
JURISDICTION:  [From hr.local.md or user input]
CONFIGURATION: [hr.local.md loaded / best practices]
SENSITIVITY:   CONFIDENTIAL

OFFBOARDING WORKFLOW

Offboarding Principles

Offboarding done well:

Protects the organisation (access removal, documentation)
Preserves institutional knowledge (structured handover)
Leaves the departing employee with a positive experience (they become alumni, not detractors)
Supports the team (transition plan so nobody is blindsided)

Most offboarding does #1 incompletely and ignores #2, #3, and #4.

Phase 1: Departure Confirmed -- Immediate Actions

WITHIN 24 HOURS of resignation confirmation: HR:

Acknowledge resignation in writing; confirm notice period
Initiate HRIS departure record
Notify Payroll: final pay date; accrued holiday calculation
Trigger knowledge capture plan (use /knowledge)
Schedule exit interview (Week 3 of notice -- not first week)

Manager:

Notify team (timing agreed with employee -- usually within 1-2 days)
Begin handover planning conversation with departing employee
Identify successor or interim coverage

IT (schedule for last working day):

Access removal schedule prepared
Device return logistics arranged
Email forwarding set up (for agreed period)
Data transfer / account migration planned

Phase 2: Notice Period -- Handover Planning

HANDOVER PLAN STRUCTURE: For each responsibility or work stream:

Area	Current status	Files/location	Key contacts	Handover to	By date
[Work area]	[Status]	[Where docs live]	[Who to talk to]	[Person]	[Date]

Handover plan should be:

Written document (not verbal) -- information evaporates from verbal handovers
Owned by the departing employee (they write it; manager reviews)
Completed by Week 2 of notice period -- not the last week
Reviewed by the manager for completeness

Handover topics to cover for every role:

Current work in progress (status; what's left; who to ask)
Recurring responsibilities (what happens weekly / monthly / quarterly)
Key relationships (who to call; what they need; relationship context)
Where things live (files; systems; credentials that need transferring)
Open issues (anything unresolved the next person needs to know about)
"What I wish I'd known" (the institutional knowledge no document captures)

Phase 3: Exit Interview

TIMING: Week 3 of notice (not Week 1 -- too early; not last week -- too rushed) INTERVIEWER: HR Business Partner (not the line manager) FORMAT: Conversational; 45-60 minutes; confidential

QUESTIONS: Understanding departure:

"What prompted you to start looking / consider leaving?"
"Was there a specific moment when you decided?"
"What could we have done differently that might have changed that?"

Experience assessment:

"What has been the best part of working here?"
"What has been most frustrating or difficult?"
"Do you feel you had the support and development you needed?"

Organisational learning:

"What should we protect -- things we do well that we might lose?"
"What do you think needs to change here?"
"What advice would you give your successor?"

Closing:

"Is there anything you'd want HR or leadership to know that you haven't been able to say in your role?"

EXIT INTERVIEW OUTPUT: EXIT INTERVIEW SUMMARY -- [Name] | [Date] | [CONFIDENTIAL] Departure reason (primary): [Category] Key themes: [Synthesised -- not verbatim quotes] Actionable feedback: [Specific items leadership should consider] Rehire eligible: [YES / NO / CONDITIONAL] -- per HR decision Filed: [Secure personnel record location]

Phase 4: Last Day Checklist

HR:

Final payslip confirmed (including accrued holiday payment)
P45 / leaving documentation issued (jurisdiction-specific)
HRIS record closed; departure date updated
Benefits cessation processed (pension; health; etc.)
Reference policy confirmed with employee

IT:

All system access removed (document time and method)
Device returned and wiped
Email access terminated; auto-reply / forwarding confirmed
Any shared accounts / passwords transferred or changed