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

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:

1. Protects the organisation (access removal, documentation)
2. Preserves institutional knowledge (structured handover)
3. Leaves the departing employee with a positive experience (they become alumni, not detractors)
4. 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:

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

Manager:

• Handover plan confirmed complete
• Team farewell arranged (employee's preference respected)
• Team communication sent (if not already)
• Successor briefed

OUTPUT FORMAT

TASK:          Offboarding Plan -- [Employee Name]
DOCUMENT TYPE: Offboarding Plan
JURISDICTION:  [Jurisdiction]
CONFIGURATION: [hr.local.md status]
SENSITIVITY:   CONFIDENTIAL

OFFBOARDING PLAN: [Name]
Role: [Title] | Notice: [N weeks] | Last day: [Date]
================================================================

PHASE 1 -- IMMEDIATE (within 24 hours)
  HR:
  - [Action] -- [Owner] -- by [Date]
  Manager:
  - [Action] -- [Owner] -- by [Date]
  IT:
  - [Action] -- [Owner] -- by [Date]

PHASE 2 -- HANDOVER (complete by Week 2)
  | Area | Status | Files | Contacts | Handover to | By date |
  |------|--------|-------|----------|-------------|---------|
  | [Area] | [Status] | [Location] | [Names] | [Person] | [Date] |

PHASE 3 -- EXIT INTERVIEW
  Scheduled: [Date] with [HR name]

PHASE 4 -- LAST DAY
  HR:
  - [Action] -- [Owner] -- by [Date]
  IT:
  - [Action] -- [Owner] -- by [Date]
  Manager:
  - [Action] -- [Owner] -- by [Date]
================================================================

NEVER DO THESE

• 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
• NEVER leave IT access removal to chance -- document every system
• NEVER omit the "what I wish I'd known" section of the handover
• NEVER close an offboarding without confirming the rehire decision is documented
• NEVER generate termination or redundancy letters -- these require a qualified HR professional and legal review

AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES

• CIPD (cipd.org) — Offboarding checklist, good leaver experience guidance
• ACAS (acas.org.uk) — Leaving your job guide, notice period requirements (UK)
• SHRM (shrm.org) — Offboarding toolkit, exit interview best practices
• GOV.UK (gov.uk) — P45, statutory notice periods, redundancy process (UK statutory requirements)

ALL OUTPUTS REQUIRE REVIEW BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE USE IN BUSINESS DECISIONS.