employee offboarding checklist template

Personnel Separation and Access Revocation Protocol

Document Control

• Document ID: HR-OFF-[__________]
• Version: [__________]
• Effective Date: [__________]
• Review Cycle: Annual

1. Purpose & Scope

This procedure establishes the systemic requirements for the secure and compliant transition of personnel departing [Company Name]. This protocol applies to all full-time, part-time, and contract staff across all departments.

2. Prerequisites

• Access to [HRIS System Name]
• Administrative credentials for [Identity Provider/SSO]
• Provisioned hardware recovery kit (shipping labels, tamper-evident seals)
• Finalized separation agreement or resignation notice

3. Roles & Responsibilities (RACI)

4. Step-by-Step Procedure

Phase 1: Initiation and Notification

• Receive formal resignation/termination notice from [Full Legal Name].
• Update [HRIS System Name] with the final working date: [__________].
• Distribute internal separation notice to stakeholders via [Communication Channel].

Phase 2: Asset Recovery and Physical Security

• Issue return shipping instructions to [Full Legal Name] for all company-issued hardware.
• Verify receipt of [List Hardware: e.g., Laptop, Mobile Phone, Security Badge].
• Confirm the physical destruction or secure storage of any [Company Name] proprietary documents.

Phase 3: Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Schedule account suspension in [Identity Provider] for [Time/Date].
• Transfer ownership of critical business files/folders from [Full Legal Name] to [Manager Name].
• Revoke access to third-party SaaS platforms (e.g., [SaaS Platform 1], [SaaS Platform 2]).
• Configure email auto-responder for [Email Address] directing inquiries to [Department/Person].

Phase 4: Financial and Compliance Closure

• Conduct final exit interview with [Full Legal Name].
• Process final paycheck including [Accrued PTO/Commission] via [Payroll Provider].
• Archive personnel file in [Secure Document Storage] for [Number] years per compliance policy.

5. Quality Assurance, Pro-Tips, and Common Pitfalls

• QA Check: Perform an audit of the [Identity Provider] logs 24 hours post-separation to ensure zero active sessions.
• Pro-Tip: Automate the revocation of cloud access by linking your HRIS to your SSO provider; manual revocation is the leading cause of security breaches.
• Common Pitfall: Failing to transfer ownership of shared documents or calendars results in "orphaned" data that becomes inaccessible to the remaining team.

6. FAQs

Q: When should access be revoked? A: Access should be revoked precisely at the final working hour specified in the separation agreement to mitigate security risks while maintaining productivity.

Q: What if the employee refuses to return company hardware? A: Escalate to the Legal Department immediately. Do not attempt to recover physical assets personally; utilize the pre-arranged courier service or local law enforcement if necessary.