9 free offboarding checklist templates to guide employee exits and protect company data

Define roles to keep the process clear and automate offboarding as much as possible. For example:

• HR handles exit interviews and legal documents.

• IT manages account deactivation and asset recovery.

• Team leads handle knowledge transfer.

Use a centralized offboarding checklist to avoid missed steps, especially for managing multiple departures or remote teams.

Tailor your approach to employees and contractors. For instance, contractors may use personal devices, external email addresses, or have limited access to internal tools, while employees are more likely to have company-issued laptops, internal email accounts, and broader system access.

Keep an inventory of accounts, systems, and tools — a live access map helps speed up revocations later.

Plan for both notice periods and sudden exits, such as termination or emergency leave where access must be revoked immediately.

Document the resignation or termination and confirm the final working day so everyone has a agreed-upon timeline moving forward.

Notify all relevant stakeholders, including:

• HR for offboarding and final pay).
• IT for system access changes.
• Managers or team leads for workload planning.
• Any cross-functional partners who rely on the employee’s work.

If applicable, begin recruiting or succession planning early — especially for critical roles.

Document handover notes . For example:

• Ask for short summaries of ongoing tasks, blockers, and helpful context.
• If possible, record a quick handover video or screen share.
• Involve the team lead or replacement in the employee offboarding process.

Back up key assets to prevent data loss and ensure the team can continue work seamlessly. For example:

• Email archives and chat messages (when appropriate).
• Files stored in personal folders or cloud drives.
• Notes, wikis, and documentation they maintained.
• Code repositories and pull requests (for developers).

Transfer ownership of digital assets. For example:

• Reassign files and folders in cloud tools (e.g., Proton Drive).
• Reassign tickets, leads, or clients in CRM and support systems.
• Update dashboards, forms, automations, or reports.
• Update permissions and roles in project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello).

Set up email forwarding and auto-replies. You can:

• Add an auto-responder to the person’s email with a redirect to their replacement or a general team inbox.
• Forward critical incoming emails to a designated team member.
• Remove their name from mailing lists, calendars, and notifications.

Disable access to all systems. For example:

• Email and communication platforms (e.g., Proton Mail, Slack).
• Project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Proton Drive).
• Admin consoles and databases.
• Development tools (e.g., GitHub, AWS).
• Remote access tools (e.g., Proton VPN, SSH, RDP).
• Payment processors or customer platforms.

Prioritize high-risk accounts first and leave them disabled (not deleted) if audit or transfer is needed.

Rotate any shared credentials the person has access to — such as social media logins or shared drives — by changing those passwords immediately.

For personal devices, ensure company data is removed and wiped remotely.

Collect all company-owned devices and equipment, such as:

• Laptops, smartphones, tablets.
• Security keys or hardware tokens (e.g., YubiKey).
• External drives, USB sticks, SD cards.
• Headsets, webcams, badges, keycards.

For remote teams, arrange pickup or return shipping and provide clear instructions, packaging materials, and deadlines.

Inspect, sanitize, and reset returned devices to clear out personal data and get them set up for the next team member.

Ask the offboarded person to sign an asset return confirmation.

Reconfirm or retrieve signed NDAs, IP assignments, and confidentiality agreements.

For contractors, ensure all deliverables are submitted and approved before issuing final payment.

Process final pay, reimbursements, benefits, and unpaid PTO in line with local laws.

Anonymize or delete personal data as needed for compliance, such as GDPR.

Keep complete offboarding records for legal, HR, and audit purposes.

Internally, notify teams of the departure and who’s taking over.

Update organization charts, team rosters, and permissions so everyone knows who’s doing what and access stays up to date.

Clearly communicate who will be taking over key tasks, roles, or relationships.

For external contacts — such as clients and vendors — send a brief, professional message about the transition.

For positive exits, express appreciation and celebrate contributions.

Hold an exit interview or project debrief to gather honest feedback.

Use this feedback to improve future onboarding, offboarding, and retention efforts.

Review your offboarding checklist and confirm all steps are complete.

Note any process gaps or surprises or lessons learned to update your checklist for next time.

Archive records securely for compliance and tracking, setting retention timelines.

If the situation allows, acknowledge their contributions with a personal note or team send-off. A positive exit today can lead to advocacy or rehires tomorrow.