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View full libraryThis Offboarding Policy provides a structured approach to managing an employee's departure from the organisation. It covers notice, handover, company property, system access, final pay, records, confidentiality and exit discussions to ensure leavers are managed consistently, securely and professionally.
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If you are reviewing your approach to ending employment, these terminating employment policy templates give you a practical set of policies covering reasons, process, decisions, notice and closure.
This template brings together the key information, sections and considerations you need to create a clear, comprehensive and professional HR document. Preview the document below.
1 Overview
1.1 [Company Name] is committed to managing employee departures consistently, professionally and securely.
1.2 Offboarding is the process of managing the practical, operational, financial and administrative arrangements when an employee leaves the organisation. This includes resignation, redundancy, dismissal, retirement, the end of a fixed-term contract and other circumstances in which employment ends.
1.3 A well-managed offboarding process helps protect the organisation's information and property, supports effective knowledge transfer, ensures final employment administration is completed correctly and provides employees with a clear and professional leaving experience.
2 Scope
2.1 This policy applies to all employees of [Company Name]. Relevant parts of the process may also apply to workers, contractors, agency workers and other individuals who have access to company systems, information or property.
2.2 The specific steps required will depend on the reason for departure, the employee's role, contractual arrangements, notice period and any particular risks or circumstances associated with the departure.
3 General principles
3.1 Notification of departure
3.1.1 When an employee confirms that they are leaving, the manager should notify HR as soon as reasonably practicable.
3.1.2 HR should confirm:
3.1.3 The employee's leaving arrangements should be recorded securely.
3.2 Different types of departure
3.2.1 The offboarding process should reflect the circumstances in which employment ends.
3.2.2 Resignation
3.2.2.1 Where an employee resigns, the resignation should be confirmed in writing and the applicable notice period established.
3.2.3 Redundancy
3.2.3.1 Where employment ends because of redundancy, the organisation's redundancy procedure should be followed. Offboarding should reflect the agreed or determined termination date and any applicable redundancy, notice and settlement arrangements.
3.2.4 Dismissal
3.2.4.1 Where an employee is dismissed, the relevant disciplinary, capability or other termination procedure should be followed. The offboarding process should be coordinated with the outcome of that process.
3.2.5 Fixed-term contract
Where a fixed-term contract is ending, HR should confirm the contractual end date and establish whether any further action
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This policy provides a practical framework for managing employees when they leave the organisation, whether through resignation, redundancy, dismissal, retirement, the end of a fixed-term contract or another agreed departure. It brings together the people, payroll, operational and information-security steps required for an effective offboarding process.
A structured offboarding process helps ensure that important actions are not missed. The process should begin when the organisation becomes aware that an employee is leaving and should reflect the reason for departure, the notice arrangements and any particular risks associated with the role.
During the notice period, managers should agree appropriate handover arrangements, identify outstanding work and ensure that important knowledge is transferred. Depending on the circumstances, the employee may work their notice, take agreed holiday, be placed on garden leave or receive payment in lieu of notice.
Offboarding should include the timely removal or adjustment of access to email, systems, applications, buildings and other resources. Company equipment, keys, security passes, documents and other property should also be returned and recorded.
HR and payroll should confirm the employee's final pay arrangements, including salary, holiday entitlement, notice pay, approved expenses and any other sums due or authorised deductions. Appropriate leaving documentation should also be completed and provided.
Even where an employee's departure is difficult or involuntary, the organisation should aim to manage the process professionally and respectfully. An exit interview or leaving conversation can provide useful feedback about employee experience, management, processes and retention without making participation unnecessarily intrusive.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Offboarding policy should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
Understand the common mistakes to avoid when using this HR template, helping you reduce risk, prevent unnecessary costs and ensure the process is handled correctly.
It should normally start as soon as the organisation knows that an employee is leaving. Early planning gives HR, the manager, payroll, IT and other relevant teams enough time to complete the necessary actions without relying on last-minute arrangements.
Not necessarily. Access should reflect the employee's role and the circumstances of their departure. In some cases access will remain necessary throughout the notice period; in others it may need to be restricted or removed immediately. The decision should be based on legitimate business, security and operational considerations.
This depends on the circumstances but may include salary owed, accrued holiday, notice pay, approved expenses and other contractual or statutory payments. Any deductions should have an appropriate basis, such as a contractual or written agreement where required.
An exit interview can provide useful information about employee experience and retention, but it does not need to be compulsory in every situation. The organisation should consider the circumstances and keep questions proportionate and relevant.
Leaving employment does not automatically mean all records must be deleted. Some information may need to be retained for legal, regulatory, payroll, contractual or legitimate business purposes. However, personal information should not be kept indefinitely without justification and should be securely disposed of when it is no longer required.
HRDocBox policies are designed around practical UK HR processes, employment law and established HR practice. They provide a structured framework that can be adapted to the organisation's systems and processes, rather than relying on a generic AI-generated policy that may overlook the operational detail involved in managing leavers.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Offboarding policy template is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates and supporting information are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing terminating employment HR processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
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