Employee offboarding checklist
Every task from the moment notice is given to the day final pay lands, ordered by when it has to happen. Built around the seven-day final pay window that most modern awards require.
Employee offboarding checklist
PDF format • 3 pages • Ready to print
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This offboarding checklist is a general HR template and is not legal advice. Entitlements on termination vary by award, registered agreement, contract and state or territory law. Check your obligations, or seek advice, before relying on it for a specific exit. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
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What's in this checklist
Ordered by when each task has to happen
When notice is given
Confirm the resignation or termination in writing, check the notice period against the award, and agree the last working day.
During the notice period
Handover notes, reassigned work, remaining shifts, telling the team, and booking the exit interview before the last day.
Pay and entitlements
Ordinary hours, annual leave and loading, long service leave, notice in lieu, redundancy pay, deductions and superannuation.
Property and access
Keys, uniforms, devices and vehicles back; email, rostering, payroll and building access switched off at every site.
Records and compliance
Archive rather than delete, document the termination reason and date, and issue a separation certificate if asked.
After the last day
Review the exit feedback, compare it against recent departures, and decide whether to backfill the role.
How the checklist is laid out
Each stage has its own tick-box list, so the checklist can be handed between a manager and payroll without anything falling between them.
| Stage | When it happens | Who usually owns it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. When notice is given | Day notice is received | Manager and payroll |
| 2. During the notice period | Between notice and last day | Manager |
| 3. Pay and entitlements | Within 7 days of the last day | Payroll |
| 4. Property and access | On or before the last day | Manager and IT |
| 5. Records and compliance | Within the first week after | HR or business owner |
| 6. After the last day | Following weeks | HR or business owner |
Stage 3 is the one with a deadline attached — check the award covering the role, as most require final pay within seven days.
How to use the offboarding checklist
Four steps to a consistent exit every time
1. Start one per exit
Print or duplicate the checklist as soon as notice is given, and fill in the employee details at the top.
2. Work backwards from final pay
Fix the last working day first, then set the final pay deadline from it. Everything else has to fit inside that window.
3. Split it between manager and payroll
Stages 1, 2 and 4 sit with the manager. Stage 3 sits with payroll. Agree who owns 5 and 6 before you need them.
4. File it with the employee record
Keep the completed checklist with the employee's file. It is the evidence that the exit was handled properly.
Running exits digitally keeps the record in one place — RosterElf’s HR Hub offboarding captures the exit date, type and reason and sends an exit survey automatically when you deactivate a departing employee.
What Australian employers have to get right
The four obligations that cause most post-employment disputes
1. Final pay within 7 days
Most modern awards require final pay within seven days of the employment ending. Check the award or registered agreement that covers the role — where it says nothing, the Fair Work Act requires payment at least monthly.
2. Accrued leave paid out
Untaken annual leave is paid out on termination, with leave loading where it applies. Personal and carer's leave is not. Long service leave depends on your state and the employee's service.
3. Correct notice
Notice under the NES scales with length of service, with an extra week for employees over 45 with at least two years' service. Award or contract terms can require more.
4. Records kept for 7 years
Employee records must be kept for seven years after employment ends, legible and in English. Archive them — do not delete when the account is closed.
Who uses this checklist
Useful wherever exits are frequent or spread across managers
Hospitality and retail
Casual-heavy teams where several duty managers handle exits and consistency is hard to hold
Healthcare and aged care
Businesses that must evidence when someone stopped working and why, for audit and accreditation
Multi-site operations
Owners who need every site to record a departure the same way so turnover can be compared
Stop running exits from memory
A checklist handles one exit at a time. RosterElf's HR Hub records every departure the same way — exit date, exit type and reason captured when you deactivate a departing employee, an exit survey sent automatically, and every response kept against their record.
HR guides
Get the process and the pay right
How to calculate final pay
Work through ordinary hours, leave payouts, notice and redundancy so the final payslip is right first time.
Learn moreHow to terminate an employee
Ending employment fairly and lawfully, including notice, process and the unfair dismissal risks to avoid.
Learn moreHow to conduct an exit interview
Run candid exit interviews that surface the real reasons people leave, and what to do with the answers.
Learn moreRelated templates and tools
The rest of the offboarding set
Exit interview form
A structured form for gathering honest feedback from departing employees.
Learn moreTermination letter template
A clear, compliant letter confirming the end of employment and the last working day.
Learn moreRedundancy pay calculator
Estimate redundancy entitlements under the National Employment Standards.
Learn moreEmployee offboarding checklist FAQs
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An offboarding checklist is the list of tasks an employer works through when someone leaves — confirming notice, handing over work, calculating final pay, recovering property and access, archiving records, and reviewing why they left. Its job is to make every exit follow the same path regardless of who manages it, so nothing is missed and the exit can be evidenced later.
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There is no single deadline in the National Employment Standards. Most modern awards require final pay within seven days of the employment ending, so the timeframe comes from the award, registered agreement or contract that covers the role. Where none of those set a time, the Fair Work Act requires employees to be paid at least monthly. Whichever applies, pay as soon as practicable — the seven-day expectation is the safe planning assumption.
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Work backwards from the last working day. Confirm notice and the finish date first, use the notice period for handover and the exit interview, recover property and access on or before the last day, then complete final pay inside the seven-day window. Records and the review of exit feedback follow in the weeks after.
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Split it deliberately. The direct manager owns notice, handover and property recovery because they are closest to the work. Payroll owns final pay. Someone other than the direct manager should review the exit feedback — people rarely give candid reasons to the person they are leaving. In smaller businesses the owner covers the last two, but it should still be a decision rather than a default.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.