Employee offboarding that runs the same way every time
Most offboarding is done from memory by whoever is around. RosterElf runs the same checklist for every leaver, takes access off on the leaving date, and keeps the hours and holiday records that final pay is calculated from.
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A repeatable leaver checklist
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Access removed on the leaving date
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Accrued holiday and final hours in one place
What happens when someone leaves
Offboarding tends to be improvised, which is why equipment goes missing and access stays live for weeks. Four things happen in the same order every time.
A checklist that is the same every time
Equipment, access, uniforms, keys, final documents. The list does not change because the manager running it is busy or new.
Access removed on the leaving date
Rota access, the mobile app and any site permissions come off on the day rather than whenever someone remembers.
Final hours and untaken holiday
The last shifts and the accrued holiday balance are already in the system, so final pay is calculated from a record rather than a reconstruction.
An exit survey that actually gets sent
Triggered by the offboarding rather than remembered, which is the only reason exit surveys ever produce usable data.
What UK law expects at the end of employment
| Obligation | The rule |
|---|---|
| Notice | 1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year, capped at 12 weeks — or the contract, whichever is greater |
| Final pay | No general statutory deadline; normally the next usual payday unless the contract says otherwise |
| Untaken holiday | Accrued but untaken statutory leave is paid in the final pay |
| P45 | Issued to the leaver showing leaving date, and pay and tax since 6 April |
| Holiday records | Kept for at least 6 years from 6 April 2026 |
The one that quietly causes disputes is the accrued holiday balance. It depends on the leaving date, the pattern worked and — for irregular hours — the 12.07% accrual. Reconstructing it from a spreadsheet after someone has left is how the figure ends up wrong.
What you still need after they have gone
A leaver record you can produce later
Dates, documents, the checklist and who completed it — kept together for when a question comes up months afterwards.
Holiday records for six years
Since 6 April 2026 employers must keep annual leave and holiday pay records for at least six years. Leavers are the ones that go missing first.
Rejoiners without the paperwork twice
Seasonal and student staff who come back keep their record, so a rehire is not a fresh onboarding.
Patterns across leavers, not anecdotes
Exit responses aggregated over time, which is where the useful signal is — a single exit interview rarely tells you much.
Related: holiday entitlement, statutory sick pay and rota laws.
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Make the last day as organised as the first
One checklist, access off on the day, and the holiday and hours records final pay is built from.
Employee records and exit guides
Learn more about managing employee exits, record-keeping and access control.
Employee lifecycle records: from onboarding to exit
How to track and manage employee records across the whole employment lifecycle, from the first day to the last.
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HR access controls: who should see what (and why)
How to manage HR system permissions securely — protecting sensitive employee data while keeping managers able to work.
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Digitising employee records to reduce admin overhead
Moving from paper to digital HR records cuts admin time and the risk of a file going missing when you need it most.
Read articleUK offboarding questions
- There is no general statutory rule requiring payment within a set number of days. Final pay is normally made on the next usual payday unless the contract says otherwise. What it must include is all pay owed for hours worked plus any accrued but untaken statutory holiday — see our holiday entitlement guide.
- Statutory minimums are at least one week after one month's service, then one week for each full year up to a maximum of 12 weeks at 12 years. The contract may provide for more, and whichever is greater applies.
- Yes. A leaver should be given a P45 showing their leaving date, and their pay and tax from 6 April to that date. If the details are wrong you should correct them and issue an amended P45.
- Accrued but untaken statutory holiday is paid in the final pay. Working out the accrued balance at the leaving date is where this most often goes wrong, particularly for staff who joined part way through the leave year or work irregular hours — see our irregular hours guide.
- Statutory sick pay stops when employment ends. Since 6 April 2026 SSP is payable from the first day of absence with no earnings threshold, so any sickness in a final pay period is more likely to be payable than it used to be — see our SSP guide.