Most offboarding checklists cover IT access and admin well — and miss knowledge transfer entirely. This template deliberately puts it first: what this person knows that no one else has written down is the part that's hardest to recover after they leave.
Use the checklist directly here, or download the Word version to fold into your HR process.
Templates
Employee Information
Name
Position
Department
Last day
Manager
Knowledge Transfer
Active projects handed to
Key contacts documented
Access credentials transferred
Process documentation updated
IT & Access
Access revoked on
Equipment returned
Email forwarding set up
Administrative
Exit interview conducted
Reference letter issued
Final payroll
Handover
Successor named
Handover meeting scheduled
Download as a Word document
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Frequently Asked Questions
As soon as the resignation is received — not in the final week. Knowledge transfer takes time; by the last few days, usually only the admin items are left.
Ideally the direct manager together with the departing employee, not HR alone. HR can ensure the process happens, but only the team knows what the substantive handover actually is.
Document anyway — to a temporarily responsible person or the team archive. An undirected handover still beats no handover at all.