Exit Checklist

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What an exit checklist is and its purpose

An exit checklist focuses on the concrete actions around an employee’s final working day: returning equipment, confirming the handover is complete, settling outstanding items and completing the last pieces of paperwork. It is the practical companion to a broader offboarding process.

Its purpose is to leave nothing loose on either side. For the employer it confirms property and access are accounted for; for the leaver it confirms their records, final pay items and any references are settled, so they can move on cleanly.

When an exit checklist is used

• On or just before an employee’s last working day.
• When a fixed-term contract or temporary assignment ends.
• During the closing stage of a resignation or notice period.
• When a role ends through redundancy or the end of a project.
• When an employee transfers out of a team and hands over their work.
• Whenever a final reconciliation of property, access and paperwork is needed.

Elements a well-formed exit checklist includes

• The employee’s name, role and final working day.
• A list of equipment, keys, passes and devices to be returned.
• Confirmation that handover notes and contacts have been passed on.
• Closure of accounts, email and building access on the correct date.
• Outstanding items such as remaining leave, expenses or reimbursements.
• Final paperwork, including any leaving documents or certificates due.
• A note of forwarding contact details if the leaver agrees.
• Sign-off by the employee and the manager that all items are complete.

Common mistakes

• Leaving equipment recovery and access removal until after the person has gone.
• Skipping a final reconciliation of outstanding leave or expenses.
• Confusing the exit checklist with the exit interview and merging the two.
• Failing to confirm the handover is genuinely complete, not just promised.
• Forgetting to issue any leaving documents the employee is entitled to.
• Not getting joint sign-off, so disputes arise later about what was returned.

Best practices

• Run through the checklist together with the employee on their final day.
• Reconcile leave, expenses and property before the person leaves the building.
• Confirm access closures are scheduled for the correct date and time.
• Keep the tone professional and supportive whatever the reason for leaving.
• Save the completed, signed checklist as a PDF for the personnel record.
• Cross-check it against the wider offboarding process so nothing falls between the two.