Leave a clear handoff

Make it clear who owns the work, what they need next, and which questions remain open. In this fictional Northstar Works example, a departing analyst hands a recurring report to the reporting lead and keeps personal employment questions in a separate People Operations conversation.

Four parts of a coordinated departure

This is a preparation sequence, not a tracked workflow or completion status.

  1. 1
    Tell the right people
    Follow the appropriate departure communication process and ask your manager or People Operations who needs to be involved.
    Departing employee, manager, and People Operations
  2. 2
    Transfer ownership
    Agree on next owners, deadlines, shared-material locations, and known gaps in active work.
    Departing employee and manager
  3. 3
    Return company-issued items
    Make an inventory and ask the responsible local contact how and when assigned items should be returned.
    Departing employee and designated local contact
  4. 4
    Find post-employment contacts
    Take questions about pay, records, benefits, or other continuing matters to People Operations for routing and location-specific guidance.
    People Operations

Make the handoffs usable

Bring a concise work inventory to your manager. Keep individual questions for People Operations separate from team handoff discussions.

Work and team handoff

Worked example: the weekly service-usage report is currently owned by the departing analyst. The analyst and manager agree that the reporting lead will take ownership, record the shared folder location, note that the report is prepared each Tuesday, and flag one data source that still needs confirmation.

  • List active work, the next deadline, and the current owner.
  • Name the proposed next owner and shared-material location.
  • Record known gaps or decisions still needed.
Private and local questions

Ask People Operations about pay, employment records, benefits, or other continuing matters. Share only the details needed to route the question; People Operations can direct it to the appropriate owner and confirm location-specific guidance.

  • Keep individual circumstances out of team handoff notes.
  • Ask which local guidance applies when steps are unclear.
  • Do not assume a particular benefit, outcome, or eligibility.

Prepare an equipment-return conversation

Illustrative inventory for the departing analyst. Confirm the authorized arrangements before handing anything over.

Prepare an equipment-return conversation
Issued item Question to resolve Useful handoff detail
Laptop and charger Which team receives them, and how is receipt acknowledged? Keep the asset identifier and agreed return method with the private departure record.
Access badge Who receives the badge, and when should it be handed over? Ask the manager or local workplace contact to coordinate the timing with the final working arrangements.
Shared peripherals Are any items assigned to the employee rather than the team? Separate personal assignments from equipment that stays with the work area; clarify uncertain ownership.

Where to take questions after your departure

Before access ends, ask People Operations how a former employee can raise a question about pay, employment records or benefits. Record the confirmed contact method somewhere you can still reach, and ask what information helps them locate the request without sharing unnecessary personal details.

If an item is missing, a return arrangement is disputed or a record appears wrong, identify the item or field, what you expected and the clarification you need. Ask the responsible role how to provide supporting information privately and who will confirm the next step. This guide does not determine eligibility or promise an outcome.