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Exit Procedures

This document describes the offboarding checklist when an employee leaves Scott Recycling — whether they resigned, were terminated, retired, or are ending a temporary assignment. Following this checklist consistently protects the business (data, equipment, access) and treats the departing employee with respect.

Use this checklist for every departure, no exceptions. Even a friendly resignation involves equipment to return, access to revoke, and a final paycheck to process.

Before the Last Day

For Resignations (employee-initiated)

  • Confirm resignation in writing — even a verbal resignation should be followed up with a brief email acknowledging the notice and last day
  • Determine last day — in TN, two weeks notice is customary but not required. Accept the stated last day.
  • Notify Dan if not already involved in the conversation
  • Begin transition planning — what needs to be handed off, documented, or trained on?
  • Schedule exit interview (see below)
  • Prepare the paperwork (see "Day of Departure" section)

For Terminations (employer-initiated)

  • Consult with Dan before executing any termination (see Disciplinary Procedures)
  • Prepare termination meeting — attendees, location, timing
  • Prepare final paperwork in advance — final paycheck calculation, COBRA notice, return of property list
  • Coordinate system access revocation so it happens immediately after the termination meeting
  • Plan how the employee will be escorted out — quietly, with dignity, with a witness if appropriate

Day of Departure Checklist

Return of Company Property

Every item the company issued must be returned. Checklist by role:

All roles: - [ ] Company ID badge - [ ] Building keys / key fob - [ ] Parking pass (if applicable) - [ ] Company-issued phone (if applicable) - [ ] Company-issued laptop / tablet (if applicable) - [ ] Company-issued uniform / jacket / PPE - [ ] Company credit card (if issued) — cut in half, keep the pieces - [ ] Any company-owned tools checked out to this employee - [ ] Any paperwork or files at the employee's desk/workstation

Warehouse / Processing: - [ ] Issued PPE (safety glasses, gloves, boots — PPE that has been worn is typically disposed of, not reissued) - [ ] Forklift/equipment certification card (if issued) - [ ] Barcode scanner (if issued)

Driver: - [ ] Truck keys - [ ] DOT logbook (if paper) — keep for retention - [ ] Fuel card - [ ] Driver manual / DOT handbook (if issued) - [ ] Customer pickup tickets / paperwork from last route

CSR / Office: - [ ] Desk key - [ ] Phone headset - [ ] Any paper records in their workspace

Management: - [ ] Admin-level passwords (must be changed before departure) - [ ] Bank authorizations (if any) — remove employee from signing authority - [ ] Vendor contact lists / customer lists - [ ] Company documents or files in personal possession

Use the Return of Property Receipt form — one checkbox per item, signed by both the employee and the receiving manager, filed in the personnel record.

System Access Revocation

This is time-critical. Access should be revoked at the end of the employee's last working shift, not "sometime later."

Revoke: - [ ] Odoo login — deactivate user in Settings → Users. Do NOT delete the user (breaks record history); deactivate only. - [ ] Email account — forward to manager or disable login; decide retention period for inbox - [ ] Phone system (VitalPBX) — remove extension, reset voicemail - [ ] Website admin / CMS access — if applicable - [ ] Social media accounts — if employee had access to Meta, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, GBP, or any company-branded account, remove their access and change shared passwords - [ ] eBay, Amazon, Walmart dealer portals — revoke individual access - [ ] Deal Hunter access — if employee used it - [ ] External SaaS tools — list all and revoke (RockAuto, NAPA, AutoTrader, Cars.com, etc.) - [ ] VPN access — if applicable - [ ] Building alarm code — reset the individual code, or rotate the common code if shared - [ ] Key-based door access — return keys as above - [ ] Two-factor authentication — remove employee's 2FA devices from any shared accounts - [ ] Password manager — remove from shared vaults, rotate any shared credentials they knew - [ ] Samsara (fleet) — deactivate driver account - [ ] Any external vendor portals where the employee had individual accounts - [ ] QuickBooks Online — if had access, revoke

Document every system access revocation in a simple checklist filed in the personnel record. "Revoked X on date at time by Y."

Final Paycheck

Per TN law (TCA § 50-2-103): - Voluntary resignation: Final paycheck is due at the next regular payday. - Termination: Final paycheck is due at the next regular payday or within 21 days, whichever is earlier.

The final paycheck must include: - [ ] All hours worked through last day - [ ] Any unused PTO per company policy (check Employee Handbook) - [ ] Any reimbursements owed - [ ] Proper withholdings applied

Do NOT withhold a final paycheck pending return of property, unless the employee has stolen clearly identifiable, valuable property and even then — consult with legal counsel first. TN takes wage theft seriously.

Benefits and COBRA

  • Health insurance — final day of coverage per plan rules (usually end of month of separation)
  • COBRA notice — must be mailed to the employee's address on file within 14 days of the qualifying event. Provide their rights to continue coverage.
  • 401(k) / retirement — provide contact info for plan administrator; employee handles their own rollover
  • Life insurance, disability, other benefits — check portability options

Final Day Logistics

  • Employee clocks out for the last time
  • Desk/workspace cleaned out (personal items taken, company items left)
  • Workstation wiped of personal data
  • Final signed paperwork:
  • Return of Property Receipt
  • Acknowledgment of Final Paycheck (if provided same day)
  • Exit Interview signed (if completed)
  • COBRA Notice Receipt
  • Employee escorted out (for terminations, always; for resignations, optional but professional)
  • Coworkers informed respectfully of the departure (after the employee has left, not during)

Exit Interview (Voluntary)

An exit interview is optional but valuable. Offer to every departing employee — even terminated ones, though response rates will vary.

Who conducts it: Someone other than the direct manager (Dan, HR, or another manager) to encourage honest feedback.

Format: 20–30 minute conversation, private, off the clock (or paid if you want them to engage).

Sample questions: - Why are you leaving? - What did you like about working here? - What would you change if you could? - Did you feel supported in your role? - Were your training and onboarding adequate? - Did you know how to report issues (safety, harassment, compliance)? - Any feedback for your manager? - Is there anything we could have done differently? - Would you recommend working here to a friend? Why or why not?

Document the feedback but do not retaliate on anything they say. The point is to learn, not to defend. Aggregate feedback across multiple exit interviews — patterns matter more than individual complaints.

After the Last Day

  • Personnel file finalized — all exit paperwork filed
  • Retention clock starts — 7 years post-termination per Record Retention Policy
  • Unemployment claim — respond promptly if the state sends notice; provide factual information about the separation
  • References — establish who can give references (policy: manager confirms dates of employment and title only, no subjective feedback) and document this
  • Rehire eligibility — mark in the file: eligible for rehire, eligible with conditions, or not eligible for rehire
  • Knowledge transfer — ensure any work the employee was handling has been transitioned to a coworker or manager
  • Update org chart / role assignments if applicable
  • Customer / vendor notifications — if the employee was the primary contact for specific customers or vendors, notify those contacts of the change and provide a new point of contact

Special Situations

Death of an Employee

Follow the return-of-property and final-paycheck checklist with the employee's estate. Consult with legal counsel for the specifics. Be compassionate — a family is grieving.

Retirement

Same as resignation, with additional steps: - [ ] Retirement party / recognition (optional but nice) - [ ] Plaque or memento - [ ] Final letter of thanks - [ ] Invitation to stay connected

Layoff

If business conditions require layoffs: - [ ] Consult legal counsel about severance, WARN Act (if applicable), unemployment - [ ] Written notice to affected employees - [ ] Severance agreement (if offered) reviewed by attorney - [ ] Handle multiple simultaneous departures with compassion and consistency - [ ] Communicate to remaining employees about the business situation

Voluntary Departure During Investigation

If an employee resigns while under investigation for misconduct: - [ ] Accept the resignation if it's offered - [ ] Complete the investigation anyway — findings may affect references and rehire eligibility - [ ] If the misconduct involved theft or regulatory violation, proceed with law enforcement or regulatory reporting even though employment has ended

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Delayed access revocation. "We'll clean up the accounts next week." No — revoke immediately.
  • Bad-mouthing the departing employee to remaining staff. Creates fear and legal exposure.
  • Providing subjective references that could be construed as defamatory. Stick to dates and title unless you have a signed release.
  • Holding final pay hostage. TN wage laws are strict.
  • Forgetting shared passwords. If the departing employee knew a shared password, change it.
  • Leaving items on the company's behalf at the employee's desk/locker for "when they come back to get their stuff." Box it up and store it securely.
  • Not documenting the exit. A year later, when someone asks "why did they leave?" or "can they be rehired?", the file must answer.

Review & Training

  • Annual review of this policy
  • Checklist forms updated as tools and systems change
  • Manager training when first assigned to conduct exits