What's in this template?
This Staff Offboarding and Exit Checklist closes the employment lifecycle that the Staff Orientation and Induction Checklist opened. It walks the practice through every obligation from the day notice is given to the day after the last day of work. It is designed for all termination types — voluntary resignation, mutual separation, redundancy, dismissal for performance, dismissal for serious misconduct, and end of fixed term.
The checklist covers 10 sections:
- Notice and final dates — NES s117 minimum notice table, contract notice comparison, redundancy considerations
- Patient and clinical handover — the most patient-facing step, run early
- Knowledge transfer (non-clinical) — projects, contacts, recurring tasks
- System access revocation — clinical software, email, My Health Record, Medicare provider, PRODA / HPOS, MFA tokens, building access
- Return of property — keys, devices, uniform, equipment, data
- Final pay and entitlements — wages, accrued leave, long service leave (state-by-state), redundancy, STP finalisation
- References and certificates — statement of service, Ahpra notification, Reportable Conduct schemes
- Exit interview — structured questions on culture, leadership, and undisclosed concerns
- Privacy and confidentiality reminder — ongoing obligations under the Staff Confidentiality Agreement
- Sign-off — employee, manager, HR / practice manager
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{abn}},{{employee_name}},{{position_title}},{{engagement_type}}{{award_classification}},{{start_date}},{{termination_type}},{{notice_date}},{{last_day}}{{manager_name}},{{hr_manager_name}}- Signature blocks for employee, manager, HR / practice manager
NES s117 minimum notice — the table that everyone misses
The minimum notice an employer must give a permanent employee under NES s117:
| Period of continuous service | Minimum notice | |---|---| | Less than 1 year | 1 week | | 1 year up to 3 years | 2 weeks | | 3 years up to 5 years | 3 weeks | | 5 years or more | 4 weeks | | Employee over 45 years old with 2+ years of service | Add 1 week to the above |
Compare to the contract notice. The greater of the two applies. The contract cannot reduce notice below the NES minimum. For dismissal for serious misconduct (defined in Fair Work Regulation 1.07), no notice or payment in lieu is required — but procedural fairness still matters, and small business employers should also consider the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code.
Why patient handover comes early
In a healthcare practice, the most time-sensitive step in offboarding is rarely the paperwork — it is the patient handover. Patients currently in active care, with pending results, with open recalls, or with planned follow-ups need to land safely with a named colleague before the last day. This is both a clinical safety obligation under the Privacy Act (continuity of access to records) and an Ahpra registration obligation for departing clinicians (the duty of care does not end with resignation).
The checklist sequences this step at section 2 — to be started within 48 hours of notice — rather than after the administrative items. The practice that does the final pay calculation first and the patient handover last has the priority wrong.
Long service leave varies by state
Long service leave is set by state legislation, not the NES. Pro-rata payout on termination requires the employee to have met a state-specific threshold:
- NSW — 5+ years pro rata on resignation
- VIC — 7+ years pro rata
- QLD — 7+ years pro rata
- SA — 7+ years pro rata
- WA — 7+ years pro rata
- ACT — 5+ years pro rata
- TAS — 7+ years pro rata
- NT — 7+ years pro rata
Always check the current state legislation when calculating — thresholds and accrual rates change. Federal portable long service leave schemes apply in some industries (not generally healthcare). The checklist prompts the calculation; do not skip it for long-tenure employees.
System access — the most common breach point
The single largest cause of post-employment data incidents in Australian healthcare is incomplete system access revocation. The departing employee retains practice management system access for weeks after their last day, accesses a record out of curiosity (often a relative), and triggers a notifiable data breach. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's annual NDB reports cite this pattern repeatedly.
The checklist's section 4 is exhaustive on purpose. The day-of action is non-negotiable. Even where the departing relationship is amicable and trust is high, revocation happens on the last day. The Computer and Information Security Policy and the Privacy Officer should coordinate.
Who needs this checklist?
Every Australian healthcare practice that employs staff. The checklist suits:
- General practices, day procedure clinics, and specialist medical practices
- Allied health practices — physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology, optometry, dental
- NDIS providers and disability support services
- Pharmacies, pathology, and diagnostic imaging providers
- Aged care providers, private hospitals, and community health services
How to customise this checklist
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with the relevant details on the day notice is given - Calculate the NES s117 minimum notice and the contract notice on the same day — the greater applies
- Diary the patient handover work to start within 48 hours — do not let the administrative items dominate the first week
- Tailor section 4 (system access) to the systems you actually use — add anything practice-specific (third-party integrations, allied health portals, NDIS provider portals)
- Adapt the exit interview questions to your service — keep section 8's questions about undisclosed bullying or safety concerns; these surface issues that did not previously surface
- Confirm long service leave against current state legislation — thresholds change
- Finalise STP within the practice's normal annual finalisation window; final payslip and Employment Separation Certificate (if requested) issued within 14 days
- File the completed checklist in the personnel file. Retain for at least 7 years under Fair Work Regulations 2009 r3.42
Related templates and tools
- Staff Orientation and Induction Checklist — the mirror image at the start of employment
- Position Description Template — used in the knowledge transfer and role refresh
- Probation Review Form — used where termination is in the probation period
- Annual Performance Review Template — referenced where dismissal is performance-based
- Workplace Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy — referenced in the exit interview section
- Staff Confidentiality and Privacy Agreement — post-employment obligations referenced in section 9
- Computer and Information Security Policy — the technical control basis for system access revocation
- Health Records Management Policy — patient handover and records retention
Frequently asked questions
When is final pay due?
The relevant modern award or enterprise agreement sets the deadline — commonly 7 to 14 days after the last day of work for the Health Professionals Award and SCHADS Award. Where no instrument applies, a reasonable time, which in practice means the next ordinary pay cycle at the latest. Final pay includes all unpaid wages, accrued unused annual leave, accrued long service leave where the state threshold is met, redundancy where applicable, and any notice paid in lieu.
Is the practice required to provide a reference?
No. An employer is not legally required to provide a reference. A factual statement of service (dates of employment, role, hours) is the safe default. Where a reference is given, it must be honest, accurate, and based on documented performance — defamation, misleading and deceptive conduct, and general protections claims can follow from inaccurate or vindictive references.
What is an Employment Separation Certificate?
A Centrelink form (SU001) that confirms the reason for separation and the date last paid. The employer is required to provide it within 14 days of a Centrelink or employee request, where the employee is applying for income support. Many practices issue it at offboarding as a matter of course, particularly for redundancies.
When does redundancy pay apply?
Redundancy pay under NES s119 applies where the practice no longer requires the role to be done by anyone, and the practice has 15 or more employees (small business employers are exempt under s121, with limited exceptions). The amount scales with continuous service (4 weeks at 1 to 2 years, increasing to 16 weeks at 9 to 10 years). Many awards and contracts provide more generous redundancy — use the more generous of the three (NES, award, contract).
Do we have to revoke My Health Record access immediately?
Yes — on or before the last day. Continued access to the My Health Record system by a departed worker is unauthorised access and a criminal offence under sections 59 and 75 of the My Health Records Act 2012. The departing worker's HPI-I link to the practice must be removed, and any local account disabled.
Should we still do an exit interview if the employee was dismissed?
Optional. Dismissed employees often decline, and that is appropriate. Where the dismissal was for performance and the relationship is amicable, an exit interview can still surface useful patterns. Where the dismissal was for serious misconduct, an exit interview is usually inappropriate.
What if the employee refuses to return practice property?
Property recovery is a civil debt — the practice can pursue it through small claims processes, but the practical answer is often to issue a final demand and accept the cost. Final pay can sometimes include a deduction for property not returned, but only where the employment contract or applicable award expressly authorises the deduction (FW Act s324 — strict requirements apply).
How do we handle a resignation that we suspect is constructive dismissal?
Take advice. A resignation that the employee claims was forced (constructive dismissal) is treated as a dismissal for the purposes of unfair dismissal, general protections, and discrimination claims. Document the events leading to the resignation carefully. The exit interview is not the place to resolve a constructive dismissal allegation — that requires a separate process.
How long do we keep offboarding records?
At least 7 years after the end of employment under Fair Work Regulations 2009 r3.42 (employee records). Single Touch Payroll, superannuation, and TFN records have separate ATO retention obligations. Patient health information continues under the Privacy Act and state Health Records Acts (typically 7 years for adults; until age 25 for minors, longer in some states).