• Employers have several matters to address when an employee voluntarily quits.
• Though not required, employers should consider conducting an exit interview with those leaving the company.

When an employee leaves an organization, a company may have several matters to address, including Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), delivering the final paycheck, and coordinating the return of company equipment. Employers might even plan a party as a “sendoff” for the departing employee.

Employers might also want to conduct an exit interview. It has been said that employees do not leave companies, employees leave managers. When an employee does choose to quit, the person may have valuable information about improvement opportunities.

Another issue is addressing the transfer of knowledge and job responsibilities. If the departing employee has been with the company for a long time, the person may possess knowledge that has been of great value to the organization “behind the scenes.” It is also possible that the individual knows certain procedures or processes better than anyone else, and the company may want to spend the last few days (or weeks) of employment trying to capture this knowledge.

In today’s economy, many employees are “knowledge workers” and training a replacement could take weeks or months. Until that person gets up to speed, employers may face a skills gap — especially if the departing employee’s specialized knowledge wasn’t captured.

The transition to a new opportunity is usually an exciting time for an employee, but it can be a challenging time for the employer who is losing a valued worker. Consider developing a checklist for departing employees, just as a company would for new employees. It may help smooth the transition.