What to do after an employee resigns

The steps outlined below are a guide, with the aim to ensure a smooth transition of exiting employees and the preservation of knowledge. Below are some helpful steps to guide you through the process. 

Step 1: Initial conversation
When an employee resigns it can be a difficult conversation for the employee to initiate. They may be feeling apprehensive about how you might react. 

The key is to remain professional and respectful and react appropriately. This may mean taking an initial moment to digest the news between breaths, particularly if you aren’t expecting this news. It is natural to feel a range of emotions when an employee resigns, especially if they are a valued member of your team. 

This initial conversation is a great time to express your appreciation for their contribution and acknowledge their decision to move on.

Maintain confidentiality if practical in respecting the employee’s privacy by keeping their resignation confidential until they have had the opportunity to share the news with their team.

Step 2: Ask for the resignation in writing and respond
It is important to get the employees resignation in writing. Why? Because FairWork states, “the notice period starts the day after the employee gives notice that they want to end the employment and ends on the last day of employment.”

Once the resignation email/letter has been received, make sure you respond to acknowledge you have received their written resignation and confirm what the last day of employment will be.  

Step 3: Communication with the team
Once the resigning employee has informed their team members, you will need to communicate to the rest of the team promptly. How you do this is up to what best suits your practice and how you communicate news of this nature. When you communicate share the information sensitively, mentioning their contribution and your commitment to support the team during the transition period.

Step 3: The transition
Just like a practices’ on-boarding, off-boarding an employee is just as important. Generally it starts with mapping out in an email for the employee what their last day will look like and what they can expect (after all they may have resigned before but not at your practice). List items that need to be returned on their last day (i.e. uniforms, log-in information, laptop, mobile phones etc.), an invite for a coffee to lock in an exit interview time and an invite to a morning tea or lunch in their honor.

This step is a great way to gently remind the employee during their notice period of their obligations around the returning of practice belongings, intellectual property and confidentiality of staff and patients.
Next, work with the employee on what their remaining time with the practice will look like. What specific tasks need to be reassigned, what is the most effective way to transfer knowledge to ensure a smooth handover.

Consider or evaluate the impact of the employee’s departure on the team and identify any gaps whether that is specific knowledge, skills or experience. Initiate the recruitment process or promotion process if necessary and consider how to best distribute the workload among the existing team until a replacement is found.

Step 4: Conduct an exit interview 
In the previous step, we made a time to catch up with the employee on their last day. Heading out of the office is a great way to create a relaxed environment when conducting an exit interview. 

The exit interview questions should reflect the employee’s particular thoughts on practice culture and expectations for the position. When starting this interview, we would suggest explaining the purpose of the interview and reminding the exiting employee that their responses will remain confidential. 

Where practical, encourage ongoing positive relationships with the departing employee, as they may be a valuable connection in the future. This will leave the door open for potential collaboration or networking opportunities.

If the employee asks if you would be a referee, if you are comfortable a verbal referee is the recommended approach.

	Workplace Relations Support  Workplace Relations Support can provide general guidance to members on the appropriate steps you should take when an employee is exiting the practice. You can contact us via phone (07) 3872 2222 and email support workplacerelations@amaq.com.au.
	Workplace Relations Toolkit  Workplace Relations Toolkit subscribers receive priority service from the Workplace Relations team when they reach out for support.
	Workplace Relations Consultancy Workplace Relations Consultancy can assist members with tailored documentation and advice around the best approach to supporting someone when they are exiting your practice. We can also offer comprehensive advice to members when they are dealing with difficult staff and would like to appropriately dismiss them.