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Employee departures are inevitable. But the way a company handles offboarding leaves a lasting impression both on the departing employee and on the remaining team.
A clear, repeatable offboarding process helps ensure nothing gets missed, from recovering equipment and revoking access to scheduling exit interviews and handling final payments. It also protects your company’s data and supports a smooth transition for teams.
Managing offboarding tasks in spreadsheets or siloed chats can lead to delays, confusion, or even security risks. But when you organize the offboarding process in Jira, everything stays transparent, trackable, and efficient.
With Smart Templates and Smart Checklists by TitanApps, you can automate routine steps, assign responsibilities, and build a smooth, scalable offboarding experience inside Jira.
In this article, we’ll show how to build a customizable offboarding template based on a real-life process used by modern teams. You’ll see how to structure offboarding in Jira, assign steps to team members, and reduce risks and friction during transitions.
How to Build an Offboarding Template in Jira
A structured offboarding template in Jira helps HR teams coordinate the employee offboarding process across departments and track every step—from the final workday to hardware return and access deactivation.
With Smart Templates and Smart Checklists, you can manage the entire process in one place, assign responsibilities, and reduce human error during employee transitions.
Create a Role-Based Offboarding Template
Each offboarding process starts with a single Jira work item generated from a Smart Template. This template can be customized with Smart Variables to include dynamic fields like:
- {{employee_name}}
- {{last_working_date}}
- {{offboarding_reason}}
Example template title:
Offboarding Plan | {{employee_name}} {{position}}
You can structure the work item as the parent task, with checklists and subtasks covering each department or step.
Important note: Ensure offboarding process starts only after the final decision has been communicated to the employee
Here’s a sample structure for your Smart Template that you can replicate in your Jira instance:
Offboarding Plan for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
##Offboarding Launch
- Assign responsible HR coordinator for offboarding for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
- Confirm offboarding date and reason for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
- Confirm notice period and payment conditions for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
- Validate if immediate access removal is required for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
- Collect initial info from manager for {{employee_name}} {{position}}: last working day, contract type, payout conditions
- Review the offboarding request {{employee_name}} {{position}}
## Department-Specific Tickets (subtasks with checklists)
For cross-functional clarity, HR can create linked tickets for each department involved in the process:
- IT & Security: Remove tool access, revoke passwords, deactivate accounts
- Legal: Prepare and send termination agreements, confirm signature
- Finance: Align on final payments, check bonus & vacation days payouts
- Hardware: Organize collection or delivery of company property
- Office/Operations: Handle office key return, medical insurance transfers, or relocation if relevant
Each ticket includes a predefined Smart checklist specific to that team’s responsibilities. HR assigns owners to each task and tracks completion via Jira.
Pro tip: Use one unified template that dynamically fills in names, roles, and dates to reduce setup time.
Use Smart Checklists to Structure the Offboarding Workflow
Once your offboarding issue is created in Jira from a Smart Template, you can structure the entire process using Smart Checklists. This gives HR and stakeholders a single source of truth for each step in the employee offboarding process: clearly assigned to the responsible teams and tracked.
Below is a sample structure that reflects real-life offboarding workflows. Each checklist item represents a concrete action to be completed before or shortly after the employee’s last working day.
Example: Employee offboarding template assigned for responsible HR
## Offboarding launch for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
– Create the task in Jira for offboarding of {{employee_name}} {{position}} {{last_working_date}}
– Add the relevant information about the offboarding to the ticket description
– Assign this ticket to yourself (HR owner)
– Review the offboarding request
– Create and assign tickets for the teams involved in offboarding for {{employee_name}} {{position}} {{last_working_date} (Security, Legal, Finance, IT, etc.) using the standard templates for these tasks
– Link all related subtasks for departments as child issues to the main ticket
– Ping the relevant teams about offboarding timelines for {{employee_name}} {{position}} (Security, Legal, Finance, IT, etc.), and main information
## Tools & Security offboarding for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
– Create an IT offboarding ticket for tools and access removal, add the {{last_working_date}}, {{employee_name}}, {{position}} to the ticket and assign it to the security team
– Confirm the access removal timeline with Manager and update the IT Security
– Remind responsible teams to deactivate specific tools (e.g., Figma for designers)
## Legal offboarding for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
– Create the Legal offboarding ticket, add the {{last_working_date}}, {{employee_name}}, {{position}} to the ticket
– Create a Termination Agreement task and assign it to Legal
– Confirm document type based on the contract
## Hardware return for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
– Create the Procurement team offboarding ticket, add the {{last_working_date}}, {{employee_name}}, {{position}} to the ticket
– Coordinate the return of laptops, chargers, security keys, or other company assets
– Confirm pickup or delivery plan with Office Manager and IT Security on {{last_working_date}}
## Finance offboarding for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
– Create a Reconciliation ticket for payroll and assign it to the finance manager, add the {{last_working_date}}, {{employee_name}}, {{position}} to the ticket
– Notify Finance if the notice payment is required
– Confirm with Finance when the last payment will be released on {{last_working_date}}
## Office Access for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
– Contact {{employee_name}} if he/she has been working from the office
– Ask Office Manager to agree with the {{employee_name}} on the card/key return
## Feedback sharing for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
– Ask the {{employee_name}} to submit the Experience Feedback Form
– Set reminder to check feedback responses and share it with the Manager
– If the offboarding is regrettable for the company, schedule the Exit interview with HRBP
## Final Checks for offboarding for {{employee_name}} {{position}}
– Post final day message in the company’s messenger on the last working day of {{employee_name}}
– Confirm all departmental tasks are marked as done, and send reminders if some are in progress
– Archive feedback/onboarding channels of {{employee_name}}
– Confirm with Finance that the final payment was processed
– Deactivate the Slack account of the employee
Pro tip: Creating a dedicated Slack channel or other company messager would streamline the communication between all the parties and employee
This checklist keeps every stakeholder aligned and reduces the risk of delays or oversights in the offboarding process. Each step is tracked directly in Jira, making the process repeatable and transparent.
Customize Offboarding Workflows for Different Scenarios
Not every employee exit looks the same. Some leave voluntarily, others are laid off or released for performance reasons. Some work on-site, while others are fully remote or relocating. A flexible offboarding template lets you adapt to these differences without losing structure.
Using Smart Templates and Smart Checklists in Jira, you can account for these variations while keeping the process clear and trackable.
Use Smart Variables to Personalize Each Case
In your Smart Template, add variables that automatically adjust for each employee:
- {{employee_name}} – full name of the departing employee
- {{offboarding_date}} – last working day
- {{contract_type}} – employment or contractor
- {{offboarding_reason}} – resignation, termination, contract end
- {{office_location}} – for hardware or insurance-specific workflows
These fields make your template scalable across departments, contract types, and locations.
Assign Department-Specific Tasks Based on the Role
Each offboarding case includes common steps, but also role-specific or department-specific actions. Instead of listing everything in a single checklist, use Smart Checklists to split workflows by team:
Tools & Security
- Remove access to company systems
- Retrieve credentials or access cards
- Deactivate software tools (e.g., IDEs, creative apps)
Legal
- Choose the correct termination agreement based on contract
- Ensure timely document signing and storage
- Provide legal support during the final steps
Finance
- Confirm final payment, bonuses, or unused vacation payout
- Add tax-related notes if applicable
- Reconcile accounts and close payroll profile
Operations / Office Management
- Collect hardware or coordinate courier pickup
- Disable office access (badges, keys)
- Remove employee from insurance if applicable
Feedback & Exit Interview
- Offer a choice between an Exit Interview or anonymous survey based on the offboarding reasons
- Track interview completion or form submission
- Run a retrospective with the manager if the offboarding was sensitive
Once you organize your offboarding process this way, you reduce guesswork and make sure everyone knows what to expect: HR, managers, and the departing employee.
Automate and Monitor Offboarding Tasks
Once your offboarding process is structured in Jira, automation helps reduce delays and manual follow-ups. It also ensures that sensitive actions—like access removal or final payment—aren’t missed.
With Jira Automation and Smart Checklists, you can make offboarding smooth, secure, and trackable from start to finish.
Automate Checklist and Work Item (Issue) Creation
Use Jira Automation to trigger your offboarding template when an employee’s departure is confirmed:
- Automatically create an offboarding issue based on a Smart Template
- Fill in variables like {{employee_name}}, {{offboarding_date}}, and {{contract_type}}
- Generate subtasks for departments like Legal, Finance, and IT
You can also trigger checklist creation inside the main issue so that HR or People Ops only need to review and assign deadlines.
Assign Owners and Set Deadlines
Each checklist item or subtask can be assigned to a responsible team member: legal, finance, IT, or HR. Set due dates based on the employee’s last working day to ensure critical steps (like tool deactivation or payroll processing) happen on time.
Example:
- Revoke GitHub access – due 2 days before {{offboarding_date}}
- Final payment approval – due on {{offboarding_date}}
- Archive Slack account – due 3 days after {{offboarding_date}}
Prevent Status Changes Until Critical Tasks Are Done
Use Smart Checklist’s blocker feature to prevent the issue from being marked “Done” until all mandatory offboarding tasks are completed. This is especially helpful for high-risk steps like:
- Termination agreement signed
- Access revoked
- Laptop returned
- Exit survey completed
Track and Monitor in Jira
You can use Jira dashboards to track:
- Active offboarding cases
- Checklist completion rates
- Time from offboarding notice to closure
- Status of department-specific tasks
This gives HR and leadership real-time visibility into the process and helps surface delays or missed handovers.
Final Thoughts
A structured employee offboarding template in Jira helps your HR and People teams manage departures professionally and consistently. With Smart Templates and Smart Checklists by TitanApps, you can coordinate all offboarding tasks in one place, ensuring a secure handover, smooth transition, and clear communication with the departing employee and internal teams.
Whether someone leaves on good terms or due to a layoff, your offboarding process reflects your company culture and impacts retention, referrals, and reputation. A clear, automated, and repeatable offboarding workflow helps reduce errors, secure company property, and maintain a positive offboarding experience for everyone involved.
FAQ: Offboarding Template in Jira
What is an employee offboarding checklist used for?
An offboarding checklist helps HR, IT, Legal, and Finance teams track every step of the employee offboarding process, from revoking access and collecting company equipment to scheduling the exit interview and preparing the final paycheck.
Can I customize the offboarding template based on the role or location?
Yes. You can create role-based or region-specific offboarding templates using Smart Variables like {{employee_name}}, {{last_day}}, or {{location}} to personalize tasks for each departing employee.
Can we assign different tasks to different departments?
Absolutely. Smart Checklists allow you to assign specific offboarding tasks to different teams:
- IT: revoke access to systems, retrieve laptops, and wipe devices
- Legal: manage NDAs, termination agreements, and compliance docs
- Operations: recover access cards, credit cards, and other company property
- Payroll: calculate final pay, bonuses, and outstanding reimbursements
Each department can manage its tasks in parallel while HR tracks overall progress.
Does Jira support exit interviews and feedback tracking?
Yes. You can integrate exit interview scheduling, documentation, and employee feedback forms directly into your Jira offboarding workflow. Automate reminders, attach interview notes, and ensure feedback is collected before the employee’s last day.
How do we track task status or missed steps in Jira?
Use Smart Checklist workflow validators to block ticket closure until all mandatory checklist items are completed. You can also visualize checklist progress in Jira dashboards and filter for unresolved items — ideal for monitoring missed steps or delays in the employee exit process.
Can this process help with offboarding during layoffs?
Yes. During layoffs or team reductions, a standardized offboarding checklist ensures compliance, limits risk, and maintains a respectful employee experience. You can automate communications, enforce documentation handover, and streamline collaboration between departments for each exiting employee.
Can we include knowledge transfer in the offboarding checklist?
Definitely. Include tasks for handover documentation, project status summaries, or video recordings. This helps retain key insights and ensures continuity for remaining team members or incoming hires.
How do we manage social media or public presence changes?
Add checklist items to update LinkedIn bios, remove bios from the company website, and revoke admin rights from brand social media accounts. It’s an important part of the exit process that’s often overlooked.
Is this helpful for contractors or temporary roles too?
Yes. You can set up specific offboarding templates for contractors or interns — ensuring equipment is returned, access is removed, and project documentation is properly handed over.
Can we link offboarding to the onboarding process for replacements?
Smart Templates let you trigger an onboarding checklist for the new hire once the outgoing employee’s exit workflow is completed. This creates a seamless connection between the offboarding and onboarding processes, helping project management and HR stay in sync.
What’s the benefit of tracking offboarding in Jira instead of spreadsheets?
Using Jira for employee offboarding centralizes the process, improves visibility, and reduces manual errors. You get a full audit trail, structured workflows, and real-time tracking — all within the same tool your teams already use for day-to-day operations.
