Employer Leaver Checklist: Resignation to Final Payslip
When an employee resigns, employers need a clean path from resignation to final payslip. The aim is simple: confirm the dates, protect the record, pay correctly, and close access at the right time.
Start with the notice period calculator if you need to compare statutory and contractual notice.
1. Confirm the resignation
GOV.UK says employers should get the employee to confirm the resignation in writing, tell them what their notice period is, agree the last day, and confirm whether they should work all or part of the notice period.
Record:
- resignation date;
- how notice was given;
- notice period;
- notice start date;
- agreed final employment date;
- whether the employee will work notice, take holiday, receive PILON, or go on garden leave.
2. Check contract and policy terms
Review the contract, written statement, staff handbook, and any settlement terms for:
- contractual notice;
- probation rules;
- PILON;
- garden leave;
- holiday during notice;
- deductions;
- restrictive covenants;
- confidentiality and equipment return.
Acas says notice depends on service, contract terms, and whether the employee has resigned, been dismissed, or been made redundant.
3. Plan handover and access
Agree what must be completed before the final day:
- handover notes;
- customer, rota, or case ownership;
- manager approvals;
- return of devices, cards, keys, uniform, or documents;
- system access removal;
- employee self-service access after leaving, if offered.
For regulated or care roles, keep the audit trail especially clear because references, rota cover, and welfare responsibilities can matter.
4. Close holiday and final pay
Before payroll closes, reconcile:
- salary or wages up to the leaving date;
- approved overtime or allowances;
- expenses;
- holiday accrued and taken;
- unused holiday pay;
- notice pay, PILON, or garden leave pay;
- lawful deductions;
- pensions and benefits.
Citizens Advice says employees should get normal pay while working notice and should usually be paid for accrued statutory holiday not taken when they leave.
5. Issue final documents
Check the final payslip, P45, and employee records before closing the leaver process. GOV.UK's new-job guidance tells employees to ask when they will receive their P45 because the new employer uses it for tax.
Keep documents and payroll records according to your retention policy and legal obligations.
Where Workmax helps
Workmax connects HR records, employee documents, holiday, payroll, payslips, and leaver status in one workflow. That helps employers avoid the common leaver problem: HR has one date, payroll has another, and the manager still has holiday or expenses sitting in email.
Related Workmax pages:
Official sources
This guide is general information for UK notice period and payroll planning. It is not legal advice. Contracts, workplace policies, settlement terms, dismissal facts, immigration status, and local circumstances can change the position.
