How to Securely Offboard Employees in Just 7 Steps

When it comes to an employee leaving, most businesses log into M365, disable their account, and call it a job done. But that’s just the first step, and it leaves a lot exposed.

What about all the other stuff they had access to? The accounting software? The password manager? Your project tools, your marketing platform, the company LinkedIn account?

Not only is that a massive security hole, but you're probably still paying for their licenses.

Here’s a repeatable checklist you can use to keep your business secure every time you offboard an employee:

1. Get or Wipe the Company Hardware. On their last day, get their company laptop, phone, key card, and any physical office keys back. If they're remote, remotely wipe and lock their company-issued devices immediately. This is step one.

2. Forward Their Email Inbox. Before you nuke their email account, forward it to their manager or a teammate. This stops any client emails or important vendor messages from disappearing into the void.

3. Disable the Primary Account. Now you can disable their main login (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace). This is what locks them out of their email, cloud storage, and calendar.

4. Go Down the Software Master List. This is the step everyone misses. You must have a master list of all the software your company uses. Go down that list and remove their access from every single app (accounting, marketing, sales, project tools, everything). This is what stops that "software waste."

5. Change All Shared Passwords. Did they know the password to the company's social accounts, the main support inbox, or a vendor portal? Change them. All of them.

6. Handle Their Phone Number. If they had a company phone number or extension, forward it to their replacement or a manager. You don't want clients calling a dead line.

7. Remove Them from Payroll. After you're 100% sure their final pay and any reimbursements are sorted, remove them from your payroll system. This is the last step that officially closes the loop.

Without a written checklist, you're almost guaranteed to miss something.

If you'd like to chat about building a secure process for your business, send us an email at