Offboarding

Offboarding marks the final chapter of the employee lifecycle and is a vital moment in shaping the overall employee experience, often referred to as employee exit management. This process involves a thoughtful and well-structured approach to parting ways with an employee, whether through retirement, resignation, layoffs, or termination of employment. It represents the graceful conclusion to the journey that began with onboarding, ensuring that every transition is handled with care and respect.

The employee lifecycle framework outlines the journey every employee undertakes during their time with an organization. At NYC Public Schools, we embrace this model through key stages: recruiting and hiring, onboarding, development, retention, offboarding, and transition. By being intentional and thoughtful in guiding your employees through each of these stages, you can ensure that the offboarding experience becomes a significant and positive transition point, paving the way for your employee’s next exciting chapter.

Diagram of Employee Life Cycle with an emphasis on the offboarding stage

At this pivotal moment, the hiring manager and HR professional have an invaluable opportunity to create a positive and supportive experience for the departing employee as they navigate their exit from NYC Public Schools. Here are some thoughtful questions to consider that will elevate the offboarding process:

  1. Have you expressed your gratitude for the invaluable contributions your employee has made to the team?
  2. Have you provided guidance to help your employee wrap up and transition their key work streams?
  3. Has the employee returned all NYC Public Schools equipment and property, including laptops and phones, to ensure a smooth transition?
  4. Have you created a space for the employee to share their insights and lessons learned with you and the team?
  5. Have you formally communicated the news of your colleague’s departure to the team, fostering a sense of closure and community? 

Taking these steps not only honors the employee's journey but also reinforces a culture of appreciation and growth within your organization.

Offboarding Resources & Tools

  • The Offboarding Guidance and Best Practices Lists for Central Employees are designed to clarify the roles of employees, supervisors, managers, human resources directors, and timekeepers in the offboarding process.
  • Find relevant forms on the InfoHub's Non-Employee HR Forms page (e.g., COBRA and ERB Health Benefits Application Forms)
  • For detailed and current information about retirement and resignation, please visit the HR Connect Web Portal’s Retirement and Resignation page. Note that you will need to first log into HR Connect Web Portal to access the page.

Human Resources Directors or HR professionals seeking clarity on this page or requiring additional guidance are invited to contact us at DHR@schools.nyc.gov. New employees, please contact your supervisor or the Human Resources Director, who will serve as your primary contact for all offboarding paperwork and related action items.