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HR & TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Managing Employee Separations
Handle terminations and offboarding with respect, consistency, and care
Why It Matters
A poorly handled separation affects far more than one person. The departing employee may leave angry or confused, remaining staff worry about who is next, and inconsistent steps can expose the organization to risk. Managers often receive little preparation for these conversations. A clear, respectful process protects everyone involved: the employee is treated with dignity, the team understands what happens next, and the organization follows its own policies the same way each time.
Course Description
The course walks through the separation process from preparation to the days that follow. Participants review what documentation should already exist before a termination decision and examine sample files for gaps. They plan the logistics of a termination meeting, including who attends, where it happens, what is said, and how access and property are handled. Role plays let participants practice opening the meeting, delivering the decision clearly, and responding to anger, pleading, or silence. A separate segment covers voluntary departures, exit conversations, and offboarding checklists. Discussion also covers how to talk with the remaining team. Participants leave with a checklist adapted to their organization, ready to review with HR or legal counsel.
Key Focus Areas
Participants explore and practice:
Documentation that should exist before a separation decision
Planning termination meeting logistics, roles, and wording
Conducting the conversation with clarity and dignity
Offboarding steps for access, property, and final communications
Communicating with the remaining team after a departure
Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
Review a personnel file for documentation gaps before a separation
Plan a termination meeting with roles, talking points, and logistics
Deliver a separation decision clearly and respond to emotional reactions
Build an offboarding checklist for voluntary and involuntary departures
Who Should Attend
Managers and supervisors
HR generalists
Small business owners and executive directors
Operations staff who handle offboarding
Delivery and Customization
Examples, scenarios, and activities are adapted to your audience and goals. Delivery is available in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format, as a standalone session or as part of a series. Format and length are agreed during scoping.
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Bring Managing Employee Separations to your team
Tell us about your audience and goals. We will follow up to scope objectives, format, and timing.