Manager checklist: colleague departure

As a line manager, a direct report’s last week mixes HR milestones, team mood, and small nudges so the card does not stay empty on the final day. This checklist keeps one simple thread: announcements on the right channels, clear deadlines, and a light skim before handover.

Before the internal note

Confirm with HR the last day in office, approved channels, and whether there is a party. Open the guestbook as a draft—you can still tweak title and brief without losing the link.

Day zero: a crisp announcement

On Slack or Teams, a short post with the link, the deadline, and a contact for questions is enough. Skip the wall of text—people contribute when the next step is obvious.

A simple 7–10 business-day cadence

Day 0: announce + link. Day +2: nudge quiet contributors. Day +4: team-wide reminder with a count of notes. Day +7 or +10: close, skim, export PDF for the person leaving.

Light moderation

You are not a copy editor, but you should flag off-color or overly personal lines: DM the author, suggest a rewrite, or hide the entry if the tool allows it.

Screen share or handoff

If you will present messages in a meeting, test fullscreen ahead of time. Otherwise email the PDF with a short manager cover note.

Pillar resource

For card structure (tone, pitfalls, examples), use the colleague farewell card guide. The 2026 farewell party checklist helps if you are also running the event.