Section 01

Every leaver needs the same set of documents and steps. Claude can draft them — you decide the tone for each person.

When someone leaves a role, HR needs to produce a similar set of documents each time: an offboarding checklist, a handover template for the departing employee, and communications to the team about the change. The content is broadly repeatable, but each situation has its own tone and circumstances.

Claude can help with the repeatable parts. Give it the structure of your offboarding process and the basic facts of a departure, and it can draft a checklist, a handover template, and a first draft of team communications — leaving you to adjust tone and add anything specific to the individual situation.

Key insight: Claude drafts the structure and wording of offboarding documents. The tone of any message about a specific person leaving — and what is appropriate to say about why — is a judgement call for HR and the manager involved.

Build an offboarding checklist

Turn your offboarding steps into a clear checklist covering access, equipment, and admin tasks.

Draft a handover template

Create a structured template for the departing employee to document ongoing work and contacts.

Draft team communications

Prepare a first draft of a message to the team, for the manager to review and personalise.

Without Claude

Recreate the offboarding checklist and handover template from memory or an old email each time someone leaves, and start the team message from a blank page.

With Claude

Reuse a standard prompt with your offboarding steps to generate the checklist and handover template, and get a neutral first draft of the team message to personalise.

Using Claude for offboarding works best when it produces the standard documents early, leaving HR and the manager to focus on the parts that need a personal touch.

Confirm the leaving date and basic facts

Note the employee's role, team, leaving date and notice period — the facts needed for the checklist and communications.

Generate the offboarding checklist

Ask Claude to turn your standard offboarding steps into a checklist with the relevant dates filled in.

Generate a handover template

Ask Claude for a structured template the departing employee can use to document their ongoing work, projects and key contacts.

Draft a neutral team announcement

Ask Claude for a short, neutral first draft announcing the departure, without speculation about the reasons for leaving.

Review and personalise before sending

Have the manager and HR review every document, adjusting tone and adding any details that are appropriate for this specific person.

Note: Claude does not know the circumstances of why someone is leaving. Any reference to the reason for departure should be added — or removed — by HR and the manager, based on what is appropriate and agreed with the employee.

These prompts help produce the standard offboarding documents while keeping the wording neutral and leaving sensitive details to be added by HR.

Prompt 1 — Generate an offboarding checklist

Act as an HR assistant. I need an offboarding checklist for an employee leaving the company. Employee role: [e.g. "Marketing Executive"] Last working day: [Date] Standard offboarding steps: [List your organisation's steps — e.g. "Revoke system access, collect laptop and ID badge, remove from email distribution lists, notify payroll, schedule exit interview"] Turn this into a checklist with one item per line, grouped under headings such as "IT and Access", "Equipment", "Admin and Payroll", and "People". Do not add steps that are not in my list — if you think something is missing, note it separately as a suggestion.

Prompt 2 — Draft a neutral team announcement

Act as an HR assistant. I need a short, neutral message announcing that a team member is leaving. Employee name: [Name] Role: [Role] Last working day: [Date] Handover plan: [Brief note on who is covering their work, if known] Write a 3-4 sentence message that states the departure date, thanks the person for their contribution in general terms, and mentions the handover plan if provided. Do not speculate about or refer to the reason for leaving.

Before sending any offboarding communication

Confirm the wording matches what has been agreed with the departing employee

Check that no reason for leaving has been added unless explicitly agreed

Have the manager review and personalise the tone before it is sent to the team

Confirm the checklist matches your organisation's actual offboarding policy

Follow your data protection policy for any personal details included in drafts

Important: Offboarding involves sensitive personal circumstances. Claude can draft neutral structures and wording, but decisions about what to say — and to whom — about a specific departure must be made by HR and the manager, in line with your organisation's policies.