Employee and Affiliate Departure Policy
To facilitate an efficient and coordinated process to manage an internal transfer or separation of an employee or affiliate from the University by providing specialized checklists.
All employees (faculty, staff, and students) and affiliates.
When an employee or affiliate appointment is identified to end, either through an internal transfer or separation from the University, the designated supervisor is responsible for ensuring departure activities occur to secure a smooth transition of unit activities and to mitigate risk and costs to the institution or departing employee. The designated supervisor is responsible for ensuring the employee’s separation is recorded in the University’s HR/Pay system of record.
A comprehensive review should be conducted to address all aspects of the departing individual’s workplace responsibilities and how they will be handled after the departure. The evaluation of future workforce needs of the organization should be considered by the appropriate hierarchy to determine the need to fill, absorb, or restructure the departing individual’s position.
It is the responsibility of the supervisor, or their designee, to provide the applicable checklists to the departing individual for completion of exit activities. Unit supervisors or designees responsible for performing departure activities may request training or assistance from Human Resources (HR); the Office of Integrity and Compliance; the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research; Environment, Health and Safety (EHS); and other related units, as needed.
- Departing individuals are required to utilize the University Departure Checklist, as well as other applicable checklists, and to follow all policies related to property, equipment, facility use, grants/sponsored projects, fund management, academic and student related responsibilities, and administrative cost allocations, as applicable.
- Appointments that may be temporary or subject to reappointment on academic period basis are to complete the Temporary Employee University Departure Checklist at the time of final separation and follow any unit procedures during brief separation periods (as defined in the Definition Section below). Temporary faculty appointments, Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and Graduate Assistant checklist activities may be reduced or deferred if the departure is based upon a change in position (i.e., GTA to a GRA position) or if the individual will be immediately reappointed.
In accordance with the University of Kansas Space Management Policy, the University Space Management Office will receive departure data for all transfers and separations for documentation and assignment processes.
An individual’s departure activities for an immediately ending role (e.g., job abandonment, lack of advance notice, dismissal, death) may necessitate the assigned unit or central offices to manage key areas of the departure process. Exit processes may differ due to the circumstances of the departure and the position held. Units should coordinate such exit activities with HR.
The departing individual’s unit may require additional coordination with specific administrative offices for the resignation, retirement, non-reappointment, dismissal, or departure of an employee or affiliate to ensure any University obligations related to an agreement, investigative proceedings, conflict of interest, etc. are managed accordingly. The departing individual’s unit is responsible for contacting other units, including HR, to coordinate these activities as needed.
Departing individuals who have outstanding financial commitments with the University will be contacted by KU Payroll Services in the event the final paycheck does not fully cover the remittance owed. Payments made at the time of separation are in accordance with University policy or agreed-upon contractual terms.
Unit specific exit checklists may be used in combination with the applicable University Departure Checklist as long as all departure activities are completed.
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring exit activities occur for all departing individuals. Failure to observe policy guidelines which results in a violation of identified safety protocols or financial loss may result in disciplinary action and/or appropriate legal action if warranted.
Units failing to make appropriate arrangements for timely office pack-up, lab clean out, animal care, or other departure activities may be charged for the costs incurred by Facilities Services, HR, EHS, the Animal Care Unit, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, or other University units as applicable.
Human Resources
1246 West Campus Rd
Lawrence, Kansas 66045
785-864-4946
hrdept@ku.edu
Affiliates: Individuals who are employed with entities external to the University of Kansas but require official standing to participate in or work with various campus units on a volunteer basis.
Brief Separation Periods: Time between the beginning and the end of the academic periods as defined by the University. Summer session may be counted as a brief separation period for Graduate Teaching Assistants, lecturers, and online lecturers.
Costs: Costs include the monies charged back to a unit to cover expenses, fees, and penalties associated with clean-up, disposal, or transfer of records containing sensitive information, hazardous materials, equipment, animals, personal property, etc. incurred by the departing individual.
Departure: A separation of employment activity with an assigned work location. This could be the result of a resignation, dismissal, transfer, graduation, or promotion.
Employee: An individual hired by the University to complete specified work duties and who is compensated on a bi-weekly basis.
Unit Checklist(s): Checklists must address all University checklist items in addition to those activities which are Unit specific.
University Departure Checklist: This document lists steps for a departing individual and the employing unit to take upon notification that the individual will be leaving the University.
09/20/2024: Updated Human Resource Management (HRM) to Human Resources (HR).
07/17/2024: Attached updated Departure Checklist.
01/24/2023: Updated the Departure Checklist with new links.
03/21/2022: Updated broken link.
01/06/2021: Updated the Checklists.
12/07/2020: New policy published in Policy Library through an expedited process in order to provide guidance given concerns related to COVID-19.
