CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, DOMINGUEZ HILLS

HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK

OPERATING PROCEDURE

SEPARATION CHECKLIST PROCEDURE FOR DEPARTING

EMPLOYEES

I. Purpose: To create an efficient, effective and customer friendly separation procedure to insure that
employees who leave the employment of the university return all equipment and payment of all
outstanding debts.

II. Procedure:

A. The ending of employment for any reason requires the affected MPP supervisor to generate a
FAST form which must be delivered to the Department of Human Resources (HR). Also, the
departing employee’s supervisor must assign a “separation checklist” in Peoplesoft. Please
remember that in most cases, a final pay check must be ready for the departing employee on their
last day of work. This can only be accomplished if the FAST is generated and delivered in a
timely manner.
B. Voluntary Separation (resignation or retirement): The separation checklist process is initiated
by the MPP supervisor of the departing employee. Said supervisor must assign a “separation
checklist” in Peoplesoft.
C. Rejection during probation: The separation decision is initiated by the vice president of the
departing employee. The vice president shall authorize his/her division human resources liaison
to initiate the checkout procedure. The affected division liaison is responsible for assuring that
the checklist is completed in a timely manner. Please make sure that all required performance
evaluations are complete before you make a decision to reject during probation. The employee’s
supervisor must assign a “separation checklist” in Peoplesoft.
D. Dismissal for cause, nonretention of MPP employees and automatic resignation (absent with
out leave): When an employee has been served with a notice of dismissal, a notice of
nonretention or a notice of automatic resignation, the Director of Human Resources will inform
the affected division’s human resources liaison to initiate the separation checklist process. The
liaison is responsible for assuring that the checklist is completed within the time limits set forth
below for each particular action. The affected employee’s supervisor will be instructed by the
liaison to assign a “separation checklist” in Peoplesoft.
E. Once the check out procedure is initiated pursuant to sections A-C above, the following steps
will be carried out:

1. As stated above, the departing employee’s supervisor will assign a separation

checklist in Peoplesoft. He/she will also provide the departing employee with a
list of the types of items expected to be returned. Said list will be provided by the
Department of Human Resources. Said supervisor shall make an appointment for
the departing employee to meet with the HR Department staff within five work
days of assigning the separation checklist in Peoplesoft. The system workflow
will send email notifications to the following departments/employees:
 a. Associate Vice President of Information Technology
(computers, telephones, instructional media equipment and
any passwords that provide access to campus computer
systems)
b. Locksmith ( keys). Please view the following web site to
confirm the employee’s assigned keys:
http://www.csudh.edu/admfin/pp/pphome.htm
c. Director of Accounting, includes Cashiers Office. (Travel
advances, jury duty refunds, outstanding financial
obligations, etc.)
d. Dean of the Library (library fines and overdue books)
e. Director of Procurement (property such as cell phones,
personal data assistants, credit cards, etc.)
f. Director of Human Resources (rideshare property such as
vouchers, carpool parking passes, and form 700, conflict of
interest.
g. Director of Admissions (identification cards).

2. Said e-mail will inform the designated administrators that an employee (name will
be listed) is ending their employment with the campus. The administrator must
notify the staff of the Human Resources Department, within two business days of
receipt of the e-mail, of what equipment/money the departing employee owes the
University, e.g. laptop, cell phone, library books/fines. The information must be
specific and include nomenclature, inventory number, key number, etc. this
information shall be provided in e-mail format to any of the MPPs in the
Department of Human Resources.
3. After receiving the e-mails called for in subsection 2 above, the HR staff will
meet with the departing employee to receive University owned equipment and/or
funds. All such equipment/funds will be distributed by the HR staff to the
appropriate department(s). For example, a returned lap top will be given to the
Procurement Department. If the departing employee does not have the required
equipment/funds, the HR staff will notify the affected employee’s Division HR
liaison of the missing items and the liaison will contact the employee and attempt
to retrieve said items. After waiting a reasonable amount of time for the liaison to
attempt to retrieve the equipment/funds, the HR staff will check off the obtained
items on the electronic separation check list and forward it to the Payroll
Department which will store the form for audit purposes. The affected division
liaison will also receive an electronic copy of the separation checklist.
4. Under normal circumstances, the checklist must be completed prior to the
departure date of the affected employee.
5. If an employee is placed on administrative leave prior to a predetermined
termination date, the affected employee’s supervisor shall be responsible for
insuring that the check list is completed before the commencement of the leave.
This shall be accomplished by initiating the action called for in section A above.
6. If an employee is terminated for cause, his/her computer access shall be disabled
at the same time he/she is informed of the decision to terminate his/her
employment. The Director of Human Resources or the affected employee’s
director is responsible for contacting the Associate Vice President of Information
Technology to arrange the disablement of all computer access. If an employee is
voluntarily separated, the supervisor of the departing employee shall implement
 the above requirements not later than the workday following the affected
employee’s last work day.
7. Occasionally, an employee’s employment may end before the separation check
list can be completed. It shall be the responsibility of the departing employee’s
supervisor to immediately initiate the separation checklist within five work days
after the separation date. This deadline may be extended for unusual
circumstances as determined by the Director of Human Resources. If the liaison
discovers that the departing employee owes the campus money or has campus
property, he/she will inform the Associate Vice President of Administration and
Finance who shall in turn meet with the affected vice president to determine the
best course of action to address the money owed the University and /or the
missing University equipment.
8. The final step in this process is when the HR Department sends the electronic
checkout list to the payroll department which is responsible for maintaining the
form for purposes of an audit trail. Experience indicates that a simple letter from
the former employee’s supervisor to the departed employee indicating that the
missing property (keys, PDA, cell phone, etc.) was not returned normally leads to
the return of the missing items. The HR liaison is not responsible for forcing the
return of the assigned University property. . If the liaison discovers that the
departing employee owes the campus money or has campus property, he/she will
inform the Associate Vice President of Administration and Finance who shall in
turn meet with the affected vice president to determine the best course of action to
address the money owed the University and /or the missing University equipment.

Procedure created: August 24, 2004

Procedure amended: January 7, 2005; June 17, 2005, October 27, 2005, May 19, 2006,
Responsible Department: Human Resources Management
Authority: Vice President of Administration and Finance