Leaving a remote job can feel pretty straightforward. You send your resignation. You agree on your final day. You finish your last few tasks. And that’s it – or so you might think.
In reality, leaving a remote position involves a few extra details that are easy to overlook. You may have company files stored on your laptop, or equipment sitting in your home, or questions about your final paycheck and benefits.
Because you’re not physically walking out of an office, there may not be someone standing beside you to remind you of what needs to be returned or wrapped up. It’s worth taking a little time to make sure everything is sorted before you move on.
Keep reading on to learn more.
Digital Records and Data
Before your last day, find out what you’re expected to do with company files and information.
You might have documents saved locally. You might have files in cloud storage. You might even have work-related information sitting in your email or messaging apps. No matter what, your employer should tell you what needs to be transferred, deleted, or left where it is.
Don’t take company information with you just because you worked on it. Certain records belong to the company. Customer lists. Internal documents. Financial information.
At the same time, you may want to keep copies of personal records that you’re entitled to retain – primarily your pay statements or employment documents. If you’re unsure whether or not something is yours to keep, ask before downloading or moving it.
Company Equipment
Remote employees often have more company property at home than they realize.
A laptop is obvious. But don’t forget about monitors, phones, keyboards, headsets, printers, security equipment, and other items your employer provided.
Ask your employer how they want everything returned. Be sure to learn when they expect it back. Some companies will send packaging and arrange collection of items, while others might ask you to ship the equipment yourself.
If returning everything feels like a hassle, look into other options. An employee equipment pick up service, for example, is preferable. Businesses typically utilize this service if they aim to arrange a straightforward collection from a departing employee’s home.
Whatever method is used, keep a record. This should include what you returned and when. If you’re shipping equipment, save the tracking information. If someone collects it, ask for confirmation that the items were received. This prevents issues related to loss.
Pay and Benefits
Don’t forget about the financial side of leaving.
Check your final pay carefully. Make sure you’ve been paid for all the hours you worked and understand when your final paycheck should arrive. If you have unused paid time off, bonuses, commissions, or other compensations, find out how those will be handled.
Benefits are worth checking as well. Ask when your coverage ends if you have health insurance or other employer-sponsored benefits. It’s also wise to know what options you have afterward.
You don’t want to discover after leaving that an important deadline has already passed because no one explained it to you.
To conclude, quitting a remote role doesn’t have to be complex. It should be simple, actually. However, you will only achieve this if you prepare early on to prevent the unnecessary back-and-forth.