California Termination, Layoff and Offboarding Checklists: 12 Checklists, 5 Scripts and a Tracker

You get a PDF with 12 checklists, 5 scripts and an Excel tracker for a California employer ending an employment, from the decision to the last record.

Who it is for

California employers, HR leads and office managers.

Managers who will run an exit meeting.

Founders facing a first layoff.

What is inside

• 12 checklists: decision and risk check, final pay, the meeting, resignations, individual and group layoffs, separation agreements, notices, offboarding, exit interview and records
• A final pay table that shows what is due and when for each kind of exit
• 5 copy-and-paste scripts in SCRIPTS.md, including the meeting and the team message
• Excel tracker with 5 sheets: final pay due dates, waiting time exposure, a WARN screen and record retention dates
• Federal WARN and Cal-WARN notice content and recipients
• Every legal point carries its official source and the date it was checked

What it is not

Not legal advice and not a substitute for an attorney. It does not cover every industry, union contract or leave situation. Call a licensed attorney before an exit that involves a complaint, a protected leave or a release.

About the author

By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM. Founder of Urban Human Resources and Online Facilitation Skills. Certified WNBA player agent. Former certified NBA agent. McKinley holds a J.D. but is not a licensed attorney.

Important notice: this is educational material, not legal, tax or financial advice. Checklists and scripts are starting points to adapt to your policies. Involve a licensed attorney when a legal question comes up. No outcome is promised. Created with AI assistance and reviewed by the author. Not affiliated with any organization named.

These are general HR tools, not legal advice. For a situation with legal stakes, talk with an employment attorney.