Termination
Support Staff and Management and Professional Staff (MaPS)Â
Termination refers to the various ways that someone’s employment relationship with the University can end. Managers are accountable to ensure employees are terminated in a timely manner to minimize any financial or reputational risks. When applicable the online termination form should be submitted at least four business days before the last day worked.
When discussing a resignation or retirement, the termination date should not be artificially extended through the use of vacation or CTO time. The last day an employee actually works is the most appropriate end date for employment.
- Term roles with an established end date will automatically terminate on the expected end date. A termination form is only required should the role be ending before the expected end date, but Offboarding Checklists should still be completed.
- Casual or Student Hourly jobs will automatically terminate after six (6) months of timesheet inactivity. However, it is recommended that a termination form be submitted for these hourly roles to ensure records are kept up to date.Ìý
For step by step instructions on how to complete a Termination form see the .
Commitment to Timely Terminations
Submitting a termination request promptly is a key managerial responsibility. Delaying this straightforward process can lead to negative consequences for the University. Things such as overpayments and unauthorized access to information can easily be avoided by submitting employee terminations in a timely manner. Managers can also request support with terminations from an Administrator with the HR Forms Initiator role to ensure they are completed promptly.
For more information on the importance of Timely Terminations see the learning module .
Termination Types
Find different types of terminations and corresponding processes outlined below.
A resignation is a voluntary termination and is initiated when an employee submits a resignation letter to their manager. If the employee indicates that they are transferring to another role in the University, please refer instead to the ‘Transfer’ Section.
An online must be submitted to ensure the resignation is processed to the system, and the below Offboarding checklist completed. The employee’s resignation letter should be uploaded to the termination form.
A transfer occurs when an employee resigns their position but indicates that they are transferring within the University. For transfers the current manager does not need to submit a termination form. However, we strongly recommend reviewing the Offboarding checklist to ensure their transition is a smooth one.
Employees are asked to provide three (3) months notice of retirement to their manager. Note to be eligible for retirement the employee must either be; 55 or more years of age and have 2 or more years of pensionable service, or be 65 or more years of age.Ìý
An online must be submitted for the retirement and the below Offboarding checklist completed. Note a retirement letter is required to be upload to the form.
If the retiring employee has a minimum of two (2) years of service there are university funds available to support a retirement party/gift. For information on accessing these funds please email totalrewards@ucalgary.ca.Ìý
A termination is considered involuntary when a regular appointment is being terminated at the discretion of the department or when a temporary appointment is being terminated prior to its expected end-date and at the discretion of the department. Examples include position abolishment and probationary release.
Managers should connect with their HR Partner for more information and support with involuntary terminations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about the new Termination form
The job termination process is being updated to reduce manual paperwork, increase efficiency, and simplify tasks for managers and form initiators. This update aims to optimize workflows, minimize complications, and improve the effectiveness of managing employee transitions, aligning with the University’s commitment to streamlining operations and improving overall efficiency.Ìý
Users can now upload resignation and retirement letters directly within the form, eliminating the need for separate email submissions. Additionally, individuals holding the HR Forms Initiator role will have the capability to submit termination requests on behalf of managers. Automation will be implemented for processing terminations across various job types within HR. Furthermore, a new functionality will enable leaders to submit terminations for all Academic positions. Email notifications will be sent to confirm the submission of terminations.Ìý
To navigate to the Request Termination page, log into the My UCalgary portal. Navigate to My work>People management>Manager self service, and select the HR Transactions tile. From the menu, choose: Request Termination (Manager) if you are a Reports-to Manager or Request Termination (Admin) if you are a Forms Initiator. For detailed instructions, see .Ìý
The form will be applicable to all Salaried and Recurring Part-time Support Staff, as well as all Management and Professional Staff, and Academic positions. It serves as the online termination platform for resignations and retirements across all staff groups.Ìý
Administrators holding the HR Forms Initiator roleset will have the capability to submit termination requests on behalf of managers. HR Forms Initiator is a security access role requested through a PeopleSoft Access Request (PSAR). To submit a PSAR request, visit the IT website: ÌýÌý
HR will contact you and request that you complete the termination form online.Ìý
Resignation and retirement letters are essential for salaried, regular, and continuing positions but are not mandatory for contractual roles with defined end dates. If you've forgotten to include resignation or retirement letters with the online form, please make every effort to obtain them and submit to hr@ucalgary.ca. If you're unable to provide the letter, please include an explanation. HR will ensure that all documentation is properly recorded in the employee file.Ìý
For assistance with submitting online, resources are available to guide you through the process. For detailed instructions, review the . For further assistance, contact UService at hr@ucalgary.ca.ÌýÂ
Terminated employees can not submit online timesheets after their last day of work has passed. In order to submit their final timesheet have the employee complete a and submit it to Payroll at payrolluc@ucalgary.ca.Ìý
Need to fill a newly vacant role? See how under Recruit and Hire an Employee
Offboarding Checklist
Whether an employee is transferring or leaving the university, both the manager and employee should complete an offboarding checklist prior to the employee’s departure. These checklists provide a summary of the actions that should be considered when an employee transfers or leaves the university. Below is the Manager Offboarding checklist.Ìý
Employee Offboarding Checklists can be found under Leaving UCalgary.
Connect with the Employee
The following activities are typically completed just prior to the staff member's departure.
Arrange a time to meet with the staff member to discuss the status of their work/projects/etc. and plans for knowledge transfer as required. In addition to any knowledge transfer that must take place, ensure any university information/data is also transferred to an accessible secure shared drive and is not saved on the staff member's computer drive.
Email accounts cannot be accessed (by a former employee) after an employee departs and managers can only request access to terminated accounts in certain circumstances.Ìý
Departing staff are not eligible to keep their @ucalgary.ca account after termination regardless of former student or alumni status. Staff may still register an .
If the staff member has asked you to provide a written or verbal reference, ensure you have them complete the Reference Consent Form for Employees and keep it on file for one year.
Ensure the staff member has submitted all outstanding expenses before the end of their last day and they have been approved for processing. Also, if the staff member has any outstanding expense advances, ensure they have been paid back.
If relocation reimbursement was provided for the staff member by the department and they are leaving the university prior to the return-in-service commitment being met, a pro rata amount of the costs is repayable. See the Relocation Expense Guidlines (Appendix B) for additional details.
Support Staff and MaPS employees transferring within the university who have one (or less) year's worth of vacation entitlement will carry over their vacation bank to their new role.Ìý
Any vacation amount in excess of one year's entitlement will be paid out by the former department.Ìý
Ensure all equipment and/or software (e.g. cell phone, computer and peripherals, tools, uniforms, research equipment, etc.) have been returned and given back to the appropriate stakeholder.
Collect any University Credit Cards (P-Card or T & E Card) in the employee's name and destroy the card(s).ÌýÌý²¹²Ô»å/´Ç°ùÌý forms will need to be completed to cancel the card(s).
Ensure the employee has submitted their final timesheet, review and submit your approval so their final pay can be processed.
On the staff member’s last day, ensure they return all keys/swipe access cards (including office, filing cabinet, building access cards, electronic access cards, etc.). Also, collect and destroy all remaining business cards.
If the staff member is leaving the university (resignation or retirement), you should also collect and destroy their employee ID Card (Unicard).
If the staff member has swipe access to any buildings/offices/labs, etc., contact your access administrator to remove access as appropriate. This is recommended for all exits, but is especially important for transfers.
Administrative Preparation
Send an email to the individuals in your faculty/unit to let them know the staff member will be leaving. A sample email is included below:
It is with mixed feelings that I announce [employee's name] will be leaving our team and her/his last day will be [Date]. Please join me in thanking [employee's name] for all he/she has done over the last [x months/years] to [provide some specific details about the employee's contributions, projects, etc.].
Please join me in wishing [employee's name] all the best in his/her future endeavors.
Best regards,
[Manager]
You are no longer required to complete an IT access removal form as part of the off-boarding process when an employee is leaving the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ.ÌýThe process for IT is triggered automatically based on PeopleSoft HR data when an employee no longer has an active job record.Ìý Access removal includes, but is not limited to: shared drives, shared email accounts, and individual file shares.
In the event of a transfer and access removal is required, please select the appropriate IT service from the IT website that the access removal is associated with on the services page.
If the employee has access to any stand-alone applications or systems (those that are not authenticated through their IT account), ensure you contact the appropriate administrator to remove their access.
Request a change or termination of the telephone using an .
Ensure the faculty/unit phone and email lists as well as website contact lists/information including their faculty profile, have been updated by contacting the appropriate administrator(s) in your area.
If this employee was a key administrative contact (e.g. onboarding coordinator, IT security role approver, Teleweb Coordinator, etc.) in your faculty or unit, contact UService for any required support in transitioning these activities.
If this employee was a department budget owner in your faculty or unit, contact the Finance Partners in your area to identify impacts their departure might have on administration of budgets in your faculty or unit. It is important that their departure does not leave a gap in the approval processes required to maintain consistent faculty or unit operations.
Update Delegation
If the staff member was a delegate on one or more projects, you must remove the staff member as a project delegate on-line through the Portal at My work > Access & delegation > Finance/project delegation or by submitting a Team Authorization Form (TAF).
Prior to their last day, remove any temporary delegation for Finance or Human Resource transactions effective their last day.