What to do after handing in your notice (UK)

Write a handover document early

Within the first few days, draft a written handover document. Even if your manager has not asked for one, having it ready protects your reputation, makes you look professional in any reference conversation later, and prevents three weeks of "do you know where..." messages after you have left.

Keep it short but specific: active projects with status and next steps, key contacts (internal and external), recurring tasks and their cadence, system access and shared logins to be transferred, pending decisions that need someone's sign-off, and any deadlines that fall within or just after your notice period.

• Active projects, with status and owner-after-you.
• Key external contacts: clients, suppliers, agencies.
• Recurring tasks and reporting cadences.
• System access and shared accounts to be re-assigned.
• Pending decisions awaiting sign-off.

Get the holiday pay calculation in writing

Any annual leave you have accrued but not taken by your last working day must be paid out in cash. This is a statutory right under the Working Time Regulations 1998 and is non-negotiable.

Ask HR or payroll, in writing, for the calculation: how many days are accrued, how many have been taken, and the net cash value due in your final payslip. Doing this early flushes out any disagreements while you are still in the building.

If your employer prefers to clear the balance with booked leave during the notice period rather than pay it out, you can agree — but document it. Some employers use the notice window for this, especially if you are on garden leave.

Secure references in writing before you leave

Your employer is not legally obliged to give you a reference, and any reference they give must be fair and accurate but does not have to be glowing. The strongest move is to ask your manager and one or two key colleagues for a written reference (or a LinkedIn recommendation as a back-up) while you are still on good terms and they still remember the detail.

Also ask HR for a copy of your employer's reference policy. Many large employers will only confirm dates of employment and job title via the HR system, regardless of what your manager thinks of you. Knowing the policy in advance lets you brief future employers honestly.

Return company property and tidy access

Make a list of everything that belongs to your employer: laptop, phone, access cards, keys, parking passes, branded merchandise, expense cards. Return each item against a signed receipt where possible, and back up nothing that is not yours.

On the digital side, log out of every personal account on company devices, remove any personal files (where permitted), and confirm in writing that you have transferred ownership of any shared documents and inboxes. If you are on garden leave, do not access systems after the date your employer has restricted you — even if you can still log in technically.

Exit interview, final payslip, P45

The exit interview is optional in most UK workplaces, though commonly offered. Prepare for it the same way you would for a real interview: a few honest, constructive points, no score-settling, and nothing you would not want quoted back. If you want feedback to land, frame it as systems and processes rather than individuals.

Your final payslip should show: salary up to the last working day, accrued holiday pay (if not already taken), any PILON or garden-leave pay, deductions, and any benefits taxable on exit (e.g. notice-period gym membership, season-ticket loan balance). Cross-check against your earlier confirmation from HR.

Your P45 should arrive shortly after your final payslip — usually within one to two weeks. Keep it: your next employer will need parts 2 and 3 to set up your tax code. Your final P60 will arrive after the end of the tax year (April), covering earnings from that employer in the tax year, if you were employed there on 5 April.

1. Prep the exit interview as constructive feedback, not venting.
2. Check the final payslip line-by-line against HR's earlier confirmation.
3. File the P45 — you will need it for your next employer.
4. Expect the P60 next April for the part of the tax year worked.