Records management checklist for staff to use when leaving a job

The following table provides a checklist for use in the last week of your current job to help you handover your work and prepare to leave.  It outlines the measures to take to either file, destroy or transfer the information you have been responsible for and will ensure that important information remains accessible to other staff once you leave.
Print out and complete this checklist in your last week.
No.	Task	Why?		
ORGANISING AND DELETING INFORMATION		
1	File all your work, including emails in a current, shared filing scheme. If there is no shared filing scheme, transfer your work to colleagues or save it in a shared area on your network.	To allow your successor and colleagues to access information they will need.		
2	Delete any work that does not need to be kept or filed. 	Colleagues will be confused if information is kept that is not needed and it could fall within the scope of a freedom of information or data protection request, causing unnecessary work.		
3	Delete any emails that are not required.	Your email account remains active for a limited time once you leave and may need to be searched if required for a freedom of information or data protection request. 		
4	Delete personal voicemail greeting and messages.	As personal voicemail is protected by a security code, only you have access to it.  The easiest option is for you to delete your personal greeting and any stored messages before leaving.		
5	It is not normal practice to store University information at home. If you have information at home in hard copy, or stored on a personal computer, laptop or mobile device, make arrangements to transfer it to the University environment. Delete or destroy your copies of it. Please note that if you have sensitive information or personal data stored on a personal computer it may be necessary to destroy the hard drive.	To allow your successor and colleagues to access the information they will need.
Information you create as part of your job belongs to the University and it is not appropriate for you to keep copies of it once you are no longer employed by the University.		
6	If you want to take any information with you when you leave, you must agree this with your line manager or head of school. If it is decided that you may do so, take copies of your work, rather than originals.	Information you have produced as part of your job belongs to the University and it is not always appropriate to have access to this once you are no longer employed by the University.		
FINAL TASKS		
7	Set an out-of-office reply for your email account, identifying an alternative contact to deal with any enquiries that may come to your email.	Your email account remains active for a limited time after you leave.  Enquirers need to know who they should contact instead of you.		
8	Remove all personal information including emails and internet explorer ‘favourites’ from your computer.	So you keep important personal information and to ensure that others cannot access it once you leave.		
9	Return any borrowed items, including departmental reference items and library books.	Important reference material is often lost when people change jobs.