How long must an employer keep an employee's records after they leave?

Seven years. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (s 535) and the Fair Work Regulations 2009 (regs 3.31–3.44), employee records must be kept for 7 years after the employment ends. They must be legible, in English, and not altered unless to correct an error.

When should I revoke IT access for someone being dismissed?

For an involuntary termination, revoke Microsoft 365 / Entra ID sign-in and kill active sessions before or at the moment you notify the person. An account that stays active during a dismissal is the main data-exfiltration and sabotage window. For a voluntary resignation or redundancy, revoke access by the end of the last working day.

When is an employee's final pay due in Australia?

Final pay is usually due on the employee's last day or on the next scheduled pay day. The award, registered agreement or contract sets the outer limit; the Fair Work Ombudsman treats within 7 days as best practice. Final pay includes outstanding wages, accrued unused annual leave, and any redundancy or notice entitlements.

Do contractors get the same offboarding steps as employees?

No. Independent contractors are not entitled to annual leave payout, long service leave, superannuation as final pay, or an Employment Separation Certificate — you settle their outstanding invoices under the contract. The IT-access steps still apply if they held a company account. Check the sham-contracting rules before treating a worker as a contractor.

Employee Offboarding Checklist

General staff

Standard employee, no elevated system access

Manager

Team lead — may hold shared credentials or approvals

IT-privileged

Admin rights, service accounts, or infrastructure access

Contractor

Engaged under a contract, not an employee

Permanent (full or part-time)

Accrues annual and long service leave

Casual

No paid leave; no notice entitlement

Fixed-term

Employee on a set-end-date contract

Contractor / ABN

Independent contractor invoicing you

Voluntary resignation

The person chose to leave

Redundancy

Role is no longer required

Involuntary termination / dismissal

Employer-initiated — triggers the immediate-lockdown timing

Employee Offboarding Checklist

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