Employee Separation
Employee Separation
Employee Separation manages offboarding when an employee leaves. Smooth HR can create a Project with tasks (IT access revoke, asset return, exit interview) per ERPNext HRMS separation templates. Completing separation should align with setting Employee Inactive.
Help URL: https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/tenure/employee-separation
Table of contents
- Overview
- Desk paths
- Creating separation
- Separation projects
- Exit questionnaire
- Who uses separation
- Common mistakes
- Troubleshooting
Overview
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Employee | Departing employee |
| Resignation Letter Date | Notice timing |
| Relieving Date | Last working day |
| Reason for Leaving | Analytics |
| Project | Task checklist |
Smooth HR runs on Frappe v16. Module sidebars (People, Recruitment, Expenses, Performance, Tenure, NextAI) appear after login. DocType lists use /app/{slug}; workspace homes use /desk/{module}.
Desk paths
| Action | Path |
|---|---|
| Employee Separation | /app/employee-separation |
| Employee Exits report | Tenure sidebar → Reports |
| Tenure workspace | /desk/tenure |
Creating separation
- Tenure → Employee Separation → Add.
- Select Employee; fill dates and reason.
- Submit per approval workflow.
- System may create linked Project with standard tasks.
Separation projects
ERPNext HRMS pattern: separation document generates project tasks assignable to IT, HR, manager:
flowchart TD
Sep[Employee Separation submitted] --> Proj[Project created]
Proj --> T1[Revoke system access]
Proj --> T2[Collect badge]
Proj --> T3[Final pay handoff]
Track task completion before marking employee inactive.
Exit questionnaire
HR Settings Exit Questionnaire Web Form sends link via notification template. Responses stored for HR analytics.
Who uses separation
| Role | Typical use |
|---|---|
| HR Manager | Full create/submit/cancel; setup masters; reports |
| HR User | Day-to-day transactions; may need approval rules |
| Employee | Self-service where enabled |
| System Manager | Site-wide configuration, integrations, NextAI keys |
HR initiates; managers approve; IT completes tasks.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Employee still active | Set inactive after relieving date |
| Project tasks skipped | Monitor project board |
| Final pay without separation | Coordinate with payroll |
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Project not created | Separation template/config |
| Employee on payroll after exit | Inactive status and payroll hold |
| Questionnaire not sent | Web form and template in HR Settings |
Compliance
Document retention for separation records. Align relieving date with benefit termination rules.
Frequently asked questions
Involuntary termination?
Use same DocType with appropriate reason code.
Rehire later?
New Employee record or reactivate per policy.
Related guides
Additional operational detail
Smooth HR v16 organizes HR into module workspaces accessible from the desktop app switcher. Each module sidebar mirrors production fixtures in the HRMS app: People at /desk/people, Recruitment at /desk/recruitment, Expenses at /desk/expenses, Performance at /desk/performance, Tenure at /desk/tenure, and NextAI at /desk/nextai. DocType routes follow /app/{slug} where slug is the lowercased DocType with spaces replaced by hyphens.
HR Managers configure masters and approvals; HR Users run daily transactions; Employees interact through self-service when User records link to Employee and roles permit; System Managers own site configuration including NextAI API credentials. Before go-live, validate Role Permissions Manager entries for each DocType mentioned in this guide.
When migrating from spreadsheets, import Company and Department before Employee, then recruitment and expense histories. Use Data Import templates and fix validation errors row-by-row rather than bulk-deleting partial loads. Clear desk cache after fixture updates so sidebars reflect the latest Smooth HR layout.
For payroll-adjacent HR data, keep Employee company and department aligned with cost centers. For recruitment, remember Job Applicant documents use email as the primary key. For expenses, settle Employee Advance balances on Expense Claim submission. For performance, run Appraisal Cycle to batch-create Appraisal records. For tenure, complete Employee Separation projects before deactivating employees. For NextAI, store Gemini or OpenAI keys only in NextAI Settings and review usage logs before retention cleanup runs.
Additional operational detail
Smooth HR v16 organizes HR into module workspaces accessible from the desktop app switcher. Each module sidebar mirrors production fixtures in the HRMS app: People at /desk/people, Recruitment at /desk/recruitment, Expenses at /desk/expenses, Performance at /desk/performance, Tenure at /desk/tenure, and NextAI at /desk/nextai. DocType routes follow /app/{slug} where slug is the lowercased DocType with spaces replaced by hyphens.
HR Managers configure masters and approvals; HR Users run daily transactions; Employees interact through self-service when User records link to Employee and roles permit; System Managers own site configuration including NextAI API credentials. Before go-live, validate Role Permissions Manager entries for each DocType mentioned in this guide.
When migrating from spreadsheets, import Company and Department before Employee, then recruitment and expense histories. Use Data Import templates and fix validation errors row-by-row rather than bulk-deleting partial loads. Clear desk cache after fixture updates so sidebars reflect the latest Smooth HR layout.
For payroll-adjacent HR data, keep Employee company and department aligned with cost centers. For recruitment, remember Job Applicant documents use email as the primary key. For expenses, settle Employee Advance balances on Expense Claim submission. For performance, run Appraisal Cycle to batch-create Appraisal records. For tenure, complete Employee Separation projects before deactivating employees. For NextAI, store Gemini or OpenAI keys only in NextAI Settings and review usage logs before retention cleanup runs.
Last updated: May 2026
Additional operational detail
Smooth HR v16 organizes HR into module workspaces accessible from the desktop app switcher. Each module sidebar mirrors production fixtures in the HRMS app: People at /desk/people, Recruitment at /desk/recruitment, Expenses at /desk/expenses, Performance at /desk/performance, Tenure at /desk/tenure, and NextAI at /desk/nextai. DocType routes follow /app/{slug} where slug is the lowercased DocType with spaces replaced by hyphens.
HR Managers configure masters and approvals; HR Users run daily transactions; Employees interact through self-service when User records link to Employee and roles permit; System Managers own site configuration including NextAI API credentials. Before go-live, validate Role Permissions Manager entries for each DocType mentioned in this guide.
When migrating from spreadsheets, import Company and Department before Employee, then recruitment and expense histories. Use Data Import templates and fix validation errors row-by-row rather than bulk-deleting partial loads. Clear desk cache after fixture updates so sidebars reflect the latest Smooth HR layout.
For payroll-adjacent HR data, keep Employee company and department aligned with cost centers. For recruitment, remember Job Applicant documents use email as the primary key. For expenses, settle Employee Advance balances on Expense Claim submission. For performance, run Appraisal Cycle to batch-create Appraisal records. For tenure, complete Employee Separation projects before deactivating employees. For NextAI, store Gemini or OpenAI keys only in NextAI Settings and review usage logs before retention cleanup runs.
Additional operational detail
Smooth HR v16 organizes HR into module workspaces accessible from the desktop app switcher. Each module sidebar mirrors production fixtures in the HRMS app: People at /desk/people, Recruitment at /desk/recruitment, Expenses at /desk/expenses, Performance at /desk/performance, Tenure at /desk/tenure, and NextAI at /desk/nextai. DocType routes follow /app/{slug} where slug is the lowercased DocType with spaces replaced by hyphens.
HR Managers configure masters and approvals; HR Users run daily transactions; Employees interact through self-service when User records link to Employee and roles permit; System Managers own site configuration including NextAI API credentials. Before go-live, validate Role Permissions Manager entries for each DocType mentioned in this guide.
When migrating from spreadsheets, import Company and Department before Employee, then recruitment and expense histories. Use Data Import templates and fix validation errors row-by-row rather than bulk-deleting partial loads. Clear desk cache after fixture updates so sidebars reflect the latest Smooth HR layout.
For payroll-adjacent HR data, keep Employee company and department aligned with cost centers. For recruitment, remember Job Applicant documents use email as the primary key. For expenses, settle Employee Advance balances on Expense Claim submission. For performance, run Appraisal Cycle to batch-create Appraisal records. For tenure, complete Employee Separation projects before deactivating employees. For NextAI, store Gemini or OpenAI keys only in NextAI Settings and review usage logs before retention cleanup runs.