Leaving Fort Lewis College

As you prepare to separate from Fort Lewis College, we hope your experience here adds value to your future endeavors. We understand this is a critical transition, and these resources will assist you in making a smooth transition.

Complete the Employee Off-Boarding Checklist & Exit Survey

Once you decide to leave, please notify your supervisor as soon as possible. All employees who voluntarily leave FLC must complete the Employee Off-boarding Checklist and Exit Survey and have it signed by the appropriate FLC department.

This process ensures you receive the appropriate payout and return all College property. If you cannot complete the clearance process before your final payroll, you may need to collect your final pay via a paper check held at the Payroll Office.

Exit type instructions

Resignation - Voluntary separation initiated by the employee

Resignation - Voluntary separation initiated by the employee

An employee who voluntarily resigns from the College must give advance notice (recommended timeframes for specific employee groups are listed below). Proper notice allows the College to adequately and accurately prepare for the employees’ departure (including making calculations to prepare final payment, addressing IT access, addressing insurance concerns, etc.).

  • Faculty: If employment ends after the Fall semester, notice should be presented as soon as possible, ideally during the previous Spring semester; ideally, it should be given as quickly as possible and in the last Fall semester.
  • Administrative and Professional Staff: Two weeks
  • Classified Staff: Two weeks

Employees who decide to resign should submit a resignation letter to their supervisor. The letter of resignation must include the date of their final work day. Failure to provide sufficient notice for all employee groups may result in the delay or non-payment of leave payouts. The employee and the College have responsibilities to ensure that the employee has the appropriate payouts (if applicable), that all outstanding obligations are settled, and that the College complies with all regulatory concerns.

Required: Employee Off-boarding Checklist

Retirement - Voluntary separation after meeting retirement eligibility rules

When planning for retirement, an employee should provide as much advance notice to their supervisor as possible, as it typically takes several months to accommodate and prepare for such a significant change. A retiring employee (or one considering retirement) is strongly encouraged to meet with an HR consultant to learn about benefit options and coverage, as well as to coordinate the retirement process.

The employee and the College have responsibilities to ensure that the employee receives the appropriate payouts (if applicable), that all outstanding obligations are settled, and that the College complies with all relevant regulatory requirements.

Required:  Employee Off-boarding Checklist

Visiting faculty - Completion of the agreed upon contract period

When a subsequent appointment is unavailable or offered for the next term, please follow the protocol for leaving Fort Lewis College.

REQUIRED: Faculty Off-boarding Checklist

Termination - Involuntary separation for proper cause or release during the probationary period

An employee whose conduct, actions, or performance violates or conflicts with the College’s policies may be subject to discipline by the College’s or the State’s progressive discipline process. The last step in the discipline process is termination.

An employee who is terminated for serious misconduct (examples of serious misconduct include, but are not limited to, theft or dishonesty, violence, violations of campus policies, or refusal to follow a legitimate work directive) will not be eligible for re-employment and may be subject to criminal charges if the conduct involves criminal activity.

Decisions to terminate an employee and the actual termination must be coordinated and scheduled through the Office of Human Resources. This will ensure that specific procedures are followed and that final paychecks and/or other relevant matters are processed promptly.

In the event of termination, the College is primarily responsible for ensuring that the employee receives the appropriate payouts (if applicable), that all outstanding obligations are settled, and that the College complies with all relevant regulatory requirements.

Layoff - Separation due to the lack of work or job abolishment

In the event of a layoff due to a lack of work, funding, or reorganization, supervisors must obtain approval from the Office of Human Resources before eliminating a position. Layoffs of any type or size can only occur with the approval of the President and, in the case of Classified employees, the Appointing Authority. Specific timelines and notification procedures must be followed for a layoff to take place.
 

In the event of a layoff, the College is primarily responsible for ensuring that the employee receives the appropriate payouts (if applicable), that all outstanding obligations are settled, and that the College complies with all relevant regulatory requirements.