Change employers
Leaving a job ends your access to work email, devices and benefits, sometimes on the day you give notice. Move your personal accounts and records out first.
Official sources last reviewed · How we review
Build your personalized plan
A few questions, revealed as they become relevant. Your answers stay in this browser.
Start with the basics
Optional.
We never ask for phone numbers, card numbers, passwords or codes. Names of providers or nicknames are enough.
Your plan so far
6things this change touches
- critical0
- high2
- moderate2
- low2
Updates as you answer. Every item will explain why it’s there.
What could break
In a typical job change plan, these are the most serious things to get right.
Personal accounts that use your work email
Critical · Sign-in & recovery
You could be locked out of personal accounts, such as shopping, travel or subscription accounts, with no way to reset the password.
Sign-in codes on a work phone
Critical · Sign-in & recovery
Handing back the work phone could lock you out of personal accounts protected by codes on it.
Your own files on work devices and storage
High · Data & files
Personal photos or documents left on work storage are usually gone once your access ends.
Health and dental coverage after you leave
High · Health & care
A gap in coverage that leaves you paying for care or prescriptions yourself.
Stock options, RSUs and share plans
High · Banking & payments
Vested options can expire if you miss the deadline.
Final pay, vacation pay and expense claims
High · Work & school
Expense claims submitted late can be harder to get approved, and pay mistakes are harder to sort out once you've left.
Old employer: give HR your personal email and address
High · Work & school
Pay stubs, tax forms and urgent messages can go to the wrong place.
Sign out of personal accounts on work devices
High · Sign-in & recovery
Whoever uses the device next could get into your personal accounts.
New employer tax forms and direct deposit
High · Work & school
A delayed first pay, or the wrong amount of tax withheld.
Pay stubs, tax documents and employment records
Moderate · Work & school
You may have to request copies later for a mortgage application, a tax question or proof of employment.
Before and after the change
Before you change it
- Personal accounts that use your work email
- Sign-in codes on a work phone
- Your own files on work devices and storage
- Pay stubs, tax documents and employment records
- Health and dental coverage after you leave
- Stock options, RSUs and share plans
- Final pay, vacation pay and expense claims
- Old employer: give HR your personal email and address
- References and professional contacts
After the change
- Sign out of personal accounts on work devices
- Return company devices, cards and passes
- New employer tax forms and direct deposit
- Workplace retirement or pension plan
- Check final pay and benefit end dates
- Year-end tax documents from your old employer
Your own plan adds or removes items based on your answers, and explains why each one is there.
The safe order
Doing things in the right sequence is what keeps you from getting locked out halfway through.
Before the change
Step 1: Move personal accounts off work email and devices
Do this before you give notice if you can; access can end without warning.
- Personal accounts that use your work email (critical risk)
- Sign-in codes on a work phone (critical risk)
Step 2: Save your records and personal files
Your own data only; company data stays with the company.
- Your own files on work devices and storage (high risk)
- Pay stubs, tax documents and employment records (moderate risk)
Step 3: Check benefit end dates and deadlines
Coverage, stock awards and group insurance each have their own rules.
- Health and dental coverage after you leave (high risk)
- Stock options, RSUs and share plans (high risk)
Step 4: Wrap up pay, expenses and contacts
Settle what you're owed and make sure HR can reach you afterwards.
- Final pay, vacation pay and expense claims (high risk)
- Old employer: give HR your personal email and address (high risk)
- References and professional contacts (low risk)
During the change
Step 5: On your last day
Sign out of personal accounts, then hand everything back.
- Sign out of personal accounts on work devices (high risk)
- Return company devices, cards and passes (moderate risk)
Immediately after
Step 6: Set up what comes next
New employer paperwork, retirement plan choices and any benefits you're entitled to.
- New employer tax forms and direct deposit (high risk)
- Workplace retirement or pension plan (moderate risk)
Verify
Step 7: Check final pay and coverage
Mistakes are easier to fix soon after you leave.
- Check final pay and benefit end dates (moderate risk)
Later
Step 8: Follow up at tax time
Your old employer still issues tax documents for this year.
- Year-end tax documents from your old employer (low risk)
Why this change needs a plan
The riskiest part of leaving a job is losing access. Work email, laptops and phones are usually switched off on your last day, and sometimes as soon as you give notice. Anything personal tied to them goes too.
Benefits also have deadlines. Health coverage, stock options, group insurance and retirement plans each have their own end dates and choices.
Take only your own personal data. Company files, client information and work documents belong to your employer.
Why it matters
Personal accounts registered with a work email, and authenticator codes on a work phone, can't be recovered once your access ends. Benefit and stock deadlines can pass quietly after you leave.
What makes it risky
Risk is highest if you've used your work email for personal sign-ups, keep personal sign-in codes on a work phone, hold stock options with an exercise deadline, or have already left.
Common mistakes
- Waiting until the last day to move personal accounts off a work email, when access can end the day you give notice.
- Handing back a work phone that still holds authenticator codes for personal accounts.
- Copying company files along with personal ones, which can breach your agreement or company policy.
- Missing a stock option exercise deadline or a benefits conversion window.
- Not giving HR a personal email, then missing final pay statements and tax documents.
Frequently asked questions
When will I lose access to my work email?
Usually on your last day, and sometimes as soon as you give notice or are told your job is ending. Move personal accounts off it before then.
Can I copy my files before I leave?
Copy only your own personal files, such as personal photos or your own tax documents. Company files, client information and work documents belong to your employer, and taking them can breach your agreement or policy.
What happens to my health benefits when I leave?
Workplace coverage usually ends on or soon after your last day. Ask HR for the exact date and whether you can continue or convert it. In the US, COBRA may let you keep group coverage for a limited time, usually at full cost.
What happens to my stock options when I quit?
It depends on your plan. Unvested awards often end when you leave, and vested options usually have a deadline to exercise. Check your plan documents or ask the plan administrator, and get tax advice before exercising.
Regional notes
General information, not legal advice. Check the official source where you live.
- United States
- COBRA may let you continue group health coverage after you leave, usually at full cost. Your new employer will ask for Form W-4.
- Canada
- If your job ends, your employer issues a Record of Employment for Employment Insurance. Your new employer will ask for TD1 forms.