Engineer Termination and Offboarding Checklist

HR pulls the personnel file with the discipline lead. Note hire date, current title, charge codes, and any open performance items. Pull the utilization report from Deltek Vantagepoint to identify every project the engineer is currently charging — these all need a successor before the last day.

Check the firm's PE roster against active sealed deliverables. If the departing engineer is the EOR on any in-progress drawings, calculations, or specifications, those require an EOR transfer before issuance — a sealed deliverable cannot go out under a seal the firm no longer has access to.

List every project where the engineer is PM, PE, or EOR. For each, capture phase (SD/DD/CD/IFC), upcoming milestone date, open RFIs, and pending submittals. Attach the inventory — it drives the reassignment and calc-package transfer steps below.

The receiving EOR must be PE-licensed in the project's state and competent in the discipline. They are not adopting prior seals — they are taking responsibility for issuance going forward. Document the transfer in the project record with a dated memo signed by both engineers and the PIC.

Walk the new EOR through the basis of design, governing codes, software runs (ETABS, RAM, HEC-RAS, etc.), and any hand calcs. PDF and date the current calc state before transfer so the audit trail is preserved. The new EOR must be willing to put their seal on the work — if not, scope or design assumptions need a fresh look.

For projects in construction administration, list every open RFI with contract turnaround, every submittal under review with the days-remaining clock, and any scheduled observation visits. Reassign each item explicitly so contractor turnaround commitments don't slip.

HR runs the standard exit interview. Capture observations on workload, mentorship, PDH support, and discipline-lead effectiveness. For voluntary departures, ask about destination — non-compete and client-non-solicit clauses may apply.

Items to collect: firm laptop, monitor and dock if remote-issued, badge, RSA / YubiKey tokens, VPN tokens, mobile device or eSIM, plotter access card, parking transponder. If the engineer is PE-licensed, the firm-issued embossing seal and electronic seal credentials must be collected — the engineer keeps their personal license, but firm-owned seal devices stay.

IT disables the AD account at the agreed cutover time — typically end of business on the last day. Forward email to the discipline lead for 30 days so client and contractor messages don't bounce mid-project.

Remove the user from every active workspace in ProjectWise, Autodesk Construction Cloud, BIM 360, and any client-hosted CDEs (Procore, Newforma, Egnyte). Confirm with the IT lead that audit trails on file activity are retained — those become evidence if a claim hits later.

Free up named-user seats: AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, MicroStation, ETABS, RAM, RISA, HEC-RAS, Bluebeam Revu, and any discipline-specific tools. Coordinate with the license manager so the seat is reassigned, not just stranded.

For defense, aerospace, federal, or DoD project work, the engineer may have had access to ITAR/EAR controlled technical data or CUI under NIST 800-171. Check the firm's controlled-access roster before answering.

Final-paycheck timing is state-specific. California requires payment at termination for involuntary separations; Massachusetts requires same-day; many states allow next regular payday. Check the state where the employee primarily worked, not the state of firm headquarters.

Pay out accrued PTO per state rules and firm policy. Reconcile any open expense reports — site visits, conferences, professional-membership reimbursements, PE renewal fees the firm previously committed to cover.

The plan administrator has 14 days from the qualifying event to send the COBRA notice. Include health, dental, vision, and any FSA details. Track delivery — late notices trigger DOL penalties.

Confirm the engineer's working folders, calc workbooks, and personal CAD scratch directories have been moved into the project-controlled ProjectWise locations. Anything left in personal drives is gone at deprovisioning — files needed for E&O defense must be in the official record.

For PE-licensed departures, some states require firm registration updates when a PE leaves — particularly when the engineer was the firm's responsible charge for that state. Check the state board's firm-registration rules and update the firm's certificate of authorization roster.

Remove the engineer from the master PE roster used for proposals and SF-330 submittals. Pulling a departed engineer's resume into a federal proposal is a misrepresentation finding waiting to happen.