SHRM Labs WorkplaceTech: Offboarding's Compliance Reckoning: Why HR's Hardest Job Deserves Better Tools

May 26, 2026 - Featured by SHRM Labs, this article explores the growing disparity between how companies invest in the beginning of the employee life cycle versus the end. While recruiting, onboarding, and employee engagement have become increasingly automated and technology-driven, offboarding is still often managed through spreadsheets, email chains, and manual compliance checks.

As layoffs continue across industries and regulations become more complex, the risks tied to offboarding have grown significantly. The article examines why more HR leaders are recognizing offboarding as both a compliance challenge and an employee experience issue—and why outdated processes can create lasting consequences for organizations.

As Sarah Rodehorst, CEO and Co-Founder of Onwards HR, explains, offboarding is “the part of the lifecycle most ripe for costly missteps (legal, financial, and reputational) and the most underserved.”

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