This article is for: HR teams, finance teams and admins.
When someone leaves, their expenses don't disappear, but some of them can get stuck: pending expenses stay pending with nobody to approve them. Settle everything before their last day, so the leaver can be paid back what they're owed and nothing is left open in Expenses.
Expenses after an employee leaves
Overview
What happens once the termination takes effect, the day after the termination date:
| What happens | |
|---|---|
| Pending expenses | They stay Pending. Their approval can stop, so nobody is asked to approve them. |
| Approved expenses | They can still be paid back. |
| All other expenses | They stay visible and keep their status. |
| Factorial cards | Deactivated, so they can't be used. |
| Expenses user | Removed automatically the day after the termination date. Until then, they still appear in the list of Expenses users. |
To find a leaver's expenses in Spending > Employee expenses, use the search: the Owner filter only lists active employees.
Before the last day: checklist
- Approve or reject every pending expense. Go to Spending > Employee expenses, search for the employee by name and look for Pending in the Status column. Ask their approvers to decide before the termination date.
- Ask the employee to submit or delete their drafts, so nothing they want paid back is left unsent.
- Check their card payments have receipts. Their cards are deactivated the day after the termination date, so ask for missing receipts while they're still around.
- Pay back approved expenses. If you pay back through payroll, add them to the payslip while the payroll period is still open, and check with your payroll team which payslip they land on. Otherwise, use a SEPA file or Set as paid.
- Leave the Expenses user to Factorial. You don't need to remove them by hand: it happens the day after the termination date.
Tips and Best Practices
- Add "Settle expenses" to your offboarding checklist, a week before the last day.
- Related: How do I pay back expenses through payroll? · How do I add people to Expenses? · How do I pay back expenses with a SEPA file? · How do I mark an expense as paid, or undo it? · Expenses FAQ for HR and payroll
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Troubleshooting
I can't find a leaver in the Owner filter.
The Owner filter only lists active employees. Search for the person by name instead.
A leaver's expense is stuck in Pending.
Once the termination takes effect, their pending approval can stop, so nobody is asked to approve them. Ask your admin to use Reset approval flow on the expense (it works on any Pending expense). If it still shows no approver, contact our support team with the expense.
A leaver still shows as an Expenses user.
They're removed the day after their termination date. If they still appear after that day, contact our support team.
FAQ
1. Can I still pay back a leaver's approved expenses?
Yes. Approved expenses of a terminated employee can still be paid back. Through payroll, the payroll period must still be open: you can't add compensations to a closed period. If payroll can't add them, use a SEPA file or Set as paid.
2. Do a leaver's expenses get deleted?
No. A terminated employee's expenses stay visible and keep their status.
3. What happens to the leaver's Factorial cards?
They're deactivated the day after the termination date, so they can't be used.
4. Do I need to remove the leaver from Expenses users?
No. Factorial removes them automatically the day after their termination date, so they no longer count as an Expenses user.
5. Who approves a leaver's pending expenses?
Nobody is asked to: their pending approval can stop once the termination takes effect. Get them approved or rejected before the termination date. If one is already stuck, ask your admin to use Reset approval flow on it.