Managing Employee Deactivations

⚡ What Is Employee Deactivation?

Employee Deactivation is how you update an employee’s status when they are no longer actively working, whether permanently or temporarily. It marks the difference between someone currently employed and part of the day-to-day team, and someone who is not.

Deactivation is typically the final step in the offboarding process, completed once an employee has left the business or is beginning an extended leave. However, it may also be used earlier in urgent situations, such as when immediate access removal is required.

In the system:

Active employees appear in the scheduler, are included in payroll, and have full access to tools like messaging, shift swapping, and schedule visibility.
Deactivated employees are removed from scheduling and payroll, no longer take up a paid seat in your account, and lose access to team-facing features—but they can still log in to view personal records like past pay stubs.

There are two types of deactivation:

Terminate: Used when the employee is not expected to return; their profile is moved to the Inactive Employee List.
Temporary Leave: Used when the employee is expected to return; their profile is moved to the On Leave Employee List.

🔎 Why Use Employee Deactivation?

Here are a few ways employee deactivation helps you maintain a clean and efficient system:

Cleaner Scheduling: Removes employees who no longer need to be scheduled, keeping your shift planning focused on current staff.
Security & Access Control: Deactivated employees lose access to features like the scheduler and team messaging, but still retain access to important personal documents.
Accurate Payroll: Ensures employees who are no longer working aren’t included in payroll, especially for salaried staff or those with recurring earnings or deductions.
Seat Management: Frees up paid seats in your subscription so you’re only billed for employees who are actively working.
Flexible Offboarding: Supports a wide range of use cases—from resignations to seasonal turnover to extended leaves—without losing historical data.

🔐 Access required

Employee Deactivation is available to all subscription plans.

Who can deactivate employees?

Super Administrators: Full access to deactivate any employee at any time.
Team Administrators: Only if they have been granted permission to Deactivate Employees.

📋 Topics covered in this article

📚 Related articles

Starting the Employee Deactivation Process

Before you begin, you’ll need to decide whether you’re deactivating a single employee or a group of employees with shared exit details. This determines how you’ll start the process, but the steps that follow will be the same.

Use single deactivation when deactivating one employee at a time, or when employees leave under different circumstances. This is the best option if employees have different last days worked, termination reasons, or ROE reason codes (Canada only), as each profile must be handled individually.
Use bulk deactivation when deactivating a group of employees leaving under the same circumstances. This is ideal when all employees share the same last day worked, the exact reason for leaving or going on leave, and—if applicable—the same ROE reason code (Canada only). Instead of repeating the same steps for each employee, you can complete the process for all of them at once.

How to Deactivate a Single Employee

This method walks you through how to deactivate one employee at a time—ideal when you need to manage profiles individually.

Single Employee Deactivation.gif

Click the Employees tab.
In the left-hand navigation, select either the Active Employee List or the On Leave Employee List.
Use the Search bar to find the employee by name or navigate the list.
Under the Edit column, click the Circle Arrow icon (hovering over the icon will state Deactivate Employee).
In the pop-up titled Deactivate Employee, click Yes to proceed to the deactivation process or click Cancel to exit out.
Navigate to the Completing the Employee Deactivation Process section in this article to continue!

How to Bulk Deactivate Multiple Employees

This method allows you to deactivate a group of employees at once when they are leaving under the same circumstances, such as during seasonal turnover, contract end dates, or team-wide updates. It saves time and ensures consistency across multiple profiles.

⚠️ | Warning: All employees selected in a bulk deactivation will be updated using the same status, last day worked, and reason codes. Ensure that the information applies to everyone selected—otherwise, use single deactivation instead.

Bulk Employee Deactivation.gif

Click the Employees tab.
On the left-hand navigation, select either the Active Employee List or the On Leave Employee List.
Use the checkboxes to select the employees you wish to deactivate.
1. Use Select All at the top to bulk-select everyone in view
2. Or manually check individual names
Once done selecting the relevant employees, click Deactivate at the top of the list.
In the popup titled Deactivate X Employees, click Deactivate Employees (X) to proceed to the deactivation process or click Cancel to exit out.
Navigate to the Completing the Employee Deactivation Process section in this article to continue!

Completing the Employee Deactivation Process

Once you’ve selected the employee (or group of employees), the next step is to finalize their status and offboarding details. This includes confirming why the employee is leaving, when their last day worked was, how you want to handle any scheduled shifts, and—if applicable—whether you need to issue a Record of Employment (ROE).

The information you enter here directly affects scheduling, payroll, and access permissions. Take a moment to review everything carefully. If you’re unsure about details—such as the employee’s last day worked; it’s a good idea to cancel and confirm before moving forward.

📌 | Note: If you’re not ready to issue an ROE yet, you can skip that step during deactivation and complete it later in the ROE Center.

⚠️ | Warning: Make sure the final pay has been issued before deactivation. Once deactivated, the employee will no longer be included in regular payroll. If needed, you can still process an off-cycle payment through an Off-Run.

A pop-up titled Termination / Temporary Leave for X Employees will appear.
Fill in the following information:
1. Under Employees, this section will list the employees chosen during the Bulk Deactivation selection. If needed, click the box to add or remove employees.
  1. This field only appears if you selected multiple employees using bulk selection. If you’re deactivating a single employee, this step will not appear.
2. Under Termination/Temporary Leave Date, input or select the appropriate date that matches the employee(s) last day worked.
3. Under Leave Type, click the drop-down menu and select either Termination (Inactive Employee List) or Temporary Leave (On Leave Employee List).
4. Under Reason, click the drop-down menu and select the appropriate reason for leaving (e.g. Resigned - Back to School).
5. Under Remaining Shifts, select the Radio Button that corresponds with one of the following options:
  1. Convert to House Shifts: upcoming shifts will be unassigned from the employee to House Shifts. These are shifts assigned to a position, not a specific employee, and can be picked up by other team members with matching roles from the Release Pool (if published).
    💡 | Tip: This is a great option if you still need coverage for the departing employee(s) and want to keep the shift available.
  2. Delete Remaining Shifts: Upcoming shifts will be removed from the schedule entirely.
    💡 | Tip: Choose this option if coverage is already handled or you no longer need the shifts filled.
6. For Deactivate Administrator, check/uncheck the box if applicable.
  1. If checked, the linked Administrator Profile will be deactivated and added to the Inactive Administrators list during this process.
  2. If unchecked, the linked Administraor Profile will remain active during this process and will require a separate deactivation later on.
    📌 | Note: If this checkbox does not appear, it may be because this feature is not enabled in your account. If you’d like to enable Admin-Employee linking, please contact Push Support at support@pushoperations.com
7. For Issues ROE, check/uncheck the box if applicable.
  📌 | Note: This step will not appear to USA accounts, as a ROE (Record of Employment) is only required in Canada. Skip to Step 8.
  1. If unchecked, an ROE will not be issued as part of this deactivation. You will need to initiate the ROE separately in the platform at a later time.
    💡 | Tip: You can also issue ROES in bulk if you’re not ready to submit them at this stage (confirm reason code).
  2. If checked, an ROE will be issued at this stage. Complete the following:
    1. Under Last Date Worked, input or select the appropriate date.
    2. Under Reason, click the drop-down menu and select the specific reason code (e.g. Quit - Return to School).
    3. Under Will Employee Return, click the drop-down menu and select either: Unknown, Yes, or No.
    4. Under Internal Company Notes, input any necessary information if applicable.
8. Once done, click Deactivate Employees.
9. A pop-up titled Deactivation Complete will appear and the deactivation has been processed! Click Confirm to exit.

💡 | Tip: You can always reactivate an employee if they return to the business. Their profile, pay records, and employment history will remain intact. Learn how to reactivate an employee here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Employee Deactivation

Have questions about managing Employee Deactivation? This section provides quick answers to help you navigate the process.

💡| Tip: Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact our Support Team at support@pushoperations.com or utilize our AI bot Astra for quick assistance!

Q: What happens if I deactivate an employee before their final pay is processed?
A: Only Active employees are included in regular payroll. If an employee has clocks or earnings/deductions that haven’t yet been processed, and you deactivate them too early, they will be excluded from your next payroll run.

If this happens, you can still pay the employee by issuing an off-cycle payment through an Off Run. However, this will require you to manually calculate and enter the total amount owed (e.g. hours worked, earnings, or deductions) into the Off Run setup.

💡 | Tip: To avoid extra steps, we recommend waiting to deactivate the employee until after their final pay has been successfully processed in a regular payroll.

Q: Will deactivating someone remove them from payroll?
A: Yes. Once deactivated, the employee will no longer be included in regular payroll runs. If they need to be paid after deactivation, you can issue an off-cycle Off Run.

Q: Can I schedule a future deactivation date in advance?
A: No. Employee deactivation must be completed manually when you want the change to take effect—there is no scheduling or automation feature for future deactivation.

Even if you enter a future Last Date Worked, the employee will be deactivated immediately once you complete the process. Their profile will be removed from the Active Employee List and moved to either the Inactive or On Leave list based on your selected status.

💡 | Tip: For this reason, we recommend deactivating employees only when you’re ready for the change to take effect—typically after their final shift or once payroll has been processed.

Q: I’m trying to deactivate an employee, but I don’t see both options (Termination and Temporary Leave) for setting the Leave Type. Why?
A: It depends on which employee list you’re deactivating from:

Active employees can be deactivated to either:

Temporary Leave (moves them to the On Leave Employee List)
Terminate (moves them to the Inactive Employee List)

On-leave employees can only be deactivated by selecting Terminate, which moves them to the Inactive Employee List. They cannot be placed "on leave" again because they are already in an on-leave status.

Inactive employees cannot be deactivated again. You must reactivate them to the Active Employee List first if further changes are needed.

💡 | Tip: If you don’t see both options during deactivation, check which list you’re working from. The available leave type options change depending on the employee’s current status.

Q: Can employees still log in after they’ve been deactivated?
A: Partially. Deactivated employees lose access to features like the scheduler, shift swapping, and messaging, but they can still log into both the desktop platform and mobile app to view important records.

They will continue to have access to:

📌 | Note: This limited access applies to both On Leave and Terminated employees. While they are no longer active in the system, they can still sign in to view their personal details and select documents.

Q: What happens if I accidentally deactivate the wrong employee?
A: Don’t worry—it’s easy to reverse. Deactivated employee profiles are never deleted. You can simply reactivate the employee to return them to the Active Employee List. Their profile, payroll history, schedules, and admin links (if applicable) will all remain intact. Learn how to reactivate an employee here.

Q: Now that my employee is deactivated, where can I find them?
A: Deactivated employees are moved to one of two lists based on the status you selected:

If you choose Terminate, the employee is moved to the Inactive Employee List.
If you choose Temporary Leave, the employee is moved to the On Leave Employee List

You can access these lists from the left-hand menu in the Employees tab.

Q: What if the employee returns to work? How do I move them back to the Active Employee List?
A: You’ll need to reactivate the employee. This restores their profile to active status, re-enables scheduler and payroll access, and moves them back to the Active Employee List. Learn how to reactivate an employee here.

Q: Can I deactivate employees who still have shifts on the schedule?
A: Yes. During the deactivation process, you’ll be asked whether to convert their shifts to House Shifts or delete them entirely. Make sure you review the schedule before finalizing.

Q: Why doesn’t the “Employees” field appear in the pop-up to complete the deactivation process?
A: The Employees field only appears if you selected multiple employees using bulk selection. If you’re deactivating just one person, this step will be skipped.

Q: Why don’t I see the “Deactivate Administrator” checkbox?
A: This checkbox only appears if the employee’s profile is linked to an Administrator profile. If the Admin-Employee linking feature is not enabled in your account, contact Push Support support@pushoperations.comto learn more.

Q: Do deactivated employees still count toward my subscription?
A: No. Only Active and Pending employees count as seats in your subscription. Once an employee is deactivated—whether they’re moved to Inactive or On Leave—they no longer take up a seat. You may still see empty seats in your account if you’ve deactivated employees or haven’t added new ones yet.

Q: Do I have to issue an ROE during deactivation?
A: No. If you’re not ready to issue an ROE during this process, you can leave the option unchecked and initiate the ROE later from within the platform.

Q: Can I export a list of deactivated employees?
A: Yes. Use the Employee Information Report under the Reports tab and include any filters as needed. Once generated, there is an option to filter the details further by Inactive status to assist with record-keeping or audit purposes.

Q: Can I deactivate employees from the mobile app (Push Manager)?
A: No. At this time, employee deactivation must be completed through the web platform by a user with the appropriate administrative permissions.

Q: Can I deactivate someone in the middle of a pay period?
A: Yes, but be cautious. If you deactivate employees before processing payroll for their hours worked, they will not be included in the run. Make sure any mid-period deactivation is followed by an Off-Run if needed to ensure the employee receives their final payment.

Q: Can I reactivate someone and then deactivate them again later?
A: Yes. No limits exist on how often you can reactivate or deactivate a profile. However, each change affects the employee’s employment timeline, including fields like Hire Date, Rehire Date, and Termination Date. You can adjust these records in the profile or the employment periods as needed.

Q: Will deactivating someone automatically reject any pending time off or availability requests?
A: No. Requests like time off or availability changes will remain stored in the employee’s profile and still appear under Shift Approvals.

However, these requests will no longer impact scheduling since the employee will be removed from the list of assignable team members in the scheduler. While deactivated, they will not be considered for shift coverage or future schedules.

💡 | Tip: To avoid confusion, we recommend rejecting any outstanding requests before deactivating the employee.

If you’re using Leave Management, go to the employee’s profile and reject any pending time off requests from the Time Off tab.

Q: If an employee is deactivated, can they still clock in and out?
A: No. Deactivated employees, whether on leave or inactive, will no longer have access to the time clock. Only Active Employees with an active position and clock ID can access the time clock. If deactivated employees attempt to clock in or out—either through the mobile app or the Time app via a device (e.g. tablet)—they will receive an error message, and the action will be blocked.

💡 |Tip: To avoid missed punches, we recommend waiting to deactivate the employee until after their final scheduled shift has been completed, recorded, and their final pay processed.

Q: Can I still change the details in an employee’s profile after deactivation?
A: Yes. Deactivation restricts employee access but does not lock the profile to Administrators. You can still update fields like contact information, notes, or employment history—even after the profile has been moved to the Inactive or On Leave list.

Additional Information

Need further help? Contact our Support Team at support@pushoperations.com or utilize our AI bot, Astra, for quick assistance.

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