Employee departures represent a critical inflection point in data preservation, with a lack of a coordinated process for individuals subject to legal hold who may inadvertently damage evidence through loss, deletion, or alteration of potentially relevant data during offboarding. This can lead to court sanctions, adverse inference instructions, and increased litigation costs. The author suggests a proactive, cross-functional strategy that protects against litigation exposure and demonstrates a culture of defensible information governance. The Legal department should have real-time visibility into all custodians subject to active legal holds, and IT may strengthen offboarding procedures by incorporating a legal hold check before accounts are modified or deleted. Effective preservation during employee departures requires thoughtful coordination, clearly defined roles, and disciplined execution across relevant teams.