When staff members leave your business, you'll need to remove them from Speako. This article explains how to properly handle staff departures.

Before Removing Staff

Before removing a staff member, consider:

Existing Bookings

Check if the staff member has any upcoming bookings:

  • Reassign bookings to other staff
  • Cancel bookings if no alternative is available
  • Contact affected customers if needed

Historical Data

Removing staff affects:

  • Past booking records (may show "deleted staff")
  • Reports and analytics
  • Service history

Removing a Staff Member

To remove staff from your business:

  1. Navigate to Staff in the sidebar
  2. Find the staff member in the list
  3. Click the delete or remove option
  4. Confirm the deletion

What Happens When Staff Are Removed

When you remove a staff member:

Immediate Effects

  • They're removed from the staff list
  • They no longer appear in booking options
  • Their services are unassigned
  • Future availability is cleared

Data Retention

  • Past bookings remain in history
  • The staff name may appear in historical records
  • Analytics data is preserved

Alternatives to Removal

Sometimes removing isn't the right choice:

Deactivating Staff

If staff are temporarily unavailable:

  • Mark them as inactive instead of deleting
  • They won't appear in bookings but records are preserved
  • Easy to reactivate when they return

Adjusting Availability

For extended absences:

  • Set date-specific hours as closed
  • Block their calendar for the absence period
  • Keep them in the system for return

Handling Staff on Leave

For temporary absences (vacation, parental leave, etc.):

  1. Short term — Add date-specific closures
  2. Long term — Consider deactivating
  3. Permanent — Remove from the system

Reassigning Services

When removing staff:

  1. Check which services they provided
  2. Ensure other staff can cover those services
  3. No action needed if others already offer the same services

Impact on Your AI Agent

After removing staff:

  • The AI agent stops offering that staff member
  • Booking availability recalculates
  • If they were the only one for a service, that service becomes unbookable

Removing Multiple Staff

If you need to remove several staff:

  1. Remove one at a time
  2. Verify bookings are handled for each
  3. Confirm after each removal

Recovering Deleted Staff

Staff deletion is typically permanent. To bring someone back:

  1. You'll need to re-add them as new staff
  2. Their historical data remains separate
  3. Set up their services and availability again

Best Practices

  1. Handle bookings first — Don't leave customers stranded
  2. Communicate with team — Let others know about the departure
  3. Update schedules — Ensure coverage for their services
  4. Keep records — Note the departure date for your records
  5. Check reports — Understand impact on your analytics

Exit Checklist

Before removing a staff member:

  • Reassign or cancel upcoming bookings
  • Notify affected customers
  • Ensure service coverage by remaining staff
  • Update team schedules if needed
  • Confirm removal