Work handover checklist

What a handover checklist must cover

A work handover is complete only when it transfers four things: state, access, decisions, and risks. Without all four, the person taking over will waste time rediscovering what you already know, or worse, miss something critical. A checklist built around those four categories ensures nothing essential is left to memory.

The first decision is who owns the handover. The person leaving is responsible for producing the checklist and briefing the successor. The successor must confirm in writing that they have received and understood each item. The FEMA Personal Preparedness Guide (2024) recommends a signed acknowledgment by both parties as the final step in any responsibility transfer.

Structure the checklist by task type

Start with a written checklist that you will later walk through verbally. Organise it not by department or date, but by the nature of what is being handed over.

• State transfer: utility accounts, subscriptions, mail forwarding, scheduled deliveries, recurring payments, and any automated processes that will continue after you leave. For each item, note the account number, provider contact, and the action required (cancel, move, or leave active).
• Access transfer: physical keys, entry codes, digital credentials, password manager access, server logins, shared drive permissions, and alarm codes. Do not list passwords in the handover file itself; use a secure method such as a password manager’s share function or a one-time viewable note.
• Decision transfer: pending approvals, open tasks, scheduled maintenance, recurring meetings, and any commitments you have made but not yet fulfilled. Each decision item must include the current status, the next required action, and the deadline.
• Risk transfer: known hazards, expiry dates (certificates, licences, contracts), critical deadlines, unreliable processes, and any recurring problems the successor should expect. The ISO 31000 risk management standard (2018) defines risk as “the effect of uncertainty on objectives”; list anything whose failure would cause a problem.

For each item, state why it exists and which official source or system confirms it. For example: “The HVAC filter is due for replacement on 15 June; the maintenance log at the front desk confirms the schedule.” This forces verification, not assumption.

What the handover file must contain

The handover file itself should be a single written record (PDF or printed) that contains:

• A cover page with the handover date, the departing person’s name, the successor’s name, and a line for both signatures.
• A table of contents that mirrors the four categories above.
• For each item: a short description, the current status, the next action, the owner, and the due date.
• A separate appendix for contact information: IT support, facilities management, key vendors, urgent contacts, and the departing person’s personal contact (if they agree to be reachable for a defined period).

Do not embed passwords, PINs, or codes in the main file. Use a separate secure channel for credentials. The UK Foreign Office Travel Advice (2024) recommends the same principle for travel document packs: the file itself is separate from the codes needed to open it.

The successor should receive the file at least three working days before the departure date so they have time to ask questions and test access.

When the handover must be complete

The handover must be finalised before the departing person’s last working day. The verbal briefing should happen no later than two working days before departure. The signed acknowledgment must be exchanged on the final day.

If the transition is due to a crisis (sudden illness, family emergency), the checklist must be compressed. In that case, prioritise access transfer and risk transfer first; those are the two categories that cannot be reconstructed later. State and decision items can be documented after the fact and sent to the successor. The FEMA Personal Preparedness Guide (2024) advises that urgent handovers should follow a “critical items only” rule: focus on what would cause immediate harm or disruption if unknown.

The handover kit

For a planned handover, the kit is a physical envelope or digital folder containing:

• A printed copy of the handover file.
• A list of urgent contacts (site security, IT on-call, facilities management, the departing person’s backup).
• A card with the site evacuation plan and shelter-in-place location.
• A spare key or access card, if policy allows.

For an urgent handover (sudden departure, evacuation), the kit should also include a USB drive with the handover file and a note explaining where the departing person’s password manager master password is stored (for example, “In a sealed envelope in the HR safe, labelled with my employee ID”).

The Red Cross Emergency App (2024) advises that vital information should be stored in a waterproof, fire-resistant container and that a copy should be kept off-site. Apply the same principle: keep one copy at the office and one with a trusted colleague.

Handover when relocating

If the handover is part of a physical move (you are leaving the site or the role permanently), add these items:

• Mail forwarding address and effective date.
• Return of all physical keys, access cards, and ID badges, with a signed receipt from the person collecting them.
• Movement of any shared calendars, recurring meeting ownership, or distribution list memberships.
• Notification to any government service portals (USPS change of address, UK DVLA, Australian Smartraveller if you are moving abroad) that your official correspondence address has changed. The US State Department STEP program (2024) recommends updating your address with the embassy if you are moving internationally.
• Confirmation that any personal files, emails, or records have been removed from shared drives and that the departing person’s accounts will be deactivated on the departure date.

The relocation handover must also include a statement of what remains the departing person’s responsibility after the move (final expense reports, outstanding reimbursements, personal tax filings). The Project Management Institute’s PMBOK Guide (7th edition, 2021) calls this “residual risk ownership”: tasks that are not yet closed but belong to the person who left. Record each such item with a due date and the name of the person who will chase it.

Confirm and follow up

The final step is a verbal briefing. Walk through each section of the checklist with the successor. Let them ask questions and test access while you are still available. Then both parties sign and date the handover file.

The departing person should keep a copy of the signed record for their files. The successor should store their copy in a place they can find quickly, not in a drawer or an unlabelled folder. The FEMA Personal Preparedness Guide (2024) states that a plan that has not been tested is not a plan; the same applies to a handover. If possible, have the successor perform one key task (logging into the site system, accessing the shared drive, calling the main vendor) while you observe, to confirm the move works.