Handover Document
Hand a role over cleanly: ongoing tasks with status and next action, deadlines, contacts, systems to get access to (never passwords), file locations and open issues.
Free. Fill in, print, save as PDF or download as Word without an account. Saving to your account needs a free account.
Country versions
- International
- Korea *
- Japan *
* check with local advice
A template, not advice.
Read more
What it is
A handover document passes one person's work to another so that nothing is lost when the first person leaves, changes role or goes on a long leave. Most of what a person knows about a job is written down nowhere: which tasks recur, which are half-finished, whom to call, where the files are, what is quietly waiting for a decision. A handover document is the short version of that knowledge, written before it walks out of the door.
This form concentrates on what the successor needs on the first day. It starts with the role in a few sentences. Then it lists the ongoing tasks with how often they occur, their status, priority and next action, the deadlines that are coming, the people to contact and why, the systems the successor needs and who can give access, where the files are, and the open issues with some advice. Access is described by name only. The form carries a warning against writing passwords, PINs, recovery codes or keys, which should move only through your company's password manager or IT. Both people sign and a manager approves. The Korean and Japanese versions add the approval boxes and seals those workplaces use. There is no standard legal form for a handover document, so the other countries share one version, and your company's own rules come first.
When to use it
- You are leaving the company and want your work to continue without you.
- You are moving to another role and passing on part of your tasks.
- You are going on a long leave, such as parental leave, and someone covers for you.
- A project or a team is moving to a new owner.
- You are the successor and want to know what to ask on the first day.
How to fill it in
- Fill in who hands over to whom, the reason, the date of the handover and your last day in the role.
- Write the role in a few sentences: its purpose, its scope and who depends on it.
- List each ongoing task with how often it occurs, its status, its priority and the next action with a date.
- Add the deadlines that are coming, the contacts and what each is for.
- List the systems and who grants access, with names only, and the files with where they are.
- Write the open issues and the advice you would give yourself, then meet, go through it together, sign and have the manager approve.
Common mistakes
- Writing passwords or codes into the document; name the system and who grants access instead.
- Listing tasks without a status or next action, so the successor does not know where to start.
- Leaving out the half-finished and waiting items, which are the ones that cause trouble.
- Writing it on the last day instead of weeks before.
- Copying personal data of customers or colleagues into the document instead of saying where it is kept.
- Handing the document over without a meeting to go through it.
Steps at a glance
- Fill in
- Check the preview
- Save as PDF, Word or Excel
Country versions
Pick the country you need. Each version uses the wording and layout commonly found there; a version marked “check with local advice” should be read by someone who knows the local rules before it is used.
- International (XX): Written in English, Korean, Japanese, German
- Korea (KR): Written in Korean, English – check with local advice
- Japan (JP): Written in Japanese, English – check with local advice
Designs
The same form in several designs. The fields and the wording stay the same; only the look changes.
- Ledger
- Banner
- Executive
- Classic
- Modern
- Formal
- Minimal
- Side band
- Compact
- Boxed form
- Warm
- Plain (black and white)
Your details fill it in
Fields that ask for your name, address or company details are filled from My details, so you do not type them again; you can still change any field for one form. Signed in, your details stay in your account; otherwise they stay in this browser only. A passport, identity or social security number is never saved.
Questions
- Can I write logins in the document?
- No. A handover document is passed around and filed, so a password in it can be read by people who should not have it. Write the system and who can grant access, and move credentials through your company's password manager or IT.
- How early should I start?
- As soon as you know your last day. Add items as you remember them, and keep the document up to date until the handover meeting. For a complex role, a few weeks is not too early.
- How detailed should it be?
- Detailed enough that a capable person can carry on without calling you. Link to the longer instructions instead of copying them, and use the notes columns for the things only you know.
- What do the signatures mean?
- They record that the handover took place and what it covered. Who is responsible for what is set by contracts and company rules, not by this form. It is a general template, not legal advice.
- Is this form legal, tax or accounting advice?
- No. It is a template: it gives you the usual structure and wording, not advice. Rules differ by country and case, so have someone qualified read anything that matters before you sign, send or file it.
- Which countries and designs does it come in?
- It comes in 3 country versions: International, Korea, and Japan. 12 designs.
A form is a template, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and case.