How to write handover notes before taking time off

Write handover notes around the work someone may need to handle while you are away. For each task, record its current status, the next action, the deadline, the person covering it and where to find the relevant files. Add your absence dates and key contacts, then review the notes with whoever will take over.

Choose the work that needs coverage

Start with tasks that could require action before you return: approaching deadlines, expected replies, unfinished deliverables and routine responsibilities that cannot pause. Avoid turning the handover into a record of everything you do. The reader needs to understand what requires attention during your absence.

As a proposed way to organize the notes, separate work into three groups: action needed while you are away, monitor for a specific development, and safely waiting until your return. Put urgent items first. For anything that can wait, state that clearly so a colleague does not spend time investigating it unnecessarily.

Your first and last dates away, plus your expected return date.
The main person coordinating coverage.
The date you last updated the notes.
Any agreed arrangements for contacting you during leave.

Give every task a clear next step

A status such as “in progress” leaves the covering colleague with more questions. Describe what has already happened and what they should do next. Include enough background to explain the task, but keep the action easy to find. Distinguish a firm deadline from a preferred completion date.

Task: a short, recognizable name.
Current status: what is complete, outstanding or awaiting a reply.
Next action: a specific action, including any condition that triggers it.
Deadline: the date and, when relevant, time and time zone.
Coverage owner: the colleague who has agreed to handle it.
Files and contacts: direct links and the people needed to move it forward.

For example, a proposed entry might read: “Monthly report: draft complete; awaiting figures from the operations team. Once the figures arrive, update the highlighted section and send the draft to the named reviewer by the agreed deadline. If the figures are late, ask the project lead whether to delay circulation.” Replace each placeholder with your actual details.

Link to files and check access

Identify the documents needed for each task and explain where to find them. A direct link to the working draft is more useful than “see the shared folder.” If several versions exist, name the one to use and explain whether it is ready for review or still needs editing.

Our proposed access check is simple: ask the covering colleague to open the essential links before you leave. Include relevant project folders, task records and correspondence, with a short explanation of what each contains. Keep passwords out of the notes; use your organization's approved process for arranging access.

Confirm owners and useful contacts

Discuss coverage a few days before your absence rather than assigning names without checking. Colleagues already involved may be able to cover the work themselves. Where someone new is stepping in, arrange a short conversation to explain the background, deliverables, timing and important documents.

List contacts by purpose. Identify who reviews the work, who supplies missing information and who can resolve a problem. A name alone may not help someone unfamiliar with the project. As an editorial proposal, also record which decisions the covering colleague can make and which need approval from the project lead or manager.

Review the handover before you leave

Treat the written notes as a reference for the coverage conversation. Walk through the highest-priority items and let your colleague raise questions. Keep them informed of important developments in the days before leave, then update the notes to reflect the latest position.

Read each task as someone unfamiliar with it: can you identify the next action without asking for context?
Confirm that deadlines and coverage owners are accurate.
Check that essential links work for the person taking over.
Share one clearly identified version of the notes with everyone who needs it.
Leave a space for coverage updates so you can see what happened when you return.