# The employee handover checklist: two weeks to the last day

**When someone leaves, the work should keep moving.**

A handover is complete when the next person knows what to do, can open the materials they need, and understands the decisions behind the work.

Worktinue · Free to copy and adapt for your team · v1.0 · September 25, 2026

## Before you begin

Use this suggested sequence for departures, leave, role changes, or internal transfers. If time is short, prioritize critical work.

| Detail | Your answer |
| --- | --- |
| Employee / team / role | |
| Last working day | |
| Successor or interim owner | |
| Reviewing manager | |
| IT contact | |
| Company-owned destination | |
| Acceptance date | |

Assign an owner and due date to each item. Use Not started, In progress, Awaiting confirmation, Complete, or Not applicable; explain exclusions. Record the recipient's name and confirmation date separately from the preparer's status. Share only authorized work materials. Never put passwords, authentication codes, or API keys in this document.

## Days 14–10: agree on scope

| ID | Action | Done when | Owner | Due | Status | Evidence / open issue | Recipient / date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 01 | Assign recipients and reviewers | Every responsibility has a successor or interim owner | | | | | |
| 02 | List responsibilities | Projects, recurring work, and one-off requests are listed | | | | | |
| 03 | Flag important dates | Deadlines, meetings, renewals, and consequences of missing them are documented | | | | | |
| 04 | Agree on collection and sharing scope | Relevant folders, messages, documents, AI materials, and exclusions are agreed | | | | | |
| 05 | Choose the destination | A company-managed location and folder structure are agreed | | | | | |

## Days 9–5: make the work usable

| ID | Action | Done when | Owner | Due | Status | Evidence / open issue | Recipient / date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 06 | Document next steps | Each open task has a status, next action, owner, deadline, and blocker | | | | | |
| 07 | Review unanswered requests | Open requests from selected work messages and task lists are included | | | | | |
| 08 | Explain recurring work | Triggers, frequency, steps, expected results, and escalation contacts are recorded | | | | | |
| 09 | Preserve decision context | Key decisions, reasons, alternatives, and supporting sources are findable | | | | | |
| 10 | Map working relationships | Roles, shared work, official contact channels, and follow-ups are documented | | | | | |
| 11 | Organize company materials | Approved materials are preserved under company policy, with current versions identified | | | | | |
| 12 | Create a source index | Each resource has a purpose, current link, owner, and relevant caveats | | | | | |
| 13 | Check dependencies | Editable originals, attachments, and supporting files are available | | | | | |
| 14 | Preserve useful AI context | Shareable prompts, instructions, examples, and sources are selected and reviewed | | | | | |
| 15 | Assign automation ownership | Run locations, schedules, connected accounts, support owners, and transition steps are recorded | | | | | |
| 16 | Arrange access | Required application and storage access is requested through approved accounts | | | | | |

## Days 4–1: let the recipient try

| ID | Action | Done when | Owner | Due | Status | Evidence / open issue | Recipient / date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 17 | Walk through the work | Key work is explained; unanswered questions have owners and due dates | | | | | |
| 18 | Open sources as the recipient | Critical links work without relying on the departing employee's login | | | | | |
| 19 | Try a representative task | The recipient completes or rehearses a critical workflow using the instructions | | | | | |
| 20 | Try AI instructions and automations | The recipient checks required access, inputs, and results in their own environment | | | | | |
| 21 | Introduce the new contact | Reviewed internal and external notices are sent under company policy | | | | | |
| 22 | Resolve personal-account dependencies | Remaining dependencies on personal storage, AI accounts, or employee-only connections have resolution plans | | | | | |
| 23 | Approve the final manifest | A reviewer confirms materials, recipients, review date, and version | | | | | |

## Last working day: close with clarity

| ID | Action | Done when | Owner | Due | Status | Evidence / open issue | Recipient / date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 24 | Capture final changes | Changes to approved materials, work, or recipients are reviewed again | | | | | |
| 25 | Assign unresolved issues | Each remaining issue has an impact, workaround, owner, and deadline | | | | | |
| 26 | Record acceptance | The recipient records the scope received, exceptions, and confirmation date | | | | | |
| 27 | Coordinate IT and HR closure | Responsible teams confirm equipment and access procedures, timing, and effects on retained work and automations | | | | | |

Route future questions to the designated company contact. Acceptance does not mean every issue is resolved: it means the transferred scope and responsibility for outstanding work are clear.

## Copy this work handover card

Create one card for each project or recurring responsibility. Mark unknown owners or dates as “To confirm” rather than guessing.

| Field | Notes |
| --- | --- |
| Work name / purpose | |
| Current status / last checked | |
| Specific next action | |
| Next owner / deadline / source of deadline | |
| Blocker / decision needed | |
| Key contacts / official contact channels | |
| Current resources / decision evidence | |
| Recurrence / example of a completed result | |
| Common mistakes / recovery steps | |
| Recipient confirmation / date | |

## Handing over AI work context

Conversation exports, saved memories, project instructions, and connected files are different things. This checklist does not assume that a service's entire memory or model can be transferred.

- [ ] Separate authorized company materials from personal content.
- [ ] Check what the service's export includes and leaves out.
- [ ] Select useful prompts, instructions, and reference files.
- [ ] Explain the purpose, inputs, examples of good results, and required human review.
- [ ] Distinguish generated suggestions from verified facts and preserve sources.
- [ ] Remove credentials, tokens, and unnecessary personal information.
- [ ] Have the recipient open the materials and try an example using their approved account.
- [ ] Separately transfer responsibility for agent runtimes, integrations, and permissions.

## Final acceptance

| Record | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Approved manifest / version / link | |
| Critical sources opened by the recipient | |
| Tasks completed or rehearsed | |
| Unresolved issues / impact / workaround | |
| Issue owners / deadlines | |
| Departing employee / date | |
| Recipient / date | |
| Reviewing manager / approval date | |

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**What does your team most often miss in a handover?**

Share your experience without company names or confidential details. Help us improve this checklist.

Worktinue — Work continues.
[Talk about your team's next handover](https://worktinue.com/#request) · hello@worktinue.com

This is an operational template. Follow company approval, retention, sharing, and account-closure policies. It does not set employment termination terms or legal obligations.