Guide
Shift handover checklist — a practical list for your team
A good handover doesn't need a long meeting. It needs the same things covered every time. Use the checklist below as a starting point — adapt it to your own workplace and drop anything that doesn't apply.
1. Open tasks
- Which tasks were left unfinished, and where do they stand?
- Does anything have a deadline during this shift?
- Where are the related goods, paperwork or tools?
- Has someone already agreed to take it on?
2. Important updates
- Changed opening hours, promotions or menu.
- Expected deliveries, collections or visitors.
- New instructions or changes to how things are done.
- Staffing changes: sick leave, cover, new starters.
3. Issues requiring follow-up
- Faults in equipment, fridges or tills — has service been booked?
- Customer feedback or complaints that need a reply.
- Stock or price discrepancies waiting to be checked.
- Safety issues, such as equipment out of service or a slippery floor.
4. Responsibility and next steps
- Every open item has a named person or group.
- The next step is written down, not just the problem.
- Who to call if something goes wrong?
- Finished items are marked done so nobody goes over them again.
Adapt the list to your work
In a restaurant the focus is on prep, allergies and equipment; in retail on prices, promotions and pickups; in a warehouse on loads, stock counts and forklifts. Start from these four headings, try it for a couple of weeks and cut whatever nobody uses. A short list that actually gets checked beats a long one nobody reads.
Keep the checklist visible on HandoverBoard
- Pin the checklist as a "For info only" note at the top of the board so every shift sees it.
- Put each open item on its own "Requires action" note and address it to the right person or group.
- Add a photo where it helps, and keep the discussion in the note's comments.
- Mark the note done once it's handled — it moves to the archive, and the board only shows what's still open.
Industry examples
Industry examples of what to put on the list:
Try it with your team
No accounts, no app installs — one shared access code for the whole team.
Read next: Unfinished tasks between shifts