At some point in your career, you’ll need to hand over your work to someone else. Maybe you’re taking extended leave, moving to a new team, or leaving the company. No matter the reason, a well-written handover letter can make the transition much easier for everyone involved.
The tricky part is knowing exactly what to include. Too little information can leave your replacement confused. Too much can make it hard for them to find what really matters. A good handover letter keeps things clear, focused, and helpful.
Not sure where to start? These 10 handover letter examples cover a variety of situations and will help you write one that fits your needs perfectly.
Sample Letters of Handing Over Duties
A well-crafted handover letter ensures continuity and minimizes disruption during transitions. Let’s examine ten effective examples that you can adapt for your needs.
1. Basic Office Duties Handover Letter
[recipient’s address]
Dear Mr. Johnson,
Subject: Handover of Administrative Assistant Duties
I’m writing to formally hand over my duties as Administrative Assistant as I prepare for my maternity leave starting June 15, 2025. This letter outlines the key responsibilities and ongoing projects that will need attention during my absence.
Daily tasks include managing the office calendar, coordinating meeting rooms, ordering supplies, and processing mail. The supply inventory spreadsheet is updated weekly (every Friday) and can be found in the shared drive under “Office Management > Supplies > 2025 Inventory.” The office supply order is placed with Staples on the first Monday of each month—our account number and contact details are in the vendor contact list in the same folder.
There are two ongoing projects that require immediate attention. First, the quarterly budget report is due on June 30. All data has been collected, but the final review and submission will need to be completed. Second, the office renovation project is scheduled to begin on July 10. The contractor details and project timeline are in the “Renovation 2025” folder.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me at (555) 123-4567 if any questions arise. I’ve also prepared detailed notes for each process, which you’ll find in the “Admin Procedures” binder in the right drawer of my desk.
Wishing you all the best during this transition period.
Sincerely,
[sender’s name and designation]
2. Project Management Handover Letter
[insert recipient’s address here]
Dear Team,
Subject: Project Handover – Regional Marketing Campaign
As I prepare to relocate to our West Coast office next month, I’m writing to formally hand over the Regional Marketing Campaign project that I’ve been leading since January.
The campaign is currently in Phase 3 (Content Production) with a planned launch date of August 15. All strategy documents, creative briefs, and approved designs are stored in the project management system under “Regional Campaign 2025.” Access permissions have been updated to include each of you.
Key upcoming milestones include:
- Final video production approval: June 20
- Website landing page deployment: July 1
- Social media asset delivery: July 15
- Press releases distribution: August 1
The budget is currently 5% under projections, with $45,000 remaining for the final phases. All vendor contracts have been finalized, with payment schedules documented in the “Vendors” folder.
Sarah Williams from the creative team has been deeply involved throughout the process and will be an excellent resource for historical context. I’ve scheduled a comprehensive handover meeting for June 5 at 2 PM in Conference Room B, where I’ll walk through all components in detail.
The client has been notified of this transition, and I’ve personally introduced Alex as the new project lead during our last status call.
Thank you for your support in ensuring this transition goes smoothly. I’m confident that with the foundation we’ve built, the campaign will be a tremendous success.
Best regards,
[your name and position]
3. Financial Role Handover Letter
[addressee information]
Dear Ms. Chen,
Subject: Handover of Senior Accountant Responsibilities
As discussed in our meeting last week, I will be transferring to our Singapore office effective July 1, 2025. This letter serves as the formal handover of my responsibilities as Senior Accountant for the North American division.
Currently, the most pressing matters are:
1. Q2 Financial Close: The second quarter close begins June 25. All preparation checklists are in the shared drive under “Financial Close > 2025 > Q2.” The reconciliation templates have been updated, and preliminary analyses have started for high-volume accounts.
2. Audit Preparation: External auditors from Grant Thornton will begin their interim procedures on June 20. The PBC list has been acknowledged, and 70% of the requested documents have been uploaded to the secure portal. The remaining items are scheduled for completion by June 18, as tracked in the “Audit Tracker” spreadsheet.
3. New Accounting System Implementation: As a key user in the ERP upgrade project, I’ve documented all test cases and configuration requirements for the GL and AP modules. You’ll find these materials in the “Systems” folder, along with the project timeline and your assigned testing schedule for July.
4. Monthly Reports: The executive dashboard package is generated on the 5th business day of each month. The automation runs overnight, but requires manual validation before distribution. Step-by-step instructions are saved in the “Reporting Procedures” document.
All passwords and access credentials have been documented and shared with the IT department for proper transfer. I’ve also scheduled three transition meetings next week to go through the details of each major process area.
The team is well-prepared to support you during this transition. Jason has exceptional knowledge of our tax compliance processes, while Mia specializes in the revenue recognition procedures.
I can be reached at my new office starting July 5, and am happy to arrange calls as needed during your first few weeks.
Thank you for taking on these responsibilities. I’m confident you’ll bring valuable insights to the role.
Sincerely,
[name and title]
4. Customer Service Team Leader Handover
[recipient’s contact details]
Dear Rajiv,
Subject: Handover of Customer Service Team Leader Role
As I prepare for my new position within the company, I wanted to provide you with a comprehensive handover of my Customer Service Team Leader responsibilities.
The team consists of 12 full-time representatives working across three shifts to maintain our 24/7 support coverage. Their schedules, performance metrics, and development plans are all stored in the Team Management folder on the shared drive. The upcoming vacation calendar has been approved through September, with coverage arrangements already in place.
Our current call volume averages 350-400 inquiries daily, with peak periods typically occurring between 10-11 AM and 2-3 PM. The automated workforce management system handles scheduling based on these patterns, but sometimes requires manual adjustments during marketing campaigns or product launches.
The team’s performance has been strong this quarter, with a 92% customer satisfaction rate and an average resolution time of 4.5 minutes per call. We’re still working on improving first-call resolution, which currently stands at 78% against our target of 85%.
Three team members (Alisha, Marcus, and Deon) are currently on performance improvement plans, with weekly coaching sessions scheduled every Monday. The documentation and progress notes are in their respective personnel files.
The most common customer issues currently involve the new mobile app update (troubleshooting steps in the knowledge base) and shipping delays from our Dallas warehouse (escalation process detailed in the Urgent Issues Playbook).
I’ve arranged for Tanya, our top performer, to be your go-to person during the first few weeks. She’s exceptionally knowledgeable about our systems and procedures.
The team has been informed of the leadership change and is looking forward to working with you. I’ll be available by phone (555-987-6543) if any questions come up after I’ve moved to my new role.
Thank you for taking on this dynamic team. They’re a dedicated group who truly cares about our customers.
Warmly,
[sender details]
5. IT Systems Administrator Handover Letter
[address of recipient]
Dear Technical Operations Team,
Subject: Handover of System Administrator Responsibilities
As I’ll be leaving the company effective June 30, this letter documents the critical systems, credentials, and ongoing projects under my management as Lead Systems Administrator.
Server Infrastructure:
- Production environment: 12 physical servers in our on-premises data center (Rack B3-B5), plus 45 virtual instances on our VMware cluster
- Cloud resources: 28 AWS EC2 instances across development, staging, and DR environments
- Backup systems: Daily incremental backups run at 1 AM, full backups every Sunday at 2 AM
- Monitoring: Nagios alerts configured to the sysadmin@company.com distribution list and the PagerDuty rotation
Critical Credentials: All passwords, certificates, and access keys have been updated in the IT department’s secure password manager. Kyle has been designated as the new master administrator and received the encryption keys via secure channel.
Scheduled Maintenance:
- Database server patching: Scheduled for June 20, 9 PM-12 AM (change request #CR-2025-0342)
- Storage array firmware update: Waiting vendor confirmation, tentatively July 10
- SSL certificate renewals: marketing.company.com expires July 15, renewal in progress
Ongoing Projects:
- Data center consolidation (Phase 2): Network equipment migration planned for August, all documentation in the project SharePoint site
- Zero-trust security implementation: Vendor selection in progress, evaluation matrix and requirements in the “Security Projects” folder
- Automated deployment pipeline: 80% complete, remaining tasks tracked in Jira project DEVOPS-2025
Vendor Contacts: The complete list of support contracts, account numbers, and technical contacts is maintained in the “Vendor Management” spreadsheet. Our Microsoft enterprise agreement renewal is due in September—preliminary discussions have started with our account representative, David Miller.
I’ve scheduled knowledge transfer sessions for next week covering each major system component. Technical documentation has been updated and centralized in the wiki (Internal IT > System Administration > 2025 Architecture).
Please reach out if any clarification is needed as you take over these responsibilities.
Regards,
[your name and job title]
6. Retail Store Manager Handover Letter
[insert address here]
Dear Miguel,
Subject: Handover of Downtown Store Management
Congratulations on your promotion to Manager of our Downtown location! As I transition to the Regional Manager position, I wanted to share key information about running this busy store.
The team includes 5 full-time and 12 part-time associates, with scheduling handled through the StoreSchedule app. The current schedule is set through July 15, and staff availability patterns are logged in the system. Payroll is approved biweekly on Mondays, with time-off requests requiring at least two weeks’ notice except for emergencies.
The store currently averages $32,500 in weekly sales, with Saturdays being our highest volume day. Sales targets are set monthly, with associate commission structures outlined in the document labeled “2025 Compensation Plan” in the management folder. The top performers are Jessica and Tyrone, who consistently exceed their targets.
Cash handling procedures include three daily deposits on weekdays (noon, 5 PM, and closing) and four on weekends. The safe combination has been shared with you separately, and the alarm codes will be updated on your first official day.
Current inventory focus areas:
- Summer collection: Front display rotation scheduled for June 15
- Clearance items: Located in the back-right corner, additional 10% discount authorized for items over 60 days old
- New fall arrivals: Begin arriving July 10, planogram in the “Visual Merchandising” binder
Loss prevention has been a challenge this quarter, with shrinkage up 2% from last year. We’ve implemented additional security measures including more frequent bag checks and adjusting the location of high-theft items. The LP specialist visits every Wednesday.
The store’s busiest hours are weekdays from 12-2 PM and 5-7 PM, plus all day Saturday. I’ve found it best to schedule your most experienced associates during these peak times.
Our landlord contact for building issues is Frank at 555-123-4567. The HVAC system is finicky—settings and troubleshooting tips are posted near the thermostat.
The regional team will be visiting for your official introduction on June 18. The quarterly business review is scheduled for July 15—I’ve already started the presentation outline in the shared drive.
I’ll be in the store all next week for hands-on training, and afterward available by phone anytime you need guidance.
Looking forward to seeing this location thrive under your leadership!
All the best,
[sender’s name and role]
7. Research Assistant Handover Letter
[recipient’s address block]
Dear Dr. Williams,
Subject: Research Assistant Position Handover
This letter serves as the formal handover of my responsibilities as Research Assistant for the Quantum Computing Applications project as I complete my fellowship term on June 30.
The current experiment (Phase 3B: Quantum Algorithm Optimization) is proceeding according to the timeline established in the grant proposal. All experimental data through June 1 has been processed, analyzed, and stored according to our data management plan. You’ll find the complete dataset in the secured project repository under “/2025/Phase3B/” with appropriate metadata and documentation.
The custom analysis software developed for this project is maintained in our GitHub repository, with all code thoroughly commented and unit tests implemented. The README file contains detailed instructions for installation and usage. I’ve also prepared a troubleshooting guide based on common issues encountered during our runs.
Regarding administrative matters, the quarterly progress report for our NSF grant is due July 15. I’ve drafted approximately 70% of this document, with placeholders for the final June experimental results. The draft is stored in the shared Google Drive folder titled “Grant Administration.”
Lab equipment calibration is current, with the next scheduled maintenance for the quantum simulator due in August (request already submitted to vendor). The logistics for the upcoming collaborative experiment with MIT have been arranged, with their team scheduled to visit during the week of July 10.
Graduate student Chen has been shadowing me for the past month and is familiar with most day-to-day procedures. He has access to all necessary systems and has demonstrated proficiency with the experimental protocols.
Finally, I’ve organized all physical materials, including printed journals, equipment manuals, and handwritten notes, in the filing cabinet beside my desk. An inventory list is taped to the inside of the top drawer.
It has been an honor contributing to this groundbreaking research. I’m available via email until August 15 should any questions arise about my portion of the work.
Respectfully,
[name and position]
8. Human Resources Manager Handover Letter
[addressee information block]
Dear Lisa,
Subject: HR Manager Role Transition
As I prepare for my retirement at the end of this month, I’m providing this comprehensive handover of my responsibilities as Human Resources Manager for the Northeast Region.
The HR team consists of three HR Generalists, one Recruiter, and one Benefits Coordinator. Their annual performance reviews are scheduled for August, with preliminary notes saved in each employee’s file. The team meets weekly on Tuesdays at 9 AM to discuss ongoing cases and priorities.
Current recruitment campaigns include:
- Senior Software Developer (5 candidates in final interview stage)
- Marketing Director (position posted last week, 28 applications received)
- Operations Supervisors x3 (job description approved, ready for posting)
All active requisitions are tracked in the ATS, with detailed notes on each candidate’s status. The recruiting dashboard is updated every Friday, showing pipeline metrics and time-to-fill statistics.
We’re currently in the middle of our annual benefits enrollment period, which runs until June 25. The Benefits Coordinator is managing the process, with approximately 65% of employees having completed their selections. Daily completion reports are sent to department heads for follow-up with their teams.
There are three active employee relations cases that require sensitive handling:
- Performance improvement plan for Thomas Allen (Engineering) – weekly check-ins scheduled through July
- Workplace accommodation request from Carol Liu (Accounting) – awaiting doctor documentation
- Pending investigation regarding policy violation in the Warehouse department – meeting with legal scheduled for June 15
The complete files for these cases are in the locked cabinet in my office (key in the envelope on my desk).
Our annual compliance training program launches July 1, with all materials updated and loaded into the LMS. The communications plan is drafted and awaiting your review before distribution.
The company’s compensation review cycle begins in September. The budget planning spreadsheet has been created with preliminary increase pools based on last year’s performance distribution.
All HR policies have been reviewed and updated as of March, with the employee handbook accessible on the intranet. The labor law posters in all locations were replaced in January and are compliant with current regulations.
I’ve enjoyed every minute of my 15 years with this company and am confident you’ll bring fresh perspectives to this role. I’m available for phone consultations through July if anything comes up that needs historical context.
With appreciation,
[your name and title]
9. Sales Account Manager Handover Letter
[recipient details]
Dear Alex,
Subject: Client Portfolio Handover
Following my acceptance of the National Sales Director position, I’ll be transferring my client accounts to you effective July 1. This letter outlines the status of each key relationship, ongoing negotiations, and critical information to ensure a seamless transition for our clients.
Corporate Accounts:
- Acme Corporation: Our largest account ($1.2M annual revenue). Current contract runs through December. Primary contact is Samantha Wu (SVP Operations), who prefers early morning calls. Their quarterly business review is scheduled for July 15 – agenda draft is in the shared folder.
- Pinnacle Industries: Mid-sized account with high growth potential. Recently expanded their order by 30%. Currently implementing our premium service tier with expected completion by August. Tom Garcia (Procurement Director) is the decision-maker, though day-to-day communication goes through Rachel in his office.
- TechDynamics: New account signed in April. Implementation still in progress with some technical challenges around API integration. Weekly status calls every Thursday at 2 PM. They’re particularly concerned about meeting the September 1 go-live date for their busy season.
Active Opportunities:
- GlobalHealth Systems: Proposal submitted last week for enterprise-wide solution ($1.8M potential). Decision expected by July 30. They’re also considering our main competitor, with pricing being the primary concern.
- Velocity Manufacturing: In early discovery phase. Site survey scheduled for June 25. They have budget approved but are moving cautiously due to previous vendor disappointment.
All account plans, contact details, and conversation notes are up to date in the CRM. The “Client Success Strategies” document in each account record outlines the unique approach that has proven effective with each organization.
I’ve notified all clients of the upcoming change via email and have received positive responses about working with you. I’d like to schedule joint calls with each primary contact during the next two weeks to personally introduce you.
The quarterly forecasts have been updated to reflect current probability assessments. We’re tracking to 108% of target for Q2, with healthy pipeline coverage for Q3.
Please let me know which account you’d like to focus on first so we can prioritize our transition efforts accordingly.
I’m confident these valued clients will be in excellent hands with your experience and consultative approach.
Best,
[sender information]
10. Executive Assistant Handover Letter
[address block for recipient]
Dear Jordan,
Subject: Executive Support Role Transition
As I prepare to move to the Marketing department next week, I wanted to provide you with comprehensive information about supporting Ms. Patterson, our CEO, in your new role as her Executive Assistant.
Calendar Management: Ms. Patterson typically starts her day at 7:30 AM with a review of overnight emails and reports. She prefers meetings to be scheduled in 45-minute blocks with 15-minute breaks between them. Friday afternoons are reserved for strategic planning and should remain meeting-free whenever possible. The standing meetings include:
- Executive Team: Mondays, 8:30-10:00 AM
- Board Update: First Tuesday monthly, 3:00-4:30 PM
- All-Hands Preparation: Last Thursday monthly, 1:00-2:00 PM
- Investor Relations: Wednesdays, 11:00-11:45 AM during earnings periods
Her husband’s birthday is July 12, and her children’s school events are already blocked in the calendar through year-end.
Travel Arrangements: Ms. Patterson travels approximately twice monthly. She prefers aisle seats near the front of the aircraft and rooms on high floors away from elevators. Her loyalty program information is stored in the “Travel Profiles” document. The upcoming confirmed trips include:
- Chicago: June 20-22 (Conference speaker)
- London: July 7-11 (Subsidiary review)
- Singapore: August 15-20 (Market expansion meetings)
The travel agency contact is Marissa at Global Executive Travel (555-765-4321).
Communication Preferences: Ms. Patterson prefers email for routine matters and texts for time-sensitive issues. She values brevity and appreciates bullet points for complex topics. Weekly reports should be condensed to one page with supporting data in appendices. Her communication style is direct, and she appreciates when questions are presented with recommended solutions.
Executive Team Dynamics: You’ll interact frequently with the executive team’s support staff. Michelle (CFO’s assistant) coordinates the quarterly planning materials, while David (COO’s assistant) manages the operational dashboard updates. Both are excellent resources for understanding internal protocols.
Office Management: The office supply inventory is maintained by Facilities, but Ms. Patterson has specific preferences for her personal items (listed in the “Office Supplies” note). She drinks green tea throughout the day (kept in the right cabinet) and prefers lunch to be ordered by 11:30 on meeting-heavy days.
I’ll be available next week for side-by-side training and will remain accessible by phone afterward should any questions arise. The role can be demanding but incredibly rewarding with the right organizational approach.
I wish you much success in this position and am confident you’ll provide excellent support to Ms. Patterson and the broader executive team.
Sincerely,
[name and current title]
Wrapping Up: Handover Letters
Creating effective handover letters doesn’t have to be complicated. The key is clarity, thoroughness, and consideration for those taking over your responsibilities. A good handover letter serves as both documentation and guidance, helping maintain business continuity during transitions.
The examples provided highlight different approaches based on roles, responsibilities, and organizational contexts. Adapt them to your specific situation by focusing on what matters most: ensuring that your successor has all the information they need to step into your role confidently.
Remember that the goal is practical knowledge transfer. Focus on current projects, key contacts, upcoming deadlines, and any unique aspects of your role that might not be obvious to someone new. Your thoughtfulness during this transition reflects your professionalism and commitment to your team’s continued success.
A well-crafted handover letter is your final contribution to a position—make it count by setting up the next person for success from day one.