Shift Handover Notes: Free Template and What to Include
30 October 2026 · The Rosterly team · 4 min read
Shift handover notes tell the next shift what they need to know: what's unfinished, what went wrong, what's low, who's coming in and anything urgent. A good template keeps it to one page with fixed headings (urgent, open tasks, stock, equipment, people, customers), is filled in during the last 15 minutes of the shift, and is read before the next one starts.
Most handovers happen in a rush: "the dishwasher's playing up, oh and someone called about a booking". Half of it is forgotten by the time the next manager arrives. A simple written handover fixes that.
What to include
Keep the same headings every time so people know where to look:
1.
Urgent. Anything the next shift must deal with first.
2.
Open tasks. What wasn't finished, and what's needed to finish it.
3.
Stock. What's low or out, and whether it's been ordered.
4.
Equipment. What's broken, who's been called and any workaround.
5.
People. Who's coming in late, who left early, who's covering, and any open shifts for later.
6.
Customers. Complaints, special requests, bookings or orders to follow up.
7.
Cash and security. Float, banking and anything unusual.
8.
Incidents. Injuries, near misses or security issues, with the report done or to do.
The template
Shift handover notes
Date:
Shift: [Open / Mid / Close]
Handed over by: To:
URGENT (deal with first)
-
OPEN TASKS (what's not finished, what's needed)
-
STOCK (low or out; ordered? when arriving?)
-
EQUIPMENT (broken or playing up; who's been called; workaround)
-
PEOPLE (late, early, sick, covering, open shifts later today)
-
CUSTOMERS (complaints, requests, bookings or orders to follow up)
-
CASH AND SECURITY (float, banking, alarms, keys)
-
INCIDENTS (what happened; report done or to do)
-
Anything else:
Replace the words in [square brackets] for your business.
How to make handovers work
•
Write it during the last 15 minutes, not after you've clocked out.
•
Use dot points, not paragraphs.
•
Write "nothing" if there's nothing, so the next shift knows you checked.
•
Name names and times. "Plumber coming 10am, ask for Dave" beats "someone's coming".
•
Read it before starting. The incoming lead reads and initials it.
Where to keep handover notes
Pick one place and stick to it:
•
A notebook at the till or in the office: simple, but only visible on site.
•
A shared document: visible anywhere, but easy to forget to open.
•
Your team app: where staff already look for their shifts.
Wherever it is, keep old handovers. If there's ever a dispute about an incident, a complaint or someone's hours, the notes help. In Australia, the Fair Work Ombudsman says time and wages records must be kept for seven years; handover notes aren't wage records, but they often help explain them.
Handover for different industries
Industry
Extra things to hand over
Café or restaurant
Extra things to hand over: Prep done or needed, specials, allergies on upcoming bookings
Retail
Extra things to hand over: Deliveries due, price changes, promotions
Bar
Extra things to hand over: Incidents, refused service, anyone barred, stock for the night
Cleaning
Extra things to hand over: Site issues, client requests, keys and alarm notes
Here's what a filled-in close-to-open handover might look like for a café:
•
Urgent: milk delivery didn't arrive. Supplier says 7:30am. Two litres in the back fridge to start with.
•
Open tasks: didn't finish wiping down the back shelves; spray and cloths are out.
•
Stock: low on large cups. Ordered, arriving Thursday.
•
Equipment: grinder 2 jamming. Technician booked 11am; use grinder 1 until then.
•
People: Hana is in at 8 instead of 7:30 (approved). Afternoon floor shift still open.
•
Customers: Mrs Lee is collecting a birthday cake order at 10am. It's in the cold room, labelled.
•
Cash and security: float counted and correct. Alarm set at 4:10pm.
•
Incidents: nothing.
It took five minutes to write, and the opener knows exactly where to start.
Handover vs announcements
A handover is for the next shift. An announcement is for everyone. If something in a handover affects the whole team, such as a new procedure or a permanent change, turn it into an announcement. Our post on announcements that actually get read covers how.
Handover on split shifts and overlapping teams
When people work split shifts or several sites, handover gets harder because the person you're handing to may not arrive for hours. Write it down rather than relying on telling someone, and leave it where the next person will see it first. Our guide to split shifts covers rostering them.
How Rosterly can help
Rosterly doesn't have a dedicated handover form. Teams use it alongside handovers in these ways:
•
Announcements: post the handover as an announcement for the next shift's lead, and see whether they've read it.
•
Tasks: turn open items into tasks assigned to a specific person.
•
Who's coming in: the roster shows who's on next and any open shifts later in the day.
•
Documents: keep the handover template and procedures as a document staff can open.