Shift Handover Checklist (Free Template)
Things go missing between shifts: the delivery that's coming at 3, the regular whose order was wrong, the machine making a strange noise. This checklist is for cafés, restaurants, shops, gyms and any business with overlapping shifts. It takes about five minutes and gives the next person everything they need to carry on without calling the person who just went home.
Free, no sign-up. Edit it, print it, share it with your team.
What you'll need
- Shift log notebook or shared note
- The register report
- Today's delivery, reservation or appointment list
The checklist
Start the handover 10 minutes before your shift ends.
Not after you've put your coat on. Handovers done at the door miss things.
Walk the incoming person around your area.
Show them, don't just tell them. Point out anything unusual.
Tell them about any customer issue that's still open.
Who, what happened and what you promised. Write down names and phone numbers if someone is calling back.
List anything running low or out of stock.
Say whether it's been ordered and when it's due.
Flag any equipment that's broken or acting up.
What's wrong, whether it's been reported and who's coming to fix it.
Watch out: Put a clear sign on anything unsafe to use, then say it out loud too.
Go through the deliveries, reservations or appointments due on their shift.
Times, who's coming and where things should go.
Count the register together if you're switching drawers.
Both of you count and sign. Shared drawers make shortages impossible to trace.
Mention any task you started but didn't finish.
Where you got to and what's left. Label anything prepped so they know what it is and when it was made.
Write the key points in the shift log.
Three lines is enough. The log is for when someone asks tomorrow what happened.
Ask the incoming person if they have any questions before you leave.
Then tell the team you're heading out so they know you're gone.
How to adapt it
- Keep the shift log in the same spot every day.
- Use the same order every time so people know what's coming.
- Add anything specific to your business, like reservations or who has the keys.
- If shifts don't overlap, make the written note longer and more specific.
Turn this template into training your team will actually open
In ShowHow, your staff read each step on their phone, with photos, in their own language, and you see who has confirmed it. Start from this template or film yourself doing the job.
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