Once you've resigned and your last day is set, a clear handover protects your reputation and makes life easy for your team. The handover email is the summary that ties it together — short enough to read, detailed enough to act on.
When to send your handover email
Send it in your final week, once your handover notes are ready, so colleagues have time to ask questions before you go. If you're handing over to a specific person, send it to them directly; if your work is shared, send it to your manager and team. Keep your manager copied so they can see the state of play.
What to include: a quick checklist
A strong handover email covers six things: your current responsibilities, projects in progress and their status, upcoming deadlines, where files and logins live, the key contacts for each area, and who to ask after you've left. Keep it scannable — short paragraphs or a simple list beat a wall of text.
Subject: Handover — Customer Service Officer Hi Jess, As my last day (Friday 18 July) approaches, here's a summary of my handover. I've documented my key responsibilities, current projects and their status, and the main contacts for each. I'll keep it updated before I finish, and I'm happy to walk you through anything. Kind regards, Sam
Handing over to your replacement or clients
If someone is taking your role, write to them directly, lead with the most urgent items, and offer a call to talk it through. For clients or external contacts, keep it brief and focused on continuity: tell them who their new point of contact is and reassure them nothing will fall through the cracks. The Handover Email Generator produces a version for each of these audiences.
Common handover mistakes to avoid
Don't leave it to your last hour — rushed handovers miss things. Don't assume people know where files are; spell it out. Don't overload the email with detail that belongs in a document; summarise and link. And don't disappear on your last day without saying goodbye — a short farewell message or last‑day note is the warm finish to a clean handover.
Key takeaways
- Send it in your final week
- Cover responsibilities, status, deadlines, files and contacts
- Tailor it for your manager, replacement or clients
- Summarise in the email; put detail in a document
- Finish with a warm goodbye
Write your handover email in seconds
Pick your audience, add a few details, and copy a clear handover email for your manager, team, replacement or clients.
Open the handover email generator