Maternity / Paternity Cover Handover

When to use this

More substantial than a short-cover handover. Includes a 'first week of cover' plan and an 'in-flight projects' section with status detail. Maintain a live document so handover doesn't start the week before.

What’s included

• 1. The first week
• 2. The executive at a glance
• 3. Weekly rhythm
• 4. In-flight projects
• 5. Top 15 relationships
• 6. Recurring obligations
• 7. System access
• 8. Suppliers and contractors

What to customise before you use it

• Replace Executive with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Outgoing EA with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Start with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace End with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Cover EA name with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Cover spends 30 min with each of: ... with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Sit in on standing meetings with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Shadow exec's inbox triage with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace First weekly 1:1 with exec with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Item with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.

# Long-leave Handover — [Executive]
**Prepared by:** [Outgoing EA]   **Leave dates:** [Start] – [End]   **Cover:** [Cover EA name]

## 1. The first week
- Day 1: [Cover spends 30 min with each of: ...]
- Day 2: [Sit in on standing meetings]
- Day 3: [Shadow exec's inbox triage]
- End of week 1: [First weekly 1:1 with exec]

## 2. The executive at a glance
- Working style and preferences
- Communication channels (slack/email/in-person mix)
- Non-negotiables (e.g. Friday afternoons protected)
- People whose names matter

## 3. Weekly rhythm
| Day | Standing items |
|-----|----------------|
| Mon |                |
| Tue |                |
| Wed |                |
| Thu |                |
| Fri |                |

## 4. In-flight projects
| Project | Status | Next step | Owner | Due |
|---------|--------|-----------|-------|-----|
|         |        |           |       |     |

## 5. Top 15 relationships
| Name | Org / role | Why they matter | How to reach them | Last contact |
|------|------------|------------------|--------------------|--------------|
|      |            |                  |                    |              |

## 6. Recurring obligations
- Monthly: [Item]
- Quarterly: [Item]
- Annually: [Item]

## 7. System access
- Email (delegate access in place)
- Calendar (write access)
- Travel agency (account + reference)
- Expenses (approval limits)
- HR systems

## 8. Suppliers and contractors
- [Name, role, what for, contact]

## 9. Unwritten rules
- [Things only learned by doing the job]

## 10. Coverage of my own role
- Cover EA's holdover work: [list / none]
- My handback plan when I return