The job: You’re going on holiday, parental leave or moving on, and the context for your work lives mostly in your head and your inbox.
What AI actually does here
- Turns rough notes into a structured handover, with the status, next step and deadline for each open item.
- Groups contacts by role rather than name, and lists where documents are kept and who manages access (never the passwords themselves).
- Lists the questions your cover is likely to ask, so you can answer them before you go.
Tools to look at
- Your employer’s approved AI tool, or a general assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) with names and confidential details removed
- Your team’s usual documents or notes tool, to store the final version where people can find it
Named tools are examples, not endorsements. We have no paid relationships with them at the moment; see our disclosure.
What you need first
- Your workplace’s rules on AI tools and confidential information. If in doubt, use only the approved tool, or write your notes in general terms.
- No passwords, keys or personal data in the handover or the prompt. Point to where access is managed instead.
- Time to walk it through with the person covering. A document alone rarely passes on everything.
How to measure ROI
- Questions or messages you get while you’re away.
- Deadlines missed during your absence.
- Time taken to write the handover compared with last time.
Run the numbers in the ROI calculator →
What the evidence says
No statistics cited. The simplest measure is how often you’re contacted while you’re away, and whether anything was missed.
Ready-to-use prompt
Replace the [BRACKETS]. Only paste data you’re allowed to share with the tool you’re using.
View promptHelp me write a handover document. My notes have names and confidential details removed.
Help me write a handover document. My notes have names and confidential details removed.
DATES: away from [DATE] to [DATE] / leaving on [DATE]
COVER: [role of the person covering]
MY NOTES:
"""[paste rough notes on open work, regular tasks, upcoming deadlines, people involved by role, where files are kept]"""
1. Organise this into: summary; open items (item | status | next step | deadline | who to ask); regular tasks and when they happen; contacts by role; where documents are kept; decisions still pending.
2. Flag anything that looks like a password, key or personal detail so I can remove it.
3. List 10 questions the person covering is likely to ask that my notes don't answer.
Use only my notes. Mark gaps as [TO ADD]. Plain British English.Sources
- ICO, Guidance on AI and data protection Regulator guidance
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