End of Shift Report: Free Template and Examples
Quick Answer
An end of shift report is a short summary an employee or shift lead completes at the end of a shift. It records what got done, what didn't, any incidents or problems, inventory or cash notes and what the next shift needs to know. Good reports are short, specific and consistent, use a template and get read by the next shift and the manager. For hourly employees, time spent completing the report is work time and should be recorded on the time clock.
A lot happens during a shift: a delivery arrives short, a machine starts making a noise, a customer complaint needs follow-up, the walk-in cooler runs warm. If none of that gets written down, the next shift starts in the dark and the manager finds out days later. An end of shift report closes that gap.
This guide includes a free end of shift report template, examples for different industries, what to include, how to keep reports short and useful, who should read them and how to handle pay for the time spent writing them.
What Is an End of Shift Report?
An end of shift report is a brief written summary of a shift, completed by the employee or shift lead before they leave. It captures what happened, what's still open and what the next shift or manager needs to know. It's sometimes called a shift report, closing report or daily shift log.
| End of shift report | Shift handoff notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Who reads it | Next shift and manager | Mostly the next shift |
| What it covers | Full summary: work done, issues, numbers | What the next person needs to pick up |
| Format | Structured template | Often shorter and informal |
Many businesses combine the two into one report. See shift handoff notes.
Why End of Shift Reports Matter
- Continuity: the next shift knows what's open.
- Problems surface fast: equipment issues, safety hazards and complaints get flagged the same day.
- Accountability: clear records of what got done.
- Better decisions: managers see patterns across shifts.
- Records: a written history if questions come up later.
What to Include
| Section | Examples |
|---|---|
| Shift details | Date, shift, location, who worked |
| Work completed | Tasks, jobs, orders or tickets finished |
| Open items | Work not finished and why |
| Issues and incidents | Equipment problems, safety incidents, customer complaints |
| Numbers | Sales, units, calls, cash count, inventory counts |
| Staffing | Call-outs, late arrivals, overtime |
| Supplies | Low or out-of-stock items |
| Notes for next shift | What needs attention first |
| Signature | Who completed the report |
Free End of Shift Report Template
End of Shift Report
Date: ______ | Shift: ☐ Open ☐ Mid ☐ Close ☐ Overnight | Location: ______
Completed by: __________ | Team on shift: __________
1. Work completed
• __________
• __________
2. Open items (what's not done and why)
• __________
3. Issues or incidents ☐ None
Equipment: __________
Safety: __________ (complete an incident report if anyone was hurt)
Customer: __________
4. Numbers
[Sales / units / tickets / calls]: ______ | Cash count: ______ | Other: ______
5. Staffing
Call-outs or late arrivals: __________ | Anyone near overtime: __________
6. Supplies running low
__________
7. Top priorities for next shift
1. __________
2. __________
Signature: __________ | Time: ______
Keep the template to one page. If a section doesn't apply to your business, remove it.
Examples by Industry
Restaurant
Close, Friday: Covers 182. Sales $6,420. Walk-in cooler read 41°F at 9 p.m.; adjusted and back to 37°F by 10 p.m. Monitor in the morning. Out of salmon after 8:30 p.m.; 86'd. One guest complaint about wait time at 7:15; comped dessert. Dish machine slow to drain; called repair for Monday. Prep for brunch: hollandaise base and fruit cut. Next shift: check cooler temp first thing, order salmon.
Retail
Close, Saturday: Sales $3,980, 142 transactions. Drawer balanced. Fitting room 3 light out. Returned 4 online orders to stock. Running low on medium gift boxes. One customer waiting on special order #2241; promised a call Monday. Next shift: call customer, restock gift boxes, put out new arrivals in back room.
Warehouse
Second shift: Picked 312 orders, shipped 298. 14 held for missing SKU 4471; supplier ETA Tuesday. Forklift #2 hydraulic leak; tagged out of service. Dock 3 door sticking. One near miss: pallet shifted on rack B12; re-stacked. Next shift: keep forklift #2 tagged out, prioritize the 14 held orders when stock arrives.
Field Service
Tech daily report: 5 jobs scheduled, 4 completed. Job #8812 needs a part (capacitor 45/5); customer rescheduled for Thursday. Used last 2 filters on the truck. Customer at job #8809 asked about a maintenance plan; please follow up. Next: restock filters, order capacitor.
Security
Overnight post report: Patrols completed at 11 p.m., 1 a.m., 3 a.m., 5 a.m. East gate found unlocked at 1:05 a.m.; secured and photographed. No visitors after midnight. Parking lot light 7 out. Next shift: report gate to facilities, check light work order.
Writing a Good Report
- Be specific: "Forklift #2 leaking hydraulic fluid, tagged out" beats "forklift issue."
- Lead with what matters most for the next shift.
- Use numbers where they help.
- Stick to facts, not opinions about coworkers.
- Keep it short: 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
- Flag safety issues clearly, and follow your incident reporting process when someone is hurt. See the employee incident report form.
Who Should Read It
| Reader | What they look for |
|---|---|
| Next shift lead | Open items and priorities |
| Manager or owner | Patterns, problems, numbers |
| Maintenance | Equipment issues |
| Purchasing | Low supplies |
A report nobody reads quickly becomes a chore employees skip. Have the next shift sign off that they read it, and have the manager respond to issues so employees see their reports lead to action.
Pay and Time for End of Shift Reports
For hourly, non-exempt employees, completing the end of shift report is work. The Department of Labor says work not requested but suffered or permitted to be performed is work time that must be paid for by the employer. Federal rules also count the time between an employee's first and last principal activities of the workday as part of the workday. Have employees complete the report before clocking out, and build the time into the shift.
If employees regularly finish reports after clocking out, fix the process: schedule a few extra minutes at the end of the shift or simplify the template. See is it illegal to work off the clock.
Paper, Spreadsheet or App?
| Format | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Paper binder | Simple, no tech needed | Hard to search; managers must be on site |
| Shared spreadsheet | Easy to set up; searchable | Can get messy; version issues |
| Form or app | Consistent; photos; managers see it right away | Needs setup |
Start with whatever your team will actually use. Many small businesses begin with paper or a spreadsheet and move to an app once the habit sticks.
Rolling Out End of Shift Reports
- Create a one-page template for your business.
- Explain why reports matter and who reads them.
- Show an example of a good report.
- Build the time into the end of every shift.
- Have managers read and respond for the first few weeks.
- Ask for feedback and simplify the template if needed.
Common Mistakes
- Templates that are too long, so people rush or skip them.
- Vague entries like "busy shift" or "some issues."
- Nobody reads the reports.
- Completing reports off the clock.
- Burying safety issues in a long paragraph.
- No follow-up on problems reported.
End of Shift Report Checklist
| Step | Done? |
|---|---|
| Create a one-page template | |
| Decide who completes it each shift | |
| Decide who reads it and signs off | |
| Build the time into the shift before clock-out | |
| Flag safety and equipment issues clearly | |
| Follow up on issues reported | |
| Review reports for patterns monthly |
Short Version for Small Teams
If a full report is too much for your team, start with a three-question version:
Quick End of Shift Report
1. What got done?
2. What didn't get done, and why?
3. What does the next shift need to know first?
Name: ______ | Date and shift: ______
Once the habit sticks, add sections for numbers, supplies or equipment as needed.
Turning Reports Into Improvements
The real value of end of shift reports shows up over time. Once a month, skim the reports and look for patterns:
| Pattern | What it might mean | Possible fix |
|---|---|---|
| Same equipment issue every week | Equipment needs repair or replacement | Schedule maintenance |
| Tasks always left open on one shift | Shift is understaffed or overloaded | Adjust staffing or move tasks |
| Frequent low-supply notes | Ordering is behind | Set reorder points |
| Repeated customer complaints | Process or training gap | Coach the team; update SOPs |
| Call-outs on the same day | Scheduling or morale issue | Review the schedule; talk with the team |
Photos and Attachments
A photo often explains a problem better than a paragraph: a leaking pipe, damaged delivery or broken display. If your report is digital, encourage employees to attach photos of issues. Keep photos professional and avoid photographing customers.
Training Employees to Write Reports
- Show two examples side by side: a vague report and a specific one.
- Walk new shift leads through the template on their first close.
- Give quick feedback on early reports.
- Praise reports that helped the next shift.
Sample Manager Response
"Thanks for flagging forklift #2 last night. Maintenance is coming Tuesday at 9. Until then, keep it tagged out and use #1 and #3. Great catch on the near miss in aisle B, too. We're adding rack checks to the opening list."
Short responses like this show employees that their reports matter, which makes the next report better.
More Examples
Cleaning Company
Evening crew report: 6 offices cleaned. Suite 210 locked; no key in lockbox, skipped. Client at 400 Main asked for extra trash pickup Fridays. Vacuum #3 losing suction. Used last case of paper towels. Next: confirm key for Suite 210, order paper towels, add Friday trash to 400 Main.
Medical or Dental Office
Front desk close: 34 patients seen, 3 no-shows. 2 patients need insurance verification before Monday appointments. Card reader at desk 2 offline intermittently. Waiting room supplies restocked. Next: call insurance for 2 patients, report card reader.
Hotel Front Desk
Overnight report: Occupancy 86%. 2 late arrivals checked in. Room 214 reported AC not cooling; moved guest to 226. Wake-up calls set for 5:30 a.m. (3 rooms). Ice machine on floor 3 leaking. Next: maintenance for 214 AC and floor 3 ice machine.
Report Length Guide
| Business size | Suggested length |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 people per shift | 3 to 5 short bullet points |
| 6 to 15 people per shift | One page with sections |
| Larger or 24/7 operations | One page per area or department |
Connecting Reports to Checklists
End of shift reports work best alongside a closing checklist. The checklist covers routine tasks every day, and the report captures what was different: issues, open items and notes. Together, they give the next shift a complete picture. See the opening and closing checklist.
Quick Reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who completes it | Shift lead or responsible employee |
| When | Before clocking out |
| How long | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Who reads it | Next shift and manager |
| What to flag first | Safety and equipment issues |
End of Shift Reports for Remote and Field Teams
Employees who work away from a central location, such as technicians, drivers and cleaners, can still complete end of shift reports. Make it easy:
- Use a short mobile form or a shared message thread with a standard format.
- Ask for photos of completed work or problems.
- Include job numbers or addresses so the office can match reports to jobs.
- Have the office acknowledge reports by the next morning.
- Make sure employees submit the report before clocking out, so the time is paid.
For field teams, the end of shift report often doubles as a daily job log that helps with billing, scheduling and customer follow-up.
Getting Started This Week
Pick one shift, such as the closing shift, and start there. Print the template, explain it in a two-minute huddle and have the closing lead complete it for a week. Read every report and respond to at least one item each day. After a week, ask the team what to add or remove, then roll it out to other shifts. Small, consistent steps build the habit faster than a big launch.
Over time, a stack of good end of shift reports becomes one of the most useful records in your business: a day-by-day history of what happened, what broke and what got fixed. Keep them organized by date so you can find them when you need them.
Share a good report with the team now and then as an example. People learn fastest from seeing what "good" looks like in their own workplace.
Make End of Shift Reports a Habit With Updoot
Updoot's SOP management keeps your end of shift report template and closing procedures where every shift lead can find them. The employee time clock makes sure report time is recorded before clock-out, and the payroll report shows the hours accurately.
Sources
- U.S. DOL: Fact Sheet #22, Hours Worked Under the FLSA
- eCFR: 29 CFR 790.6, Periods Within the Workday