A key changeover list for a departing employee is a map of that person's access: every door their keys opened, every key they were issued, keys they may have had informally, and what remains unknown. Build it before deciding on any lock work. Once returned keys are checked against the list, each door gets its own decision: keep the lock as it is, or change it so the old keys stop working.
One row per door
The changeover list works best as a table with one row for each door the departing person could open. Each row holds:
- The door, described so a stranger could find it
- The keys that open it and how many this person was issued
- Whether those keys came back
- What is still unknown, such as an unrecorded copy or a shared key
The last column matters most. Lock decisions come after you know what the person had and what you can't account for.
What did the departing person actually have?
Start with what was issued, from a key log, a sign-out sheet, or onboarding notes. Where records are thin, mark each entry as confirmed or assumed.
Then add access that never reached paper. A spare borrowed from a coworker, a copy made somewhere without a record, or a shared key that went home some nights all count. Ask the person if you can, and ask the people who worked beside them. Each answer either confirms a door or keeps it flagged.
Finally, check how your locks relate to each other. In a master key system, each lock has its own key, but a higher-level key opens a group of locks (a sub-master) or all of them (a master). If the departing person held one of those, one key reaches many doors. With independent locks, each key opens only its own door. If a single key opens several doors that also have their own separate keys, you are likely looking at a master key system.
Working through the doors in order
Hold off on any lock decision until the last step.
- Collect the returned keys and count them against what was issued. Match each key to its door by trying it, not by reading its tag.
- Flag every door where the count is short, a copy may exist, or the key was shared.
- Sort doors by which key opened them. A master or sub-master key puts every door under it on the list, including rooms the person never used.
- Decide door by door whether the lock stays as it is or gets changed so the old keys stop working.
Two questions drive each decision: how sure are you that every copy is back, and what is behind the door? If every copy is accounted for and there is little of value inside, keeping the lock can be reasonable. An unaccounted copy or a sensitive room points toward changing the lock so the old keys no longer turn it. Worn or sticking hardware is a separate question from the keys, and worth noting on the row either way.
Changing a lock stops old keys from working in it. It does not tell you who had a copy. In a master key system, changing one lock affects how the keys relate to each other, so plan those doors together.
Ranking exterior, interior, and storage doors
Rank each door by what is behind it and how many other people use it.
Shared exterior doors usually come first because they let someone into the whole space. They are also the most disruptive to change, since every remaining key holder needs a new key. Plan for that disruption rather than skipping the door.
Storage and records rooms often come next. Few people use them, so a change disturbs little, and their contents may matter more than any office. Interior offices rank lowest unless one holds something sensitive or belonged to the person leaving.
The handover package and the next turnover
The finished list becomes the handover package for the locksmith and for whoever manages keys next. Include the door descriptions, the number of keys issued versus returned, which doors sit on a master key system, and the open questions you could not close. An unknown that is written down can be planned around. One left off the list stays a gap.
Safety Locksmith works on residential and commercial locks, master key systems, key duplication, and lock repair and restoration, and answers the phone 24/7. If your list points to work in one of those areas, call (347) 666-4989 with the list in hand.
Before filing the list, note the date each door was settled and what was decided. Keep the blank layout as a template so the next departure starts from a known state.
Frequently asked questions
What if a former employee never returned a key?
A key that never came back puts its door in the uncertain group on the changeover list. Ask for the key's return and note the request, but plan as if it won't arrive. The door then needs a lock decision based on what is behind it and who else uses it. If the missing key was a master or sub-master, every door it opens is affected.
Does a master key holder leaving change how many doors need attention?
Yes. When a master or sub-master key holder leaves, the affected doors are every lock that key opens, not just the rooms the person used. Other people may hold the same level of key, and if those locks change, their keys stop working too. Count who else holds that key before deciding, because they will all need new keys.
Can I have extra copies made before the changeover is finished?
Extra key copies can be made during a changeover, but each one is another key to track. Copies of a key whose lock is about to be changed will stop working once the change is made. Waiting until each door's decision is settled keeps the key count clean, and new copies start from a known number.
Should the changeover list be kept the same for every departure?
A key changeover list should keep the same layout but be filled in fresh for each departing person. Use one template with columns for door, key, copies issued, keys returned, and open questions. Update the template itself when doors are added or the master key system changes, so the next changeover starts from an accurate picture.