Your desk manual should NEVER contain computer passwords or log ins. Most Company IT policies forbid the sharing of this information, sometimes under penalty of termination.

Instead, give the name of the proper contact person to obtain the information. We stress, NEVER create a listing of security log ins or passwords. If you work at a smaller company, get Bossie's input on how he/she would like sensitive information passed to a temporary person, at a larger company, HR and IT will give you information on the company standard for dealing with this type of information.

Where to leave it?

Desk Manuals should be clearly marked, and Bossie should be informed of where it is kept, remember even without those computer log ins included, email addresses, memo formats, etc, are company property, so a good rule of thumb is to tell bossie where you've put it and make sure it's updated as often as possible.

Will you get everything? Possibly. We've seen Desk Manuals that contained everything from maps to the ladies room to lists of close by restaurants who deliver, to day-by-day documentation of every duty undertaken. It's a growth process and the longer you're in your position; the more important it will be to have a proper manual put together.

A final benefit of Desk Manuals

Creating a desk manual has a terrific side effect. It helps you to quantify your duties. This is helpful when you're trying to explain to Bossie that you need extra help, or even when you're trying to tell someone that you don't have enough to do. At performance review time, it can be a terrific tool for documenting your work processes in a format that can be easy to refer to when you need to make a convincing series of statements about your job description or work load.

Besides, who wants to come back to a grumpy bossie who didn't get his sales meeting set up properly OR any sugar in his coffee?!