Shift swaps, give-aways and open shifts
How staff ask for an open shift, give a shift away or swap with a colleague in the staff portal, and how a manager approves or declines.
On this page
Staff can ask for changes to the schedule from their phone. A colleague has to agree first where one is involved, and then a manager makes the final decision. Nothing changes on the schedule until a manager approves.
Before you start
- The time clock is part of the Pro plan and must be switched on under Settings › Features.
- Staff use the staff portal. They need portal access. See Staff portal sign-in problems.
- Managers need Plan shifts and forecasts to decide, and View timesheets to see the list. Without access to a location you cannot see its requests.
- Only published shifts can be given away or swapped.
Three kinds of request
| Kind | Who starts it | Who must agree |
|---|---|---|
| Open shift (claim) | A staff member who wants an unclaimed shift | A manager |
| Give away | A staff member who cannot work a shift | The colleague, then a manager |
| Swap | A staff member who wants to trade shifts | The colleague, then a manager |
What the staff member does
- In the portal open Shifts. Mine shows their shifts, Open shows unclaimed shifts, Requests shows their requests.
- For an open shift, select Take, then Ask for it. "A manager decides; you get a message either way."
- To give away or swap, open one of their shifts and choose Give away or swap, pick a Colleague, and for a swap the colleague's shift they take in exchange. Optionally add a note, then Send request. "Your colleague answers first, then a manager confirms. You keep the shift until then."
- The colleague gets a message and answers Yes, I can or No.
Only colleagues at the same location who use the staff portal can be asked. Colleagues appear by first name. A shift that has already started cannot be requested, and a shift can only have one open request at a time. Staff can Withdraw a request while it is open.
What the manager does
- Open Time clock › Requests. Requests waiting for you are listed under Waiting for you. Give-aways and swaps appear there once the colleague agreed; until then they sit under Waiting for colleague. Decided requests go to History.
- Check the warnings on a request: Double-booked (someone would work two shifts at once) or Has time off.
- Select Approve or Decline. When you approve, the schedule updates and everyone involved gets a message: "Approved: the schedule is updated".
Approving an open-shift request creates the shift for that person and answers other people who asked for the same shift. Approving a give-away or swap moves the shifts between the people. Other open requests on those shifts end automatically.
Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Waiting for colleague | The colleague has not answered |
| To decide | Waiting for a manager |
| Approved | The schedule is updated |
| Declined | By the colleague, a manager, or because the shift went to someone else |
| Withdrawn | The requester cancelled |
Common questions
Can staff swap without a manager?
No. A manager always confirms.
What if the schedule changed after they asked?
Then the request no longer applies: "The shift changed in the meantime, so this request no longer applies" (SHIFT_REQUEST_STALE). Ask them to send a new request.
Can a manager assign an open shift directly?
Yes, in the schedule: open the open shift and choose a person. See Build and publish the schedule.
If something goes wrong
| Message | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| This shift has already started. | SHIFT_STARTED | Too late to request it |
| There is already an open request for this shift. | SHIFT_REQUEST_EXISTS | Wait for the first request to be decided or withdrawn |
| This request is closed. | SHIFT_REQUEST_CLOSED | It was already decided or withdrawn |
| This person already has a shift at that time. | SHIFT_OVERLAP | The approval would double-book someone |
| No colleagues to ask | Nobody else at that location uses the portal |