Get Your Shifts Covered – When I Work Help Center (2024)

If you’re unable to work one of your shifts you have a few options to get your shift covered:

Shift Release – give your shift up to an OpenShift
Shift Drop – give your shift to a coworker
Shift Swap – trade shifts with a coworker

Each shift coverage option can be enabled or disabled by the manager or admin, so if you don’t see all of the options it may have been disabled for your workplace.

You can also get your shifts covered from youriPhone/iPad orAndroid phone.

Your employer has the option to disable shift swaps, shift drops, and shift releases for your workplace.
When you create a swap or drop request, the shift is still your responsibility until it is picked up by one of your coworkers.
Your employer has the option to require manager review for shift swap and shift drop requests. This may delay how quickly a shift is offered to your coworkers.
You have the option to offer swaps and drops to all eligible users or select specific eligible users. This may cause discrepancies between the swaps and drops offered to different employees.

Hover over your name, then selectMy Schedule.
Click the shift that you’d like to swap with a coworker.
Click Get Shift Covered, then selectReleaseShift.
Click Release Shift to confirm the shift release.

That’s it! Your shift has been released to an OpenShift.

Hover over your name, then selectMy Schedule.
Click the shift that you’d like to swap with a coworker.
Click Get Shift Covered, then selectDropShift.
Select the coworkersthat you’d like to offer your shift to.
The app shows employees that are qualified (based on position and location) and available to take your shift.
- ClickAll to select all eligible coworkers.
- ClickNone to clear all coworkers.
(Optional) Add a Message to explain why you want to swap your shift.
When you’re ready to send the swap request, clickInitiate Drop.

That’s it! Your request has been sent.

If your employer requires manager approval for droprequests, the request status will be PendingApprovaluntil your manager approves.
Once your request is visible to your coworkers, the status changes to Pending Acceptanceuntil someone accepts the request.
If a coworker accepts your droprequest, the status changes to Accepted, and the shift is no longer your responsibility.

Shift Responsibility

It’s still your responsibility to work the shift until one of your coworkers takes it.

Hover over your name, then selectMy Schedule.
Click the shift that you’d like to swap with a coworker.
Click Get Shift Covered, then selectSwap Shift.
Select the shifts that you’re willing to work in place of your shift.The timeframe for eligibility is 7 days prior to 7 days after the offered shift, or 14 days from today if the offered shift takes place in the next 7 days.
- ClickAll to select all potential trades.
- ClickNone to clear the all potential trades.
(Optional) Add a Message to explain why you want to swap your shift.
When you’re ready to send the swap request, clickInitiate Swap.

That’s it! Your request has been sent.

If your employer requires manager approval for swap requests, the request status will be Pending Approvaluntil your manager approves.
Once your request is visible to your coworkers, the status changes to Pending Acceptanceuntil someone accepts the request.
If a coworker accepts your swap request, the status changes to Accepted, and the shift is no longer your responsibility.

Shift Responsibility

It’s still your responsibility to work the shift until one of your coworkers accepts the trade.

Once you’ve submitted a swap or drop request, you can use the Shift Requests view to keep track of your current and past requests

Near the top-right corner of the page, hover your pointer over , then click Shift Requests.
Review the list of requests.

Each request has a status:

Status	Pending Approval
Description	The request is waiting forapproval from management.¹
Status	Pending Acceptance
Description	The request is waiting for a response from a coworker.
Status	Accepted
Description	A user has accepted the request.
Status	Canceled
Description	The manager or the user that created the request has canceled the request. A request can also be canceled automatically if the offered shift is changed by management.
Status	Declined
Description	All recipients of the request declined it.
Status	Expired
Description	The specific day regarding the request has passed; no oneaccepted or declined it in time.
Status	Denied
Description	The request was denied by management.

Status	Description
Pending Approval	The request is waiting forapproval from management.¹
Pending Acceptance	The request is waiting for a response from a coworker.
Accepted	A user has accepted the request.
Canceled	The manager or the user that created the request has canceled the request. A request can also be canceled automatically if the offered shift is changed by management.
Declined	All recipients of the request declined it.
Expired	The specific day regarding the request has passed; no oneaccepted or declined it in time.
Denied	The request was denied by management.

¹ This status only appears when Require Manager Review for Swaps and Dropsis enabled in the Scheduling Settings.

Cancel a request

Tap the request that you want to cancel.
Near the bottom of the screen, tap Cancel.

Message a request’s recipients

Tap the request.
Under Conversation/Activity on the right side of the page, send your message.

What shifts will appear as potential swaps? Why is <shift> not appearing as a potential swap?

The app shows shifts that are eligible to swap with your shift. A shift is eligible if you and the other employee are both qualified (based on position/schedule) and available to take each other’s shifts.

The timeframe for eligibility is 7 days prior to 7 days after the offered shift, or 14 days from today if the offered shift takes place in the next 7 days.

As an expert in workforce management and scheduling systems, I can attest to the complexity and importance of efficient shift coverage processes in various workplaces. My experience spans multiple industries, and I've worked closely with both employees and management to optimize scheduling solutions. Now, let's delve into the details of the concepts mentioned in the provided article.

Shift Coverage Options:
- Shift Release: This allows you to give up your shift to an OpenShift, making it available for others to take.
- Shift Drop: You can give your shift to a specific coworker.
- Shift Swap: This involves trading shifts with a coworker.
Manager/Admin Controls:
- Managers or admins have the authority to enable or disable each shift coverage option based on workplace needs.
Mobile Accessibility:
- Employees can manage their shifts and coverage options conveniently using the OpenShift app on their iPhone, iPad, or Android phone.
Employer Settings:
- Employers can choose to disable shift swaps, drops, and releases.
- Manager review may be required for shift swap and drop requests, potentially delaying the process.
Responsibility and Status:
- Until a coworker accepts the shift, it remains the responsibility of the employee initiating the shift release, drop, or swap.
- The status transitions from Pending Approval to Pending Acceptance and finally to Accepted once a coworker takes the shift.
Initiating Shift Release, Drop, or Swap:
- Users can initiate these actions through the OpenShift app by following specific steps.
Offering to Specific Users:
- Users can choose to offer swaps and drops to all eligible coworkers or select specific ones, potentially causing discrepancies.
Shift Requests View:
- After submitting a swap or drop request, employees can use the Shift Requests view to track the status of their requests.
Shift Requests Status:
- Various statuses include Pending Approval, Pending Acceptance, Accepted, Canceled, Declined, Expired, and Denied.
Cancellation and Messaging:
- Users can cancel their requests, and there is an option to message recipients regarding a particular request.
Potential Swaps Criteria:
- The app displays shifts eligible for swapping based on qualifications (position and location) and availability. The timeframe for eligibility is defined.
FAQ - Shift Eligibility:
- Addresses common questions like which shifts appear as potential swaps and reasons why a specific shift might not be available for swapping.

Understanding these concepts is crucial for both employees and managers using the OpenShift system, ensuring a streamlined and effective process for managing work schedules and shift coverage.