Shift swaps your staff arrange and you approve

Somebody who cannot make a shift can offer it to a workmate with a reason. The swap only happens once a manager approves it.

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What it does

A swap offered to a specific workmate, with a reason
The other person accepts or declines first
A manager approves before anything on the roster changes
Reasons kept with the swap
Swaps counted on the person's attendance record

Why it works this way

The decisions behind it, and what they are better than.

Two yeses, not oneThe workmate agrees first, then you approve. A swap that only needed a manager tends to mean somebody was volunteered while they were asleep.

You keep the last wordSkill mix, opens and closes, and who is allowed to run a shift alone are your call. Nothing moves on the roster without you.

The reason is part of itNot for surveillance, but because "I have an exam" and "I would rather not" lead to different answers, and you should not have to go and ask.

What you get out of it

Fewer phone calls to youStaff arrange cover between themselves, and you get one decision instead of three conversations.

The roster stays trueOnce approved, the shift moves. What is on screen is who is actually coming in.

You can see who carries the loadSwap requests are counted, so the person always covering, and the person always asking, are both visible.

How it works

1Offer itPick the shift, pick a workmate, say why.

2They acceptThe other person agrees before it reaches you.

3You approveOne tap, and the roster updates for both of them.

Two coworkers in aprons chatting on the stairs near the kitchen

What it does not do

Said plainly here, so nobody finds out after they have set it up.

A swap is offered to one named workmate. Offering a shift to everybody who could work it is an open shift
Nothing on the roster moves until a manager approves

Go further

Shift swap request formBoth agreements and approval, on paper.Cafes and restaurantsCasual teams who trade shifts.Shift swapThe term, and what it is not.

Where shift swaps comes up

The industry and trade pages that lean on it.

Questions about shift swaps

How do shift swaps work in Roster Flow?

A staff member offers their shift to a named workmate with a reason. The workmate accepts or declines first, then a manager approves, and only then does the roster change for both of them.

Can staff swap shifts without a manager approving?

No. Nothing on the roster moves until a manager approves the swap, so skill mix, opens and closes, and who can run a shift alone stay your decision.

What is the difference between a shift swap and an open shift?

A swap is offered to one named workmate, who agrees to take it before a manager approves. An open shift is offered to everybody who could work it, and a manager chooses who gets it.

Are shift swap requests recorded?

Yes. The reason is kept with the swap, and swap requests are counted on each person’s attendance record, so you can see who asks and who covers.