Open Shifts

Updated August 27, 2024 16:03

Open Shifts in 7shifts are a way for Managers to post shifts that need to be filled without assigning them to specific Employees. Once an Open Shift is published, multiple Employees can request to pick it up by bidding on the shift. Finally, the Manager gets to decide who to assign the shift to.

In this article, you'll learn how to add an open shift to the schedule and how it works once employees bid on it.

⚠️ To allow Employees to bid on Open Shifts, an Admin must enable Shift Pool within the Account's Company Settings.

Add an Open Shift

Managers can go to the schedule and select which days they need to add an Open Shift. Use the tabs to change your viewing preferences through the mobile or web app:

Log in to the mobile app > click on the calendar icon on the bottom navigation bar:
Select + at the top of the page (or, click Create new shift on the corresponding day):
Enter shift information regarding the where, when, and who. Custom Time/Time Frame options will only appear if they have been set up in the Account:
Tap Pick Employee:
Tap Open Shift or Open Shift - All Locations:
Select a Role, or choose Any Role. Only Open Shifts have an Any Role option:
Click Save to create the shift. Once the shift is created, it will be in draft/unpublished status (yellow) and will not be visible to your team until you officially publish your schedule.
As soon as the shifts are published, all qualified Employees will be notified that an Open Shift is available to bid on.

Open shifts can be added in each Layout

Then

Viewing the schedule by List, or List by role layout

In the grey Open Shifts row > click on a square to create a shift:

Add shift details. You'll have the option to offer this shift to everyone in the Department, or a specific Role.

Viewing the schedule by Time frames

Click on any square to create an open shift, and you're done!

Click Save to create the shift. Once the shift is created, it will be in draft/unpublished status (yellow) and will not be visible to your team until you officially publish your schedule.
As soon as the shifts are published, all qualified Employees will be notified that an Open Shift is available to bid on.

How to Bid on an Open Shift
Shift Pool 101