Using Open shifts in Shift Management

Open shifts are unassigned time blocks shown on the first row of the schedule.

They let planners create shifts based on demand, visualize potential coverage when employees are absent, and then distribute those shifts to the team.

Only users with permission to edit schedules can create or modify open shifts.

Key actions or configuration

1. Create open shifts
   • Go to Shifts from the left‑hand menu and open the desired planning space.
   • In the weekly grid, locate the Open shifts row and select one or more days.
   • The Open shift window appears with fields such as date, start and end times, Duration, Break type, Area, Add note, and day‑of‑week buttons.
   • Click Add to save or Cancel to discard.
     
     
2. Move or copy an open shift
   • Drag an open shift block within the same row to copy or move it to a different day.
   • To assign it to an employee, drag the block from the Open shifts row to the desired employee’s row.
     
     
3. Plan schedules based on demand
   • Use open shifts to match staffing to demand. For example, if a restaurant needs more staff on weekends, create extra open shifts for Friday through Sunday.
   • After defining open shifts, drag them to the appropriate employees.
     
     
4. Use open shifts to cover absences
   • When an employee’s shift overlaps with an absence, move the original shift to the Open shifts row. The shift will be marked as an alert.
   • Identify available staff and drag the open shift to the selected employee.
     
     

Tips or troubleshooting

• Ensure you are in edit mode and have the proper permission if dragging doesn’t work.
• Create open shifts to spot gaps in coverage before publishing.
• Use area and team filters to focus on specific sections when there are many open shifts.

Best practices

• Create open shifts ahead of time to account for peaks in demand and planned absences.
• Review open shifts for conflicts before assigning them.
• Save templates that include recurring open shifts to speed up planning.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I add breaks or pauses to an open shift?
   Yes. Enter start and end times and select the appropriate break type in the Open shift window.
2. Why can’t I publish open shifts?
   Open shifts are not tied to an employee and therefore aren’t included in publication. Assign the shift to an employee to include it in the published schedule.
3. How do I copy an open shift to multiple days?
   Use the day‑of‑week buttons in the creation window to select multiple days. The shift will be copied to each selected day.