What are open shifts?

Open shifts are unassigned work shifts that employees can claim instead of being pre-scheduled by managers. Think of them as available opportunities posted in your scheduling system that eligible team members can pick up based on their availability and preferences. This flexible approach helps you maintain coverage during busy periods, last-minute callouts, or when demand fluctuates—without the headache of constantly rearranging schedules.

With Homebase, you can create open shifts that automatically notify your team when coverage is needed, letting employees claim shifts that work for their schedules while keeping your business fully staffed.

Why open shifts matter for employers

Open shifts solve some of the biggest scheduling nightmares small businesses face. When you're running a restaurant and someone calls in sick during the dinner rush, or your retail store suddenly gets busier than expected, traditional scheduling falls apart. You're left scrambling to find coverage, often paying overtime or dealing with understaffing.

• Reduce last-minute scheduling chaos when employees call out or demand spikes unexpectedly
• Control labor costs by matching staffing to actual business needs instead of over-scheduling
• Improve employee satisfaction by giving your team more control over their work hours
• Save management time spent on constant schedule adjustments and manual shift assignments
• Maintain better coverage as multiple eligible employees can see and claim available shifts

Key features, components, or examples

Understanding how open shifts work helps you implement them effectively in your business operations.

• Shift creation and posting: Managers create shifts for specific times and roles without assigning them to anyone, then publish them for eligible employees to see
• Employee notifications: Team members receive alerts via app, text, or email when new open shifts become available that match their qualifications
• Claiming process: Employees can browse available shifts and claim ones that fit their schedule, often on a first-come, first-served basis
• Manager approval: Depending on your setup, claimed shifts can be automatically assigned or require manager approval before being finalized
• Example: A restaurant posts an open shift for Saturday night when they expect a busy evening. Three servers are qualified and available, so they can all see the shift. The first one to claim it gets added to the schedule automatically
• Labor cost visibility: Managers can quickly estimate labor costs for an unfilled shift by plugging projected hours into a free time card calculator before posting it

Common challenges or mistakes

Many small business owners struggle with open shift management when they don't set clear guidelines or rely on manual processes that don't scale.

• Allowing shift monopolization where the same employees always grab the best shifts while others miss out—establish fair rotation policies or limits on how many open shifts one person can claim
• Poor communication about available shifts leading to unclaimed shifts and understaffing—use automated notifications and make sure all eligible employees know how to access open shifts
• Not setting proper eligibility requirements resulting in unqualified employees claiming shifts they can't handle—configure your system to only show shifts to employees with the right skills, certifications, or experience level

How Homebase helps

Homebase can simplify open shifts by automating the entire process from creation to assignment. Whether you're managing time off, staying compliant with labor laws, or avoiding payroll errors, Homebase gives you the tools to stay on track.

Our built-in time clock ensures hours are captured accurately whenever employees claim open shifts.

Our platform delivers several key benefits:

• Automatic notifications to eligible employees when open shifts become available
• Streamlined claiming process that updates your schedule in real-time
• Customizable settings for qualification requirements, approval workflows, and fair distribution rules
• Seamless integration with time tracking and payroll systems

Plus, everything integrates smoothly with your existing systems, eliminating extra work when employees pick up additional hours. Homebase even syncs seamlessly with ADP RUN, so any additional hours from claimed shifts flow right into payroll without extra data entry.

Before approving extra hours, consider these important factors:

• Verify your local minimum wage requirements to avoid unintended overtime costs
• Evaluate whether to split long open shifts into shorter ones based on how many hours in a year each employee works
• Compare gross vs net pay for extra shifts to determine if overtime makes financial sense

And if a team member wonders what their extra hours might look like on an annual salary, point them toward an hourly to salary calculator.

Explore Homebase scheduling to eliminate the chaos of last-minute shift changes and keep your team fully staffed.