| Note: Some features or functions mentioned in this article may not yet be visible in your account. These updates are being gradually rolled out and will be available on relevant plans soon. |
- Introduction to Open shifts
- What is an Open shift vs Empty shift
- How to create an Open shift
- Open shift with offers
- Claiming an Open Shift
- Manager notifications for open shifts that are claimed
Introduction to Open shifts
What is an Open shift vs an Empty shift
Open Shift: A shift in the schedule that has no team member allocated to it yet but is available for all recommended team members, or a select group of team members, to accept and work that shift.
Empty Shift: A shift in the schedule that has no team member allocated to it and has not been offered to any team members yet to claim.
How to create an Open shift
When you create an Open shift, it will be available for any recommended team member to claim.
1. On the Schedule page, you can drag the Open Shift from the top of the team member list into the area and day you want to create the shift.
Alternatively, you can click the + icon in the area you want to create a new shift.
2. In the popup that appears, click the drop-down menu at the top of the popup and select Open shift from the list.
3. In the same window, fill in the rest of the details of the shift such as start, break and finish times, as well as any notes to the team member who takes the shift. When you are finished, click Save.
5. Ensure that you publish your schedule when you are finished.
Open shifts with offers to specific team members
Shift offers let you invite a specific group of team members at a location to claim an open or empty shift. This gives you control over who can fill gaps in your schedule and helps you find coverage faster than contacting people one by one. If you’re trying to fill a last-minute shift or sudden gap, you can also offer shifts to team members at other locations using the Send offers flow, as long as you manage those locations and have the required permissions.
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On the shift, click the three dots and select Send offers.
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A pop-up will appear where you can choose who to send the offer to.
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To offer the shift to Team members at this location, use the dropdown under Team members at location name. Review the staff list, starting with the RECOMMENDED section, and select the team members you want to invite.
Note: You can still select a team member even if they are not recommended by overriding the warning . -
To offer the shift to Team members at other locations, click Send offers to other locations, then select the relevant locations from the dropdown and click Done. When sending offers to other locations, only team members who are both schedulable and have the appropriate training tags will receive the offer.
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If you want to include a custom message, enter it under Message to team members. This message will appear only in the email notification sent to your team members and is not included in the SMS notification sent out (if enabled in your account). To then send the offer and notify your team, click Send offers. You don’t need to publish the shift afterward.
- You can send an offer to both recommended and non-recommended team members.
- Whoever claims the shift offer first will take the shift. You are not able to use the shift offer in conjunction Shift with approval.
Cancelling an offer to a team member
After sending an offer to a team member, if they have not claimed the shift yet and the manager wishes to cancel the offer, they can do this by opening the shift details and clicking Cancel offers to cancel all offers to team members. Alternatively, they can click View to see the offers sent.
Claiming an Open shift
If your team members have notifications turned on for the Deputy mobile app then when a manager publishes shifts, they will be alerted when an Open Shift appears. They are then able to claim the shift directly from the Deputy mobile app.
Alternatively, if notifications are not turned on, team members can still claim Open Shifts via the Deputy app, web browser application or their email.
Note: If the Open shift is in an Area that has preferred employees, only those team members who are preferred employees will be able to see and claim the Open shift.
Claiming Open shifts via the Deputy website
1. Log into Deputy at once.deputy.com
2. Navigate to the Me tab. In the Calendar section, the Open shift will appear on the relevant day on the calendar and you can click on it. Alternatively, you can click on Available Shifts to see all open shifts.
3. After clicking on the Open shift, a pop-up window will open.
4. Click Claim Shift to indicate you will work this shift. (The shift will be automatically allocated to the first team member to claim it)
Claiming Open shifts via Deputy mobile apps
If you have notifications turned on for your Deputy app you will receive a notification whenever there is a new Open shift. You can tap on this notification and open Deputy.
1. In the Deputy mobile app navigate tap on the Home tab select Available Shifts.
2. Tap on the Open shift you want to claim.
3. Tap Claim shift.
If you tap on the schedule tab and view the date of the shift you just claimed you will see your name assigned to the shift.
Note: The image below shows the option to decline the open shift. This option will only be available if the open shift is offered directly to the team member as an open shift or to find a replacement for another team member. The decline shift button will not be available in situations where open shifts have been created and no team members have specifically been offered or invited to work the shift.
Claiming an Open shift via email
Open shifts will be sent to recommended team members via email. Team members can claim the shift directly from their email without needing to login Deputy (unless they choose to by clicking Log in with Deputy)
1. Click View in your email and another browser window on your device will be opened.
2. Click Claim on the shift you wish to claim
you will see Accepted next to the shift you have claimed.
Manager notifications for Open Shifts
Managers will receive notifications when a team member claims an open shift. If managers are logged into the Deputy mobile app then they will receive a push notification on their phone, otherwise, they will receive an email.
Notifications (via push or email as described above) will be sent to certain managers according to the configuration applied in the Location's Scheduling Settings. Read more in FAQs about manager notifications.
Managers can also view who claimed the shift in the schedule or shift history.
For more information on creating Open shifts with Approval please read: Open Shifts with Approval