An Open Shift is a scheduling feature that allows employees to claim for or select a shift that has been created by the Admin, based on their own preferences and availability.
Rather than assigning employees to shifts one by one, the Admin can make shifts available for claiming. Employees then have the flexibility to decide whether they want to take them — which makes staffing more dynamic and collaborative.
Benefits for Admins
Faster shift filling – Instead of manually selecting each employee, you can make a shift available to multiple employees, allowing them to self-assign.
Reduced admin work – No more chasing employee for confirmation — the system handles the selection process.
Improved engagement – Employees feel empowered when they have a say in their schedule.
Benefits for Employees
Flexibility – Employees can choose shifts that suit their personal schedules.
Opportunities – Gives employees a fair chance to work extra shifts and earn additional income or try shifts in different outlets or roles as part of job exposure
Increased job satisfaction – Being able to control one’s own working hours often results in happier, more engaged employees.
💡 Scenario:
Imagine a hotel is preparing for a large group check-in on a Saturday evening. Rather than contacting each employee to check availability, the Admin creates an Open Shift for that ad-hoc time slot that requires additional manpower. Employees who are available can then claim for the shift, allowing the Admin to receive confirmations promptly and without extra back-and-forth.
1. Creating an Open Shift
👉 Create the open shift to get started. Learn how to create an open shift with this guide.
2. Publishing an Open Shift
Once you create the Open Shift, you will need to publish the Open shift so that the employee is aware of the available open shift and they can claim for it.
👉 Learn how to publish an open shift with this guide.
3. Unpublishing an Open Shift
Sometimes you may need to temporarily hide a shift from employees — for example, if details have changed.
👉 Learn how to unpublish an open shift with this guide.
4. Deleting an Open Shift
If you no longer need an Open Shift, you can delete it entirely.
👉 Follow this guide to learn how to delete an open shift.
5. Close Open Shift
Closing an Open Shift allows an Admin to stop employees from claiming or selecting the shift; either immediately or at a scheduled date/time.
👉 Learn how to close an open shift with this guide.
6. Understanding the Open Shift Details Page
The Open Shift Details page gives you a full overview of the shift. To access it, simply click on the Open Shift you’ve created.
👉 Get a complete understanding of the Open Shift Details page in this guide.
7. Adding Employees Directly to an Open Shift
There may be times when you prefer to directly assign employees to an Open Shift instead of waiting for them to claim.
👉 Learn how to add employees directly to an open shift with this guide.
Great! You now understand what an Open Shift is and how it works.
Still exploring? Head over to our Help Center for more in-depth guides and FAQs.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at support@gutsyhq.com. We'll get back to you from there.