How to Set Up Shift Swaps and Open Shifts

If you're a busy retail manager or owner overseeing multiple stores, you probably don't want to add another task to your never-ending to-do list.

But there is one task you absolutely should add to your list: making it possible for your employees to swap shifts or take open shifts.

You might be thinking, What?! How could this possibly benefit my store?

And yet, it does. When a team of researchers tested out responsible scheduling practices—including shift swapping—in 28 Gap, Inc. stores over the course of 9 months, here’s what they found:

• 5.1% increase in overall store productivity
• 3.3% increase in sales
• 1.8% decline in labor hours

Yes, that’s right. Responsible scheduling—including shift trading—meant Gap, Inc. drove sales and reduced labor hours.

Not by cutting staff, but by using employee time more efficiently.

So how can you put this into practice in your own stores? Let’s break it down.

How to Set Up Shift Swaps and Open Shifts

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how to set up shift swaps and open shifts, let’s clarify what these terms mean:

• Shift swap: When two employees agree to trade shifts. For example, one person takes another’s Friday night shift, and in return, the other covers their Sunday morning shift.
  
  
• Open shift: A shift that isn’t yet assigned to anyone—often because of a call-out, schedule gap, or extra coverage need—that employees can volunteer to pick up.

Both approaches give employees flexibility and make sure managers don’t get stuck scrambling for last-minute coverage.

At first glance, both of these might sound like headaches for any manager. But you handle them with structure—and the right software—they turn into tools for stronger coverage, smoother ops, and happier employees.

1. Get Clear on Shift Swaps (and Use the Right Software)

The first step in managing shift swaps is making sure everyone knows what’s what.

If you've never allowed shift swapping before, you get to start with a clean slate. If you have allowed shift swapping but only in an unofficial, off-the-books type of arrangement handled via text threads, change is in order.

If you already use scheduling software, make sure it has a shift trade function. If it doesn't—looking at you, Excel!—consider moving your scheduling operations over to a more powerful platform.

You need one that makes shift swaps and open shifts seamless by offering things like:

• Employee-initiated swaps and open shift requests. These requests should be made within the scheduling system rather than via text chains. Ideally, your software should have an app to make shift swapping easy and convenient for employees and managers. 
  
  
• Automatic schedule updates. Each time a swap is approved or an open shift is claimed, your software should automatically update the schedule.
  
  
• Visibility into pending swaps. Employees and managers should be able to see requests in real time.
  
  
• Cross-store shift sharing. If you run multiple stores and employee teams that work in more than one location, make sure open shifts can be posted across multiple locations. This helps maximize your store coverage without giving you an instant migraine.
  
  
• Manager oversight with one-tap approvals. It should be easy to keep swaps compliant with labor laws and fair for employees without loading more admin work onto your shoulders.

When your scheduling tool comes with these features baked in, it's much easier for you to create an organized shift trade and open shift policy.

(PS: yes, Shiftlab can do all of the above—and then some. Learn more about how shift swaps work in scheduling apps with Shiftlab.)

2. Set Eligibility Rules and Guardrails

Not every employee is interchangeable. Some roles require specific training or certifications. Without boundaries, you risk putting someone behind the register or in a department where they’re not qualified.

Again, this is where shift trading software will make your life a million times easier.

But whether you have software with shift swap capabilities or not, make sure you define, outline, and document:

• Role restrictions. Use your scheduling system to prevent swaps that drop untrained employees into specialized roles.
  
  
• Manager approval. Require all swaps to be approved before they’re final. Software that offers one-click approvals makes shift trades quick and easy.
  
  
• Deadlines: To prevent last-minute scrambles, set a cutoff that works for your business. For example, you could say that shift swaps must be submitted at least 24–48 hours in advance.
  
  
• Frequency limits. Consider setting a cap on how often an employee can swap or pick up extra shifts in a given period (weekly/monthly). This keeps opportunities fair and helps prevent burnout.
  
  
• Open shifts: Decide how these will be offered. Some companies post open shifts to all eligible employees on a first-come, first-served basis. Others give preference to part-timers looking for more hours.
  

3. Put the Policy into Writing (and in the System)

Employees need more than verbal agreements. Or even notes in a Slack channel or on sticky notes in the back office. Employees need, and deserve, a consistent, written policy.

Ideally, you'll embed your policy in your scheduling platform so employees can always see and access it.

After you decide to implement shift swaps and create your policy, spread the word about it! The best shift swap policy is useless if no one knows it exists.

Roll out your policy with a quick all-hands meeting, post it in your scheduling app, and remind staff about it during team huddles.

Encourage your employees to use the system. On your end, make sure the shift coverage strategy runs as smoothly as possible—post open shifts, give swaps quick approval, and resolve any glitches right away.

The more the system works like a well-oiled machine, the more likely employees are to embrace shift trades.

And above anything else, stay open to feedback from your team.

Now, we know you’re probably asking, “Who has time to draft an entire shift swap policy by hand?”

Not you, that’s who!

That's why we've created one for you.

Feel free to copy/paste our shift swap policy template and edit it to fit your retail store's needs.

Free Shift Swapping Policy Template

Shift Swap Policy Example for [Insert Retailer/Restaurant Name]

Purpose: We want employees to have the flexibility to trade shifts with each other or pick up extra hours. At the same time, we want to make sure the process is fair and compliant with labor laws, all while allowing for adequate store coverage.

Important: All activity must happen within the scheduling system so there’s a single source of truth for coverage and accountability.

Process

Here's what the process of swapping a shift with a teammate or taking an open shift in our schedule looks like:

1. Employees who cannot work a scheduled shift must offer it through the scheduling system (no side deals or text messages, please).

2. Once a shift is offered, the system will notify all eligible employees. If they’d like to pick up the shift, these employees then have two options:

• Option A: Pick up the shift—take it as an open shift, adding hours to their schedule.
• Option B: Swap the shift—trade it for one of their own scheduled shifts.

3. The system will automatically check for:

• Overtime or compliance risks
• Role/skill requirements
• Fairness and scheduling balance

4. Managers will aim to review and approve or deny swap and open shift requests within 24 hours of submission.

• For same-day or next-day requests, managers should respond within 4 hours whenever possible, to ensure employees have clarity and shifts are properly covered.

5. Once approved, the schedule will update automatically in the system, and employees will be notified immediately.

Deadlines

• Shift offers and swap requests must be submitted at least [X hours/days] before the shift.
• Open shifts will be posted in the system at least [X hours/days] in advance and may be claimed until the cutoff.
• Emergency call-outs are subject to manager discretion but must still be logged in the system.

Responsibilities

• Once a swap, offer, or open shift is approved, the employee accepting the shift is responsible for attendance.
• No-shows for approved swaps or pickups will be recorded as an absence for the employee who accepted.
• Employees are responsible for checking the scheduling system to confirm updates.

Limitations

• All swaps, offers, and open shifts must happen through the scheduling system—side deals or text-message swaps will not be honored.
• Swaps and pickups cannot exceed overtime or break compliance (system will flag automatically).
• Frequency limits may apply (e.g., no more than two swaps per month or three open shifts per week per employee). These are monitored by the system automatically.
• Managers reserve the right to deny requests that compromise coverage, fairness, or compliance.

Have Feedback On This Policy?

We encourage employees to share feedback on this shift swap policy and the swap process. You can speak directly with a manager or submit feedback through the scheduling system’s feedback option.

Our management team will regularly review feedback to improve fairness, transparency, and ease of use.

The Business Benefits of Shift Swaps and Open Shifts

When shift trades and open shifts are managed well, the payoff goes straight to your bottom line.

As we saw in the Gap study, empowering employees with scheduling practices like shift swaps can increase your profits and boost employee productivity.

Additional benefits can include:

• Reduced absenteeism: Employees who can swap or pick up shifts are far less likely to no-show. That means fewer coverage gaps and smoother operations.
• Better coverage means better sales: With fewer short-staffed shifts, your team can serve more customers—and do it faster.
• Less stress for managers: No more frantic texts at 2 p.m. on a Saturday. A clear swap process saves managers their time and sanity.

But that’s not all. Retail tends to have a high turnover rate, and constantly having to find and train new employees—if you can find them—is pricey and time-consuming.

Guess what causes employees the most frustration and desire to leave a retail job? According to McKinsey’s 2022 Frontline Retail Great Attrition and Great Attraction Survey, it’s a lack of flexibility.

“The desire for more flexibility is the most common reason US frontline retail workers leave their jobs,” write the authors of the McKinsey report. “Can retailers create a more flexible workplace for store staff? The best frontline retail employers are innovating to do so—for example, by offering shift swapping among peers.”

In other words, if you’re not already offering shift swapping, you might actually be losing out on saved costs in addition to increased profits and productivity.

If you increase flexibility in your retail store, you’re on track to retain employees even when stores around you are losing them at every turn.

But managers and store owners must make sure to implement shift trading in a way that leaves no room for confusion.

Along with a shift swap policy, you need an easy way to keep track of your shift coverage.

And in 2025, this means using appropriate shift trading software.

This is where Shiftlab comes in.

Why You Need Shift Swapping Software (like Shiftlab)

“It is 6am in the morning,” begins a frustrated post on a Reddit thread from r/RantsFromRetail. “I woke abruptly at 5:30 am, being called and then asked where I am. Despite the fact I had a [dang] agreement with my co worker to swap shifts for today.”

Oof.

The frazzled poster explains that they thought they could sleep in, but now they’re on the hook to come to work. Worse, the co-worker they swapped shifts with isn’t answering any phone calls or messages.  

This person had, to the poster’s knowledge, messaged the two employees’ manager about swapping shifts. But the manager appears not to know about it, and now the poster’s day has begun with an unhealthy dose of panic.

And the commenters on the post? They get it. They have, unfortunately, been there.

Chimes in another, “I do not consider a swapped shift official until I see it on the schedule. I do not trust managers nor coworkers. If someone asks me to swap I tell them to notify the manager and asks that the schedule be updated. I also ask to be copied in the messaging.” 

Every bit of this confusion, mistrust, and chaos could’ve been avoided with the right software system.

When you create a shift swap policy and put it to work using scheduling software like Shiftlab, there’s no chaos.

When swaps and open shifts run smoothly, everyone wins: employees, managers, and your bottom line. Discover how Shiftlab makes it simple—book your demo to see how it works.