Shift swaps

How to offer your shift out to colleagues by giving it away or trading it for one of theirs.

Carl Holloway avatar
Written by Carl Holloway
Updated over a week ago

Shift offer: giving it away

If you're unable to work a shift which has been assigned to you, you can offer it out for another colleague to work. Rotaready will identify the eligible colleagues for you and display the shift for them to accept.

Only when someone accepts the shift are you no longer responsible for it. If no one takes it, you will remain liable to work the shift.

Shift swap: trading it for another

If you're unable to work a shift but don't want to lose the hours, you can swap shifts with another colleague. You take theirs and they take yours.

When you initiate a shift swap, Rotaready will ask you to suggest dates when you'll be available to work instead. Your shift will only appear for the eligible colleagues who have a shift of their own that meets your availability.

Just like with shift offers, only when someone accepts the shift are you no longer responsible for it; you're then responsible for theirs instead. If no one swaps with you, you will remain liable to work the shift.

How to swap a shift

Shift swapping is available exclusively on the Rotaready app.

๐Ÿ‘€ Have a watch of our Spotlight Session 'Making the most of the mobile app' for more information.

P.S. Your employer has the facility to disable shift swapping. They're also in control of how soon a shift can be swapped before it starts; it's typically two days before.

  • Tap the shift you'd like to offer or swap

  • At the bottom of the screen, tap Swap Shift. If this button isn't visible, it may be too late to swap the shift, or your employer may have disabled swapping.

  • Now choose to trade the shift (swap) or give it away (offer)

  • If you chose to give the shift away, you're all done.

  • If you chose to trade, you now need to specify when you're free to work a shift in return. When picking a day you're available to work, you can also specify the time period you're free between.

You'll be notified if someone accepts your shift offer. Your employer may need to approve the swap/offer before it's confirmed, so Rotaready won't notify you until this has taken place.

How to cancel a shift swap

If you've been notified that someone's accepted your shift, it's no longer yours and cannot be changed. In any other case, your offer is still pending and can be retracted:ย 

  • Tap Shift swaps in the navigation menu

  • Tap Offered by meย 

  • Tap on the shift you'd like to cancel swapping

  • Tap Cancel Swap

How to see offered shifts and accept a swap

You'll only be shown shifts that you're eligible for. There are many reasons why a colleague's shift might not appear for you, even if you're free to work it, such as contractual hours, required skills and more.

  • Tap Shift swaps in the navigation menu

  • Tap Offered to me

  • Tap on a shift that you'd like to accept

  • Once accepted, the swap may need approval from your manager before it's confirmed and appears in your schedule. Rotaready will notify both you and your colleague when this happens.

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