What is shift trading?

Shift trading happens when an employee swaps their shift with another employee. This usually happens due to a scheduling conflict. Maybe the employee forgot to ask for time off, didn’t update their availability or had a last-minute issue pop up. It’s a way for the employee to get their shift covered, so they don’t have to call in.

Problems with employees trading shifts

Switching shifts might not seem like a big deal at first glance. But it can make life difficult for managers and HR. Some issues you might notice if your employees shift swap frequently include:

• Lack of experience: Employees don’t all have the same skills and experience. If employees swap shifts for different roles within the company, they might not be equipped to handle the workload. This can slow productivity or even create potentially dangerous situations due to a lack of competence or knowledge of safety protocols.
• Payroll costs: It’s common for your employees to have different pay rates, so trading shifts could throw off your payroll costs. If an employee with a higher pay rate works a longer shift than originally scheduled due to the swap, you’ll pay more than expected. In a shift cover situation, the lower-paid employee might work fewer total hours because a higher-paid employee covers their shift and works their own.
• Overtime issues: When employees trade shifts, some of them could end up working overtime. If you’re not expecting to hand out overtime pay, this also causes an unexpected increase in payroll costs.
• Missed shifts: Even when both employees agree to the swap, one or both of them might forget about their new shifts. This can happen if they’re used to working the same shifts each week but suddenly they’re working at a different time. Or they might forget to write down the new shift and just follow the original schedule. This could leave you short-staffed.
• Poor communication: If employees don’t go through the proper channels or don’t inform management about the schedule swap, the people in charge won’t know to expect someone different. They might call the wrong person if the employee who’s supposed to work doesn’t show up. It can also cause confusion and force the manager on duty to assign workers to different roles during the shift.
• Team dynamics: Employees who are used to seeing specific coworkers during their shifts might be confused when someone different shows up. It can affect the dynamics if the group has an effective rhythm and process for doing the work.

Creating a shift swap policy

Creating a company policy about trading shifts can help manage the process and eliminate some of the potential problems. A policy that allows shift changes and flexibility while keeping things controlled benefits you and your employees. When developing your policy, include these details:

• Definition of swapping shifts
• Who can swap (restrictions based on positions, experience level, etc.)
• Requirements, such as swapping shifts of the same length
• When swaps are accepted
• Deadline for completing and notifying managers about swaps
• Process for submitting a swap
• Approval process
• Disciplinary action for failing to follow the policy and standard procedures

Use technology to manage the process

Employee scheduling software can simplify the process of creating shifts and handling swaps when necessary. These programs often have shift-swapping capabilities built into them to help handle the changes. They might allow employees to post the shifts they can’t work, so others can take them. You can also keep track of the changes as they happen and verify that all shifts are covered.

Minimizing switch shifts

Having a policy in place can make managing shift changes easier, but you still may want to cut down on this situation as much as possible. It’s still easier if everyone works the shifts you schedule them for without lots of swapping. Here are some ways that you can cut down on how many shift swaps happen in your workplace.

1. Keep lines of communication open

Creating an environment of collaboration and open communication can help minimize scheduling issues. Give your employees several ways to contact you or other managers, so they can bring up scheduling issues or availability changes. This might include calls, emails, chats or posts in your scheduling software.

2. Ask for employee availability

Start with asking employees to give you their general availability. Of course, unexpected issues could pop up. But knowing and respecting each person’s normal availability and conflicts can help you schedule them at times that work for them.

Check in with employees regularly to make sure their availability is still accurate. This can be especially important if you have high school or college students working for you. Ask them to update their availability when school starts or ends for the year. They might also have changes in availability during the year if they’re involved in extracurricular activities.

3. Make it easy to request time off

Shift coverage is important to keep your business running smoothly, but your employees need the flexibility to take time off for various situations. They might have an upcoming family vacation or an important doctor’s appointment scheduled. Being able to request time off allows them to attend to those personal matters.

Establish a process for requesting time off to help avoid scheduling conflicts. Make the time-off requests easily accessible and straightforward to complete. You might also set deadlines for requesting time off to make it easier to schedule shifts that work with those requests. Encourage your employees to ask for time off, rather than making them feel like it’s a burden. This can increase the likelihood of them using time-off requests, instead of shift swaps, to manage their schedules.

4. Schedule shifts in advance

Scheduling and posting shifts as far in advance as possible can minimize last-minute swaps. Employees can identify conflicts and talk to you about having the schedule changed, instead of finding a last-minute fill-in for the shift. Make sure the schedule is easily accessible and easy to read, so employees can check it early.

5. Use consistent scheduling

When you find schedules that work for your employees, stick with them. This allows your staff to work the shifts they prefer and that fit their personal schedules well. They get used to working those same shifts each week, so it becomes a routine. If you’re constantly moving people around, you might run into more conflicts with their schedules. You might not be able to keep the schedule the same every week, but aim for consistency when possible.

6. Communicate your expectations and policies

Employees might not think about the consequences of last-minute shift swaps or not keeping their availability up to date. Cover these topics, including your shift-swapping policy, during the onboarding process, so new employees have that information. If shift swapping becomes an issue with a few employees or with your entire staff, revisit the topic and emphasize why you have certain procedures and policies in place.

FAQs about trading shifts

Can a manager deny a shift swap?

Trading shifts is a situation that might require manager approval. That means the manager could potentially deny the shift swap. A denial could happen if the change would cause someone to work overtime or if one of the employees isn’t qualified to handle the other person’s job. Deciding whether or not to approve a shift swap is usually on a case-by-case basis.

Is trading shifts more common in some industries?

This situation is common in hourly situations where shifts might change from week to week. Examples include retail, restaurant, caregiving, healthcare, call center and hospitality settings. These businesses are often open for much longer hours, including nights and weekends, which might make some of the shifts difficult to work. They also need adequate coverage to keep the business running smoothly, so employees can’t simply call in sick or not show up.

Are there benefits to allowing employees to switch shifts?

A shift swap can help employees handle conflicts, so they can keep a balance between work and life. They can handle unexpected issues and still earn the money they need to pay their bills, which gives them flexibility. It can also help you maintain adequate staffing. If an employee has a scheduling conflict and can’t switch shifts, they might simply call in or not show up, which leaves you shorthanded.