Requests & approvals

Every request in one place.
Every answer on time.

Availability for the next schedule, shift trades and time off: employees ask from the app, within the rules you set. Managers approve with the full picture in front of them, and everyone is notified.

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  • Scheduling shift workers since 2005
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Availability

Availability for the next schedule, in on time

Employees mark the shifts they can’t work, would rather not work and want, from the app. You set the deadline, the app reminds them, and you see who sent and who didn’t.

  • Can’t work, prefer not, prefer and strongly prefer, in your own words
  • Per shift or by hours, with a note for the manager
  • The number of shifts an employee would like this time
  • A deadline for every schedule, and app reminders before it closes
  • Who sent availability and who didn’t, in one list
  • Managers can enter requests for an employee, and set fixed weekly availability

Fair limits

Requests within the rules, the same for everyone

Set limits on availability, so everyone leaves enough room to be scheduled. A request that breaks a limit isn’t saved, and the employee sees which rule stopped it.

  • Leave at least a number of days or shifts open
  • At most a number of "can’t work" requests a week or a month
  • At most a number of employees blocking the same shift
  • Limits for specific days and shifts, and for groups of employees
  • Dates when no requests are allowed, such as holidays and events

Shift trades

Trade shifts without the phone calls

Employees arrange trades from the app. EZShift sends the request to the right colleagues, so nobody has to call around, and checks every trade against your rules before a manager approves it.

  • Swap

    Give one shift and take another, with a specific colleague or with anyone working on the dates you choose.

  • Give away

    Offer a shift to one colleague or to the whole team, optionally only to those whose position fits.

  • Open shifts

    Employees take open shifts from the published schedule, directly or with a manager’s approval, as you choose.

How a trade is approved

Agreed by both employees. Checked. Approved by a manager.

A trade goes into the schedule only after the colleague accepts, EZShift checks it against your scheduling rules, and a manager approves. Both employees hear about it.

  1. Request An employee asks for a trade from the app. The right colleagues get a push notification.
  2. The colleague accepts The employee who asked is notified. On a request sent to several colleagues, the manager picks one.
  3. Checked, then approved Before the manager approves, EZShift checks the trade against your rules: rest, hours, positions and more. The manager sees the alerts and approves or rejects.
  4. Both are notified Both employees get the answer by push and email, and the schedule is updated.

Time off

Time off, approved with the whole picture

Employees ask for a day or a range of dates from the app, and attach a document if needed. The request goes straight to the managers responsible for that employee and that type of request.

  • Your request typesVacation, sick leave, training or any type you define. Some types, such as sick leave, can be allowed on blocked dates.
  • The right manager, in the right orderRequests go to managers by team, position and request type. Add a first approver before the final one.
  • Everything before you decideWho else is off that day, whether the employee is already scheduled, and holidays or events in the range.
  • The schedule followsApprove and remove the employee from shifts already scheduled on those dates, or keep them. The employee is notified either way.

Control

Every request leaves a trail

Who asked, who approved and when. Requests stay with their answers, their documents and the conversation around them.

  • A conversation per request

    Managers and employees write to each other on the request itself, and can attach files.

  • History and reports

    A log of new, approved, declined and changed requests, and a time-off report in Excel or PDF.

  • Permissions

    Choose which managers handle trades, which handle time off, and who may edit availability.

Questions about requests and approvals

What if an employee doesn’t send availability on time?

The app reminds employees before the deadline, and you see a list of who sent availability and who didn’t. You decide whether employees who didn’t send are treated as available or not.

Can employees change their availability after the deadline?

No. After the deadline the schedule is closed to requests. Managers can move the deadline or enter a request for an employee.

Do trades need a manager’s approval?

Yes. A trade goes into the schedule only after the colleague accepts, EZShift checks it against your scheduling rules, and a manager approves. Open shifts can be taken directly or with approval, as you choose when you publish.

Can a sick note be attached?

Yes. Employees can attach a file when they send a time-off request, and in the conversation on the request.

Does time off affect the schedule automatically?

When you approve, you choose whether to remove the employee from shifts already scheduled on those dates. From then on, the engine won’t schedule them on those days.

Requests in. Answers out. Schedule updated.

14 days of full access, no credit card needed.

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