What Are Open Shifts?
Open Shifts allow managers to create unassigned shifts that employees can claim themselves. It's a flexible and efficient way to cover absences, fill gaps, or offer extra hours — all without the chaos of group messages or last-minute calls.
Open Shifts can be claimed through the web or MyZimply app and must be approved by a manager before they’re added to an employee’s schedule.
For Admins: How to Turn On Open Shifts
To enable the Open Shifts feature for your account:
Click on your user profile name in the top-right corner.
Select Settings from the dropdown.
In the left sidebar, expand Scheduling Settings.
Click on Open Shifts.
Choose Yes to activate Open Shifts.
Optional: Set a minimum number of days before a shift when employees are allowed to submit a claim.
Click Save.
📌 Note: Unclaimed shifts with no approved offers will remain in the schedule for reporting purposes.
For Managers
How to Create an Open Shift
Go to the Schedule
Open your location’s schedule as usual.
Use the “Open Shifts” Row
At the top of the schedule, you’ll see a dedicated “Open Shifts” row.
Create from Blank or Drag Existing Shift
From Blank: Click an empty slot to add a new shift with no assigned employee.
From Popular Shifts: Drag and drop a popular shift to add a new shift, the new shift will have the popular shift settings. (Duration and Position)
From Existing: Drag an assigned shift up to the Open Shift row to make it available for others.
Set Shift Details
Add time, position (optional) or adjust the times. You can leave position blank if the shift is flexible.
How to Publish an Open Shift
There are 2 triggers to publish Open Shifts:
Click the “Blue Arrow” icon in the Open Shifts Row, this will publish only the open shifts that have “Not Published” status. Perfect if you're not ready to publish the full schedule.
Click the “Actions” button and select Publish, then the modal will open and: Publish with Schedule – if you want to release everything at once.
Only employees not already scheduled during the shift time will receive notifications.
Reviewing Claims
Go to the Shift Offers tab in the navigation bar.
View all pending requests.
Click a claim to see:
Employee name
Weekly hours
Compliance alerts (e.g., max hours exceeded)
Notes from the employee (if submitted)
Choose to:
Approve – the shift will be assigned to that employee.
Decline – they’ll receive a rejection notification.
Approving one claim automatically declines all others for the same shift.
For Employees
How to Know When an Open Shift is Available
You’ll get a push notification and email if:
A manager has published an open shift, and
You are not already scheduled at that time.
You can also check the MyZimply app or the web app for available Open Shifts.
How to Claim an Open Shift
Go to your schedule view (web or MyZimply).
Look for “Open Shift” entries.
Tap a shift to see:
Shift details
How it affects your total weekly hours
Click Claim Shift.
Your claim will be marked as “Pending Approval.”
How to Cancel a Claim
Go back to the claimed shift.
Tap Cancel Claim.
You’ll see a toast message:
“Shift claim cancelled successfully. This shift is no longer in your schedule.”
Notifications Overview
Action | Recipient | Type | Message |
Open Shift Published | Eligible Employees | Push + Email | “New Open Shift Available – Claim it before it's gone!” |
Claim Submitted | Manager | Push + Email | “New Shift Claim Submitted – Review Needed!” |
Claim Approved | Employee | Push + Email | “Your Shift Claim Was Approved!” |
Claim Declined | Employee | Push + Email | “Your Shift Claim Was Declined” |
Claim Submitted | Employee | In-App Toast | “Shift claim submitted successfully.” |
Claim Cancelled | Employee | In-App Toast | “Shift claim cancelled successfully.” |
FAQs
Can employees claim more than one open shift?
Yes, as long as shifts don’t overlap and they’re not scheduled during that time.
Do open shifts expire?
Currently, no. Managers must manually remove or reassign them. Expired Open Shifts will remain in the schedule for reporting purposes.
Can employees see who else claimed a shift?
No. Claims are private — only the manager sees the full list of applicants.
What happens if no one claims a shift?
It remains open until manually filled or deleted. If the date expires, no claims can be submitted for that shift.