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Open Shifts: Fill Schedule Gaps Before They Become a Problem

Alert qualified employees to open shifts instantly and fill gaps fast, without the phone-tree scramble that takes up 30 minutes of a manager’s day.

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What It Does

VisualHCM’s open shifts feature notifies eligible employees when a shift becomes available due to a callout, schedule change, or increased demand. Employees can accept the shift directly from their mobile device, and the schedule updates automatically. Managers stay in control without spending time on individual outreach.

The cost of an unfilled shift goes beyond the labor shortfall: it affects service quality, puts additional pressure on the employees who are there, and can create overtime costs when coverage is found at the last minute through less efficient means. Having a fast, structured process for filling open shifts is not a nice-to-have; it’s a direct operational cost control.

Open shifts works alongside the replacement policy, shift bidding, and shift validation modules in VisualHCM to give managers a complete toolkit for schedule coverage. When a callout happens, the sequence is automatic: replacement policy activates first, open shift notification goes out if replacement isn’t confirmed within your defined window, and shift validation confirms the right employee is in place when the shift starts.

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How It Works

Step 1: An Open Shift Is Created Automatically or Manually

An open shift can be created manually by a manager or automatically triggered by a callout through the replacement policy module. The moment an open shift exists in the system, VisualHCM evaluates eligibility rules and identifies which employees qualify based on role, certification, availability, and any other criteria you’ve configured.

Step 2: Eligible Employees Are Notified Simultaneously

All qualified, available employees receive an instant push notification about the open shift, with shift details, location, and a one-tap acceptance option. Because all eligible employees are notified at once, coverage is found faster than sequential phone outreach.

Step 3: First Acceptance Locks the Shift, Manager Approves

The first eligible employee to accept the shift triggers a manager notification for approval. Once approved, the schedule updates automatically, the accepting employee receives a confirmation, and the other employees who were notified receive a message that the shift has been filled.

What's Included

  • Automatic open-shift alerts sent simultaneously to all qualified, available employees, eliminating sequential phone outreach.
  • Employee one-tap shift acceptance from the mobile app, with instant confirmation after manager approval.
  • Eligibility filters to ensure only employees who meet role, certification, and availability requirements see the open shift.
  • Manager approval workflow with mobile notification: managers can approve from anywhere without logging into a desktop system.
  • Integration with payroll and attendance tracking: accepted open shifts flow automatically into the time and payroll record.
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Business Impact

Time to Fill an Open Shift

Simultaneous notification of all eligible employees dramatically reduces the time from open shift creation to confirmed coverage, compared to sequential phone outreach that can take 30 minutes or more for a single shift gap.

Manager Time Saved on Callout Coverage

Automated open shift notifications eliminate the manual outreach process that managers in shift-based industries spend significant time on each week, returning that time to operational management.

Overtime Cost Reduction

Faster open shift coverage reduces the frequency of unplanned overtime that occurs when managers can't find voluntary coverage in time and are forced to extend an already-scheduled employee's shift.

Related Features

Replacement Policy

Open shifts are often generated by the replacement policy module when a callout cannot be filled by the first eligible replacement.

Shift Bidding

If open shift notification doesn’t produce a quick acceptance, the shift can be escalated to shift bidding for broader coverage.

Shift Validation

Open shifts often originate from gaps that validation flagged, and only employees who satisfy the shift’s role and certification requirements are eligible to claim them.

Ready to See It in Action?

Talk to a VCS HR specialist and get a tailored walkthrough of this feature within your specific workflow and industry context.

Call us today 888-864-4144