Swap or cover

Two different requests get called “swaps”, and it helps to keep them apart:

  • A swap is a trade. Alex takes Sam's Tuesday and Sam takes Alex's Friday. Both still work the same number of shifts.
  • A cover is a give-away. Alex can't work Friday and Sam takes it. Sam works more that week and Alex works less.

Covers change people's weekly hours more than swaps do, so they're the ones more likely to cause overtime.

A simple swap policy

Copy this and adjust it to your team:

  1. You may trade or give away a shift once the schedule is posted, up to 24 hours before it starts.
  2. You're responsible for finding the other person. The shift stays yours until a manager approves the change.
  3. The person taking the shift must be trained for that role.
  4. Swaps that put anyone over 40 hours in a week need a manager's okay.
  5. Inside 24 hours, call the manager on duty instead of arranging it yourself.

Checks before approving

Before you say yes, look at:

  • Hours: each person's total for the week after the trade.
  • Role: whether the new person can do the job on that shift.
  • Rest: whether the trade creates a close followed by an open.
  • Coverage: whether the day still has an opener, a closer and a lead.

Most of the time the answer is yes, and it takes a minute. The value of the check is the one time in ten when it isn't. For more on the hours side, see how to prevent employee overtime.

Keep the schedule current

Once approved, change the schedule itself. A note in a group chat gets lost. Tell both people, and nobody else. If you use a time clock, the next punch should match the new schedule without anyone having to explain it.