Download the form
The PDF prints on one US Letter page. The spreadsheet has the blank form, the filled-in example and a how-to sheet. It works out the shift length (including a shift that ends after midnight) and both people's hours after the change, and it flags a volunteer who would reach their weekly limit or has a clashing shift.
We checked the spreadsheet's formulas and print layout in LibreOffice Calc. It has no macros. Saving it as a CSV keeps the answers but drops the dropdowns and checks.
Coverage or swap?
Coverage is one-way: one person gives up a shift and a coworker takes it. A swap is a trade, where each person ends up with the other's shift. This form is for coverage. For trades, the shift swap guide has a simple policy.
Checks before you approve
- The shift on the form matches the published schedule: date, start, end and role.
- The volunteer can do the role. A closing shift may need someone who can lock up.
- The volunteer has no other shift at the same time, or too close to it to get there.
- The shift is within the volunteer's availability, or they've confirmed they can do it anyway.
- The volunteer's hours that week after the change stay under their limit. Overtime is a decision to make now, not a surprise on payroll.
- You record the decision, update the schedule, and tell both people.
Until you approve, nothing has changed. If the volunteer doesn't show, the shift was still the original employee's, which is why a volunteer isn't the same as approved cover.
A filled-in example
Jordan can't work Saturday, January 16, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, a 6-hour barista shift. Priya offers to take it. The people and dates are illustrative.
| Person | Scheduled before | Change | After | Weekly limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan | 38.0 h | −6.0 h | 32.0 h | 40 h |
| Priya | 30.0 h | +6.0 h | 36.0 h | 40 h |
Priya can do the role, has no clashing shift and is free on Saturdays, and 36 hours stays under her 40-hour limit, so the manager approves it. Had Priya already been at 36 hours, taking the shift would have put her at 42. That's over 40 hours in a workweek, the federal overtime line for non-exempt employees, and some states also count overtime by the day. Decide on that before approving, or pick another volunteer.
Recording the decision
| Outcome | What happens to the shift | Who you tell |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | It stays with the original employee. | Nobody yet. Decide before the shift gets close. |
| Approved | It moves to the volunteer. Update the schedule now. | Both people, and anyone working alongside them. |
| Denied | It stays with the original employee. | Both people, with the reason. |
| Withdrawn by employee | It stays with the original employee. | The volunteer. |
If the schedule itself changes as a result, the schedule change notice templates help you tell both people exactly what moved.
Coverage requests in Zchedule
- An employee posts one of their own published shifts that hasn't started. Drafts and past shifts can't be posted.
- Coworkers who can see the team schedule volunteer from the app.
- You see each volunteer's hours that week if they take it, against their limit, and approve one.
- The shift changes hands when you approve, not when someone volunteers.