Open Shifts

Open shifts refer to the extra gaps in the schedule that still need filled after full and part-time staff schedules are complete. A typical timeline looks like this:

Open shift is an optional feature that allows staff members to pick up additional shifts when there are needs, after a schedule posts.

Your organization determines the business rules around open shifts, which may include incentives. See your manager or System Administrator for specific details on your organization’s open shift program and rules. The main factors on your profile that impact the available shifts that appear include the units in which you are capable of working.

Open Shift Tip Sheet:

Training Video:

Available Shifts: A green shift chip will display if there are open shifts available to the staff member. If your organization’s open shift program includes incentives, the highest advertised incentive amount for all shifts for each day is advertised. Click on the shift to expand to see the specific shifts for that day (see number 2).
Available Shift Times: Displays all available shifts that day. To prevent confusion when taking a quick glance at AM and PM shifts, the staff members Preferred Shift is displayed with a green box around the shift. Should the Preferred Shift of the staff member not be available for pick-up, no shift will be displayed with a green box.
Incentives: If your organization uses incentives, an amount displays indicating the additional amount above your base rate of pay that would apply during the shift. Smart Square displays two amounts, one refers to the per hour (P/H) incentive, the other is a per shift (P/S). For example: 7a-7p is 12 hours. P/H=$5.00 P/S=$60.00 ($5.00 x 12 hours = $60.00). If not using incentives, Smart Square lists the number of each shift available.
Shift: After a shift has been selected and confirmed, a shift will be added to the calendar. The shift will say LOC-TBD, indicating the location or specific unit in which they will be working is still to be determined. See below for more info. If allowed, a trash can icon will allow you to remove a committed shift and can be subject to your organization's absence policy.
PP: This displays the number of hours you are working in a pay period compared to your FTE. For example, a .9 FTE person can work up to 72 hours over a pay period. This will show how many hours you are scheduled.
OS: This displays the Open Shift threshold. The threshold is the number of hours you are required to work before you will see incentive amounts. In this example, this staff member only has 24 of their 36 hour requirement scheduled. This means, she can still pick up a shift, but no incentive will apply. If she picks up another 12 hours, incentives will show for any additional shifts. If only a portion of your shift falls below your commitment, your incentives will be pro-rated.

Try other views to see how open shifts will look! Here is the Week view.

Open Shift (shift time) Filter

You can now choose to see only certain shifts in open shift by using the shift filter. Note: if there are not avaialble shifts for a shift time selected, the shift time will simply not appear.

Open Shift Skills Filter

You can also utilize the skills filter to see only available shifts in a particular skill. After selecting a specific skill, your available shifts will re-calculate and only display available shifts for that specific skill. You may have different options when viewing all skills together, as all skills combines the need for all skills applicable. When drilling into one specific skill, it is only based on the needs of this skill.

When selecting an available shift using the skill filter, your shift will be scheduled as the skill you selected. Note: You may not see the skill on the shift, as the skill is not shown if the shift remains deployable, but rest assured, you are scheduled as the skill when selecting it from the Skill Filter.

If you have been activated to select your skill while selecting open shifts:

Click on the Skills Filter at the top of the screen
The Skill filter area will open. Select the skill you wish to schedule yourself as.

Filters Remain Sticky after Logout

The open shift filters are designed to remain in place each time a staff member logs in—unless they access the system from a different computer or browser, use incognito mode, or clear their cookies and cache. This ensures that the same filters are automatically applied at login, providing a consistent experience.

Committing to an Open Shift

Once you select a shift time from the Available Shifts list, Smart Square will ask if you are sure.

By clicking 'Finish', you are now committed to working the shift. Because Open Shift is designed to maximize each staff members skills and units, the location of where the shift will be worked may not yet be decided. The units in your profile and your organization’s policies determine whether you see a unit assignment on the shift. Smart Square may assign a unit based on the one with the highest need or it may be marked as Location TBD, which means the unit is “to be determined, and the shift color will be grey. These are generally confirmed closer to the start of the shift once staffing levels have been reviewed. In the instance that the location is to be determined.

Location TBD: If the unit is still to be determined, you will see Location TBD. If a unit is assigned, you will see the unit displayed here
$: If an incentive amount applies to the shift, the per hour incentive amount will display here.
Delete: If allowed, you can delete an Open Shift. Clicking the trash can will remove the shift; removal of committed shifts can be treated as an absence and subject to your absence policy.
3 Dots: If allowed, clicking the three dots will submit a Request to Cancel for the committed Open Shift.

OPEN SHIFT BLOCKS (Available in Classic View)

Unit-based block assignments may also be posted. Block assignments are typically multiple shifts assigned to a specific unit. When selecting a block shift, you are committing to all the shifts within the block at the hourly rate posted. Select 'Block Assignments' from the My Schedule (in classic view) menu to view any available shift blocks.

To select a shift block on a specific unit, click the select block option.

An additional message will then appear confirming the staff member is committing to the selected block.

Once the block has been committed to, the selected shifts will appear directly onto the staff member Shift Calendar.

OPEN SHIFT SUMMARY REPORT

The Shift Summary Report, available through the My Schedule (in Classic view) menu for staff that participate in Open Shifts, provides a view of their open shift selection history, including:

Hours Summary: Summary of your open shifts selected and self-cancelled within certain portions of the staffing day, including the average shift incentive, when applicable (note, this would be the non-prorated amount).

Work Shift Detail: A list view of each scheduled open shift and incentive, if applicable.

Hours and Patterns: Summarizes the previous six weeks.