Guides

How to set up a shift swap policy for a small team

Swaps are going to happen. Without a rule, they happen in a text thread you aren’t in, and you find out when the wrong person shows up. A short policy fixes that. Here’s one you can adapt.

A sample policy

1. You find your own cover. If you can’t work a scheduled shift, it’s on you to find a coworker who can.
2. A manager approves every swap. The swap isn’t final until a manager says yes. Until then, the shift is still yours.
3. Swap with someone who can do the job. Kitchen covers kitchen, counter covers counter, unless a manager says otherwise.
4. Give notice. Ask for swaps at least 24 hours before the shift. Same-day emergencies go straight to a manager by phone.
5. The posted schedule is the record. Once approved, the schedule gets updated. If it isn’t on the schedule, it didn’t happen.

Why the manager approval matters

Approval isn’t about control. It catches the problems people miss: the swap that puts someone into overtime, leaves a shift without anyone who can close, or has someone working a late close and an early open back to back.

Covering vs. trading

A cover is one-way: someone takes your shift and you don’t take one of theirs. A trade is two-way: you swap shifts. Trades are two covers, and it’s easiest to handle them that way, so each shift has a clear owner.

Keep it written down

Put the policy in your handbook or on the wall by the schedule. When everyone knows the rule, you stop being the person who has to say no in the moment.

For more on building the schedule itself, see how to make a work schedule.