Dropout recovery
Dropout recovery is the process of refilling a shift seat that has come free (because someone withdrew, said they were unavailable, or didn't show) by drawing on a ranked standby pool. The aim is to fill it fast enough that the shift still runs at full strength.
How it works
A typical dropout recovery runs like this:
- A seat comes free. The allocated person withdraws ahead of time, reports unavailable on the day, or doesn't show.
- The standby pool is notified, starting with the top-ranked reserve for that shift, instead of a manager working through contacts by hand.
- The first response wins. The first person to accept the seat gets it, and everyone else who was notified sees it's filled.
- The roster is updated and re-confirmed. The new person is placed, and the shift record shows who is working it.
Speed matters more here than sophistication. A dropout found the night before needs a much faster answer than one flagged weeks out.
The manual alternative
Without a set process, dropout recovery usually means a manager phoning or messaging down a contact list, often doubling up effort or reaching people out of order. A standby pool with a clear "first valid response wins" rule removes the guesswork and the chasing, and gives everyone in the pool an equal, quick chance at the seat.
In Chronomancer
When a seat comes free in Chronomancer, through a self-withdrawal, someone marked unavailable on the night, or a manual "recover slot", it opens a claim offer and sends a signed, one-time claim link to the ranked standby pool. The first valid claim gets the seat (anyone later sees it's filled), that person is placed and re-confirmed, and a live board shows open and filled offers in real time, so the devices in use on the night stay in sync.