Open shift
An open shift is a published position on a roster that nobody has been allocated to yet. It shows as available work, but no one is in it.
How a shift ends up open
A shift can be open for different reasons, depending on where it is in the roster's lifecycle:
- Before allocation. While requests are open, every published position is technically open until a manager allocates requesters to it. At that stage this is normal.
- After allocation, still unfilled. A position that drew no requests, or fewer than its capacity, stays open after allocation and needs attention: finding more interest, changing the capacity, or accepting the gap.
- Reopened after a dropout. A position that was filled and then vacated is open again. This is the case dropout recovery exists to close quickly.
Why open shifts need watching
An open shift late in the roster's lifecycle is a warning sign. The business committed to that demand when it published it, and nobody is covering it yet. Showing open shifts clearly, instead of letting them sit unnoticed among the filled ones, lets a manager act before the shift date rather than find the gap on the night.
In Chronomancer
Chronomancer's dashboard Needs-attention feed shows unfilled demand, including open shifts, request windows about to close and non-responders, so managers see gaps while there's still time to find standby cover or adjust the roster, instead of finding out at Live.