Use shift swap and drop settings to control who can exchange or release shifts and how those requests are processed. Configuration is handled through Shifts Swap & Drop and Schedule Plans > Workflows. (The Workflows section may not be available in all accounts. This section is enabled based on your system configuration. If it is not visible, your account is not set up to use workflow-based approvals. If you need workflow-based approvals for shift swap or drop, contact your system administrator or WorkEasy Support.)
Define who can swap or drop shifts
Use Shifts Swap & Drop settings to control which employees are allowed to initiate swap or drop requests.
Go to Global Settings > Scheduling > Shifts Swap & Drop.
Select Create Rule.
Enter a Name.
Set the Starting on date.
Select the Audience: Everyone, Specific group, or Specific employee.
Select Allow shift swap, Allow shift drop, or both.
Click Save.
Only employees included in an active configuration can initiate a shift swap or drop.
Enable Swap and Drop in a Schedule Plan
Schedule Plans control whether swap and drop actions appear on employee schedules.
Go to Global Settings > Scheduling > Schedule Plans.
Open an existing plan or create a new one.
Enter Name, Description (optional), Effective start & end dates, and select Schedule Criteria.
In the Workflows section, select Allow shift swap and/or Allow shift drop.
Configure additional sections as needed.
Click Save.
Schedule Plans Configurations
Configure Workflows
The Workflows section controls how scheduling actions are processed, including shift swaps, drops, publishing, and cancellations.
Select Allow shift drop and/or Allow shift swap based on your scheduling policy.
Allow shift drop: Enables employees to drop assigned shifts.
Allow shift swap: Enables employees to request shift swaps.
When enabled, select a workflow for each action as needed.
Shift drop workflow
Shift swap workflow
Publish shifts
Publish open shifts
Cancel shifts
Cancel open shifts
Cancel staffing
Pickup workflow
Some workflow options may not have available selections. If no options are available, the system uses the default behavior for that action.
Define Schedule Plan Scope
The Scope section controls which employees or groups the schedule plan applies to.
Custom fields: Select values to target employees based on configured fields.
Groups: Assign the plan to one or more employee groups.
If no filters are applied, the schedule plan applies to all employees.
Configure Advanced Settings
The Advanced Settings section controls scheduling behavior and automation.
Allow publish with jumps: Allows publishing schedules with gaps between shifts.
Enable job selection: Allows employees to select jobs when interacting with schedules.
Create schedules on holidays and approved time off: Includes these days when generating schedules from patterns.
Recommendation engines: Define how scheduling suggestions are generated.
Days in advance schedule patterns are created: Defines how far ahead schedules are generated.
Days in advance open shift patterns are created: Defines how far ahead open shifts are created.
Estimated break (minutes): Sets the default break duration used in scheduling calculations.
If swap or drop is not enabled in the schedule plan, employees will not see the swap or drop options, even if they are allowed in Shifts Swap & Drop settings.
How shift drop availability works
Only shifts created as Open Shifts become available for other employees when dropped.
Dropped shifts from regular schedules or schedule patterns are removed but do not become available shifts.
Approval behavior
Approval requirements are controlled by workflows and may require employee confirmation, manager approval, or both.
If approved, the new shift is assigned and the original shift is removed.
If denied, no schedule changes occur.
Requests that create overlapping shifts are blocked.
Manage Shifts Swap & Drop configurations
Edit a configuration: Click the pencil icon, update the settings, and click Save.
End a configuration: Click the void icon.
FAQs
Why don’t employees see the swap or drop options?
Employees must meet both conditions:
Be included in an active Shifts Swap & Drop configuration
Swap or drop is enabled in the assigned Schedule Plan
If either condition is not met, the options do not appear.
What is the difference between Shifts Swap & Drop and Schedule Plans?
Shifts Swap & Drop controls who can initiate swap or drop requests.
Schedule Plans and Workflows control whether actions are available and how requests are processed.
Both are required.
Why doesn’t a dropped shift become available for others?
Only shifts created as Open Shifts become available when dropped. If the shift came from a regular schedule or pattern, it is removed but not made available.
Can I allow only specific employees to swap or drop shifts?
Yes. Use employee-level configurations (Create Rule > Specific employee) in Shifts Swap & Drop to control access.
What happens if a swap creates an overlap?
The system blocks the request, and it cannot be submitted.