Open shift
Also called: unassigned shift, up-for-grabs shift
An open shift is a shift that needs covering but has nobody assigned to it yet. It is posted to the team so that whoever is available and willing can claim it, subject to the manager approving.
Why post instead of ask
Ringing round the team costs a manager half an hour and produces a queue of maybes. Posting the shift once, to everyone who could legitimately work it, turns the problem into a first-come decision and creates a record of who volunteered.
Where it goes wrong
Two failures are common. The shift is posted to people who cannot legally or practically work it, so the offers are useless. Or it is claimed by someone already close to overtime, and the coverage is bought at premium rate without anyone noticing.
A good open shift
It states the date, the times, the role and the location, goes only to people qualified and available, and disappears from everyone else’s view the moment it is claimed and approved.