How To Drop A Shift On When I Work

Dropping a shift in When I Work means you are giving up one of your scheduled shifts so that a coworker can take it over. It is different from a shift swap (where you trade shifts with a coworker, but you are both still working) or a shift release (where you release the shift to become an OpenShift that any eligible employee can pick up). 

This guide will walk you through exactly how to drop a shift as an employee – on both the web app and the mobile app – and explain what happens next. We’ll also cover the manager’s perspective, how managers can enable or approve dropped shifts, and how the process might differ if management approval is required.

By the end, you’ll understand what dropping a shift means, when you’re allowed to do it, and the step-by-step process for both employees and managers. 

If you’re an employee who cannot work a scheduled shift, you can drop that shift using either the When I Work web app (on a computer) or the mobile app (iOS/Android). In both cases, the basic idea is to find the shift in your schedule and use the ‘Get Shift Covered’ option to initiate a drop request. Below are step-by-step instructions for each platform. 

Method 1: Drop A Shift On The Web (Computer) 

When using the web version of When I Work (in a browser on your computer), follow these steps to drop a shift:

• Log in to When I Work and go to your schedule. Hover over your name in the upper-right corner, then click ‘My Schedule’. It shows all your upcoming shifts 
• Click on the shift you want to drop. A pop-up with shift details will appear 

• In the shift details window, click ‘Get Shift Covered’ (may appear as a dropdown), then select ‘Drop Shift’. This tells the system you want a coworker to take over your shift 

• A form will appear with a list of eligible coworkers—those with the right position/location and no conflicting shifts. You can select specific names or use Select All to send it to everyone qualified 
• (Optional) Include a note explaining why you're dropping the shift (e.g., ‘I have a conflict and can’t work this day; can someone please cover for me?’). This is optional but helpful 

• Click ‘Initiate Drop’. The system logs your request and, if allowed, notifies the selected coworkers that the shift is available to pick up 

Method 2: Drop A Shift On Mobile App (iOS/Android) 

Using the When I Work mobile app on your iPhone or Android phone, you can drop shifts on the go. The mobile interface is slightly different, but the process is similar. Here’s how to do it: 

• Launch the When I Work Staff Scheduling app on your iOS or Android device. On the Dashboard, tap ‘My Schedule’ (on iPhone, you might tap the Schedule tab at the bottom; on Android, tap My Shifts) to view your list of shifts 
• Find and choose the shift you want to drop. This opens a detailed view of the shift (time, location, etc.) 

• In the shift detail view, look for the 'Drop' or 'Drop Shift' option (usually a button near the bottom of the screen). Click ‘Drop’. (On iPhone, the button might just say ‘Drop’; on Android, it may explicitly say ‘Drop Shift’) 
•  You’ll be prompted to confirm the drop. You can optionally enter a message (e.g., ‘Unavailable due to appointment’) in the ‘Message’ field 

• Next, you’ll see a list of ‘Potential Takers’ — coworkers eligible to take the shift. By default, all eligible coworkers are selected (indicated by checkmarks). You can tap on individual names to deselect them if there are certain people you do not want to send the request to. You can also use ‘Select All’ or ‘Deselect All’ options (often via a menu or three-dot icon) to quickly select or clear everyone 

Once you’ve chosen the recipients, tap the Offer Shift button (sometimes the button might just say Send Request or similar – on both iOS and Android it’s labeled ‘Offer Shift’). The app will likely ask you to confirm one more time – for example, you may see a pop-up that says something like, ‘I Understand that I’m still responsible if nobody takes this shift’. Tap I Understand (or the confirmation button) to complete the process 

From a manager or supervisor’s perspective, dropping a shift involves oversight and configuration of the shift cover process. Managers have the ability to control whether employees can drop shifts at all and, if so, whether those drop requests need approval. They also are responsible for processing (approving or denying) drop requests when approval is required. This section will explain what managers need to know about shift drops in When I Work.

Approving Or Denying Drop Requests 

When an employee submits a drop request (and manager approval is required), managers and supervisors will need to review the request. Here’s how to process a dropped shift request as a manager on the When I Work web app: 

• Log in and click the Notification Bell or go to your profile menu → Shift Requests to see pending swap/drop requests 

• Look for requests labeled Drop with a status of Pending Approval. Use filters like ‘Requests I Can Approve’ to quickly find relevant ones 
• Select a request to view who’s dropping the shift, the shift’s info (time, date, role), the coworkers it’s being offered to, and any message attached 
• You can remove or add coworkers from the eligible takers list before approving to control who can see the drop 

• Click ‘Approve’ to send the drop to selected coworkers. Status changes to Pending Acceptance, and notifications are sent out. Or tap ‘Deny’ to stop the drop; the employee keeps the shift and is notified 

Note: Approved shifts still require someone to accept them. If the shift remains unclaimed or gets declined, you’ll need to manually reassign or follow up with the original employee. 

By following this guide, you can complete the process of dropping shifts on When I Work efficiently. However, if you encounter any issues or have any questions, contact us for additional support.