Write a shift swap policy your team will follow

A shift swap policy is a short set of rules for trading shifts. It says who can swap with whom, how to ask, and who must approve the change. Without one, swaps happen in group chats, the rota goes out of date, and someone turns up for a shift that is no longer theirs.

The good news is that a shift swap policy fits on one page. Here is what to put on it, in plain words your team will read.

What a shift swap policy covers #

Write one short line for each of these points:

1. Who can swap. Usually anyone with the same skills. A barista swaps with a barista, an opener with an opener.
2. How far ahead. Set a cut-off, such as the day before, so you can still check the rota.
3. How to ask. One place for every request, not three chats and a sticky note.
4. Who approves. You, a shift lead, or no one if both people have the same role.
5. What counts. Whether a swap changes anyone's hours, and how covering a sick call is counted.
6. When it stops. A swap that breaks rest rules or pushes someone over their hours is refused.

Keep the rota as the single truth #

When the rota shows every swap, no one argues about who was meant to be in. If your team swaps a lot, consider a pattern where the hard shifts rotate, as described in fixed shifts against rotating ones. People swap less when the share already feels fair.

Share it and keep it short #

Pin the shift swap policy where people see the rota. Read it out at a team meeting once. Change it when it stops working, and tell the team what changed.

Fernhour lets each person mark the days they cannot work, so swaps start from real gaps. Read the note on staff availability to see how it works.

Working time rules limit how many hours a swap can add. In the UK, the guide to maximum weekly working hours sets out the limit and the opt-out.