Shift Swap Policy Setup Checklist
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A step-by-step checklist for writing and rolling out a shift swap and coverage approval policy before the first request comes in.

[ ] Decide which swap types you allow: direct trades, giveaways, pickups of open shifts, and open swaps posted to the whole eligible team.
[ ] Write down the routine cutoff for a swap to be settled (for example, at least one day before the shift starts) and a separate emergency path for genuine last-minute cases.
[ ] List the details every request must include: shift date, start and end time, role, location, swap type, and the shift received in return for a direct trade.
[ ] Define minimum staffing rules for each shift or station: how many people are needed and in which roles.
[ ] Define skill or credential rules: which shifts need at least one person with a specific qualification, such as a keyholder, a certified lead, or a bilingual front desk.
[ ] Define position rules: posts that must be filled by name on every shift, such as a specific register, station, or unit.
[ ] Set per-person eligibility criteria: completed training, current certifications, minimum age for certain tasks, probationary status, and location clearance.
[ ] Set the minimum rest required between shifts and decide how declared availability limits what someone can claim.
[ ] Choose the weekly overtime threshold you will flag against, note any daily overtime rule that applies in your state, and decide whether a pickup that crosses the line is blocked or simply flagged for the manager.
[ ] Decide who approves what: the manager for everything, or shift leads for routine trades with the manager reserved for anything a rule has flagged.
[ ] Set a target turnaround for approvals, such as same day, so the queue never trains staff to go around it.
[ ] Decide what the approval view must show on every request: who is offering, who is claiming, the coverage and eligibility results, the hours impact, and any notes from staff.
[ ] Define what gets logged on every change: requester, claimer, which checks ran and what they found, approver, timestamp, and the schedule before and after.
[ ] Decide who can read the log: each staff member sees their own history, and managers see everything for their team.
[ ] Confirm how long schedule and time records must be kept for your state and industry, and set retention to match rather than guessing.
[ ] For more than one location, list which staff are cleared for which sites and confirm that each site's coverage rules are checked independently.
[ ] Commit to posting open shifts to everyone eligible at the same time rather than offering them privately first.
[ ] Commit to deciding requests in the order they were made unless a written reason applies.
[ ] Choose the tool or process that will hold each request's state (requested, claimed, checked, approved, applied) and retire the group chat for swaps.
[ ] Write the policy on a single page in plain language and share it with the whole team before it takes effect.
[ ] Run two or three real requests through the new process before announcing it, and fix whatever felt slower than sending a text.
[ ] Put a monthly review on the calendar to scan the log for repeat giveaways, repeat pickups, and uneven approval patterns.