What is a shift bid?
A shift bid is when employees have the opportunity to bid on available shifts based on their preferences and qualifications.
Instead of managers assigning shifts, employees “bid” for the ones they prefer. This gives them more say in their schedules, and you more time to focus on running the business. Win-win, right?
It’s especially useful if you’ve got:
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A flexible workforce (think: hospitality, retail, healthcare)
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Shifts that vary a lot
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Staff who value work-life balance or have other commitments
But it’s not a free-for-all. There are clear steps and rules behind it.
How does shift bidding work?
Here’s how the process looks, step by step, from your side and theirs.
Step 1: You post available shifts
You decide what shifts need covering and when. These go into your shift management system (or spreadsheet, if you’re still old school), marked as open for bidding.
Include key details like:
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Date and time
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Role needed
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Location (if relevant)
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Any skill or certification required
Step 2: Employees place their bids
Team members log in and bid for the shifts they want. Some systems let them:
- Rank their preferences (e.g. 1st choice, 2nd choice)
- Only bid on shifts they’re qualified for
- Add comments or notes (e.g. “happy to work late if needed”)
This part gives staff some control which is great for morale and flexibility.
Step 3: You review and approve bids
Once everyone’s had a chance to bid, you or your managers review the list. Most systems will help you:
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See who’s qualified and available
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Spot any shift gaps or double-ups
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Prioritise based on company rules (e.g. seniority, fairness, hours worked)
You then lock in the final shift schedule and make it official.
Step 4: Everyone gets notified
Once confirmed, employees get a notification with their assigned shifts; ideally via app or email.
Is shift bidding legal in the UK?
Yes, but with a few important caveats. You can absolutely let employees bid for shifts, but you must follow UK employment laws. Just because a system is “employee-led” doesn’t mean it’s free from legal responsibility.
Here’s what employers need to keep in mind 👇
Key legal points to consider
| Legal area | What it means for shift bidding |
|---|---|
| Working time rules | You must follow the Working Time Regulations 1998: no more than 48 hours/week (unless opted out), 11 hours rest between shifts, and 24 hours off per 7-day period. |
| Minimum wage | Even if shifts are bid-based, pay must meet or exceed National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage. |
| Fair access | Shift opportunities must be offered fairly to avoid indirect discrimination (e.g. favouring certain age groups or availability patterns). |
| Flexible working requests | From 2024, employees can request flexible working from day one. Your system should accommodate this where reasonable. |
| Zero-hours contracts | Workers now have the right to request a contract with predictable hours if they’ve regularly worked a pattern; this affects casual bidding. |
| Short-notice cancellations | Cancelling shifts last-minute? You might owe compensation, especially if staff travelled or planned around it. |
What about the US?
In the US, shift bidding is also legal but state laws vary wildly. Some areas have predictive scheduling laws (like in California and New York), which require:
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Advance notice of schedules
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Extra pay for last-minute changes
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Rest periods between shifts
So if you operate across states, you’ll need to check local rules and keep your HR tech aligned with each one.
The pros and cons of shift bidding
Shift bidding sounds flexible; and it is, but it also needs managing properly. Here’s what works in its favour, and what you’ll need to watch out for.
✅ Pros of shift bidding
| 👍 Benefit | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Happier staff | People get to choose shifts that fit their lives; better for work-life balance, childcare, studies, etc. |
| Less rota admin | You’re not handpicking shifts for everyone. Saves time, especially in bigger teams. |
| Fewer no-shows | Staff are more likely to turn up if they picked the shift themselves. |
| More transparency | Everyone sees the same shift options at the same time which reduces favouritism claims. |
| Great for part-timers and students | People with changing availability can slot in where it works for them. |
⚠️ Cons of shift bidding
| 👎 Drawback | What to watch out for |
|---|---|
| Shift hogging | Strong performers or early birds might snap up the best shifts every time—causing resentment. |
| Not truly “fair” without rules | You’ll need a system to balance who gets priority: seniority? performance? rotation? |
| Can feel chaotic | If bids aren’t approved or tracked properly, you might end up with uncovered shifts or double-ups. |
| Tech learning curve | Staff and managers may need time to get used to the system, especially if they’re not tech-savvy. |
| Legal risk | If access isn’t fair or compliant, you could face grievances—or worse. See the legal section! |
💡 Quick tip: Shift bidding works best when paired with clear rules, a fair algorithm, and a bit of human oversight, so don’t just “set it and forget it.”
How to implement shift bidding
Rolling out shift bidding doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s a step-by-step approach that works, even if you’re starting from scratch.
Step-by-step checklist
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ | Choose your shift bidding software | Tools like Shiftbase, let you post shifts, collect bids, and approve them easily. |
| 2️⃣ | Set your rules clearly | Who gets first pick? Can someone take multiple shifts? Decide your approach: seniority, rotation, first come first served, etc. |
| 3️⃣ | Communicate the process | Tell your team how it works, when bids open, and what to expect. Use plain language—maybe even a how-to graphic. |
| 4️⃣ | Test with a small group | Pilot the system with one location or department before rolling it out company-wide. |
| 5️⃣ | Monitor fairness and coverage | Use your system to spot who’s missing out or where shifts aren’t being filled. Adjust rules if needed. |
| 6️⃣ | Ask for feedback | After a few cycles, check in: is it working for your team? What’s clunky? What’s great? Make improvements from there. |
How to keep shift bidding fair (even when demand is high)
Shift bidding works best when your team trusts the system. That means avoiding favouritism, cliques, or “first-come-first-serve” chaos.
Here’s how to make it feel fair; even during peak times.
Set rules before bidding opens
Don’t wing it. Decide:
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How many shifts each person can bid on
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Whether seniority or performance plays a role
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What happens if multiple people bid on the same shift
👉 Be transparent: Put it in writing (or in the app).
Rotate high-demand shifts
If the same few people always get the Friday night shift or the early school-run-friendly slot, it’s going to cause friction.
Use your scheduling tool to:
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Track shift assignments
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Rotate who gets first pick next time
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Set caps on the number of “premium” shifts per person per week
Use bidding windows, not speed
“First to click” isn’t fair to everyone; especially parents, night shift workers, or anyone without a phone glued to their hand.
Set a bidding window (e.g. 24–48 hours) so everyone has a chance to view and choose shifts before the system or manager allocates them.
Let people state their preferences
Not everyone wants the same shifts; ask team members to set their preferred hours or days, and try to factor those into decisions.
Keep it visible
Let your team see:
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Who got what shift
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Why bids were accepted or not (e.g. skills, availability, fairness)
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How decisions are made
Transparency builds trust, and trust keeps people from grumbling in the break room.
Review and adjust
Once a month, ask:
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Is the same person always missing out?
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Are some shifts consistently underbid?
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Is the process working for the team?
Don’t be afraid to tweak the rules if the data (or people) suggest it.
Employee scheduling and Time-tracking software!
How Shiftbase makes shift bidding simple
Managing shift bidding manually? That’s a shortcut to scheduling stress.
Shiftbase is built to take the hassle out of shift management, especially when you're juggling preferences, availability, and compliance. Whether you’re running a small café or managing dozens of employees across locations, our employee scheduling tools make it easy to post open shifts, collect bids, and finalise rotas fairly.
And it doesn’t stop there.
With built-in time tracking, you can see exactly who worked when (no more “I thought I was off today” texts), and our absence management keeps unexpected sick days or holiday clashes from derailing your plans.
✅ Fair, automated shift bidding
✅ Mobile access for staff
✅ Real-time schedule updates
✅ One place for shifts, hours, and time-off
Ready to make shift bidding a breeze?
👉 Try Shiftbase free for 14 days—no credit card, no strings. Just smoother scheduling from day one.
