What exactly is shift bidding and how does it work?

<span>Shift bidding is a method where employees bid on available work shifts. The highest bidder or most suitable candidate usually gets the shift.</span> Learn More

How can shift bidding benefit my business?

<span>Shift bidding can improve staffing flexibility, enhance employee satisfaction, and contribute to more efficient workforce management.</span> Learn More

What is a Shift Bid and How does It Work? A Detailed Guide

In this article, we take a closer look at the concept of shift bidding. What it is, how it works and the best ways businesses can benefit from it.

Table of contents

What is a shift bid?
How does shift bidding work?
Is shift bidding legal in the UK?
The pros and cons of shift bidding
How to implement shift bidding
How Shiftbase makes shift bidding simple

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:

A flexible workforce (think: hospitality, retail, healthcare)
Shifts that vary a lot
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:

Date and time
Role needed
Location (if relevant)
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:

See who’s qualified and available
Spot any shift gaps or double-ups
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.

How shift bidding works by Shiftbase

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:

Advance notice of schedules
Extra pay for last-minute changes
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:

How many shifts each person can bid on
Whether seniority or performance plays a role
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:

Track shift assignments
Rotate who gets first pick next time
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:

Who got what shift
Why bids were accepted or not (e.g. skills, availability, fairness)
How decisions are made

Transparency builds trust, and trust keeps people from grumbling in the break room.

Review and adjust

Once a month, ask:

Is the same person always missing out?
Are some shifts consistently underbid?
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!

Easy Employee scheduling
Clear time-tracking
Simple absence management

Try for free Request a demo

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.

Written by:

Rinaily Bonifacio

Rinaily is a renowned expert in the field of human resources with years of industry experience. With a passion for writing high-quality HR content, Rinaily brings a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities of the modern workplace. As an experienced HR professional and content writer, She has contributed to leading publications in the field of HR.

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