Shift Release converts a chronic source of cost and conflict (unavoidable life events colliding with fixed schedules) into a controlled, measurable workflow, benefitting both employees and management.
If you run a plant or DC, you know the painful math of last-minute call-offs: one missed shift triggers scrambling, overtime, and too often, an attendance point that inches a good worker toward termination. Turn that into a pattern, and the costs add up fast.
ShiftWorks, the mobile app inside Veryable’s Workforce Management (WFM) platform, was designed to break that cycle. Its Shift Release feature gives frontline employees a structured, manager-controlled way to hand off a scheduled shift—so coverage holds, points are avoided, and leaders stay in control.
Below, we unpack how it works, why it’s different from ad-hoc texts and whiteboards, and how it pays off through lower absenteeism, higher throughput, and a more stable cost per unit.
Absenteeism is expensive. Studies frequently peg unscheduled absence among hourly workers in the thousands of dollars per employee per year, once you include overtime premiums, productivity loss, and replacement admin time. A widely cited estimate puts the average cost around $3,600 per hourly employee per year for unscheduled absences. SHRM
“No-fault” point systems are common in industrial settings and, while simple to administer, can push otherwise solid employees toward termination when life conflicts collide with rigid processes. HR guidance also flags legal/compliance pitfalls if point systems aren’t administered consistently or with proper leave exceptions. PDXScholar
Absence rates are real, trackable, and matter. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines the absence rate as the share of full-time wage/salary workers who missed work for specified reasons (illness, family obligations, etc.) during the reference period—excluding vacation/holidays. In practice, even small percentage swings have outsized operational impact on lines and docks. bls.gov
The bottom line: reactive, informal attendance handling (texts, group chats, sticky notes) converts solvable scheduling conflicts into missed coverage, point accrual, and unnecessary labor spend.
1. Open ShiftWorks and tap the upcoming shift that’s no longer workable.
2. Tap “Release Shift.” (Optionally add a note.)
3. The shift is pushed to Open Shift Finder for eligible teammates to claim.
4. Notifications go to qualified workers (by site/work area/skill rules).
5. If your site requires it, the release is “pending manager approval.” Once approved and claimed, the schedule updates automatically and no attendance points are assessed—because the release followed policy, maintained coverage, and wasn’t a no-show.
1. Set eligibility rules (skill, certification, work area, shift overlap, hour caps).
2. Choose approval requirements (e.g., releases require approval; open-shift pickups require approval; both; or neither).
3. Review releases and approve/deny in seconds; the roster updates instantly.
4. Track everything in the Activity Log (who released, who claimed, who approved)—perfect for audits, investigations, and continuous improvement.
1. Configure rules-based scheduling so released shifts only surface to workers who are compliant with policy, skills, and labor-law constraints.
2. Monitor attendance, fill-rates, and coverage alongside throughput and labor cost per unit in real time.
3. Use the unified view to quantify impact: fewer points issued, lower overtime, stable UPH.
-Prevents point accrual when an employee follows policy and coverage is secured.
-Protects quality and throughput by routing the shift only to qualified teammates.
-Eliminates slow back-and-forth across texts and calls as approvals and updates happen in one system.
-Creates accountability with a full digital trail—no more “I didn’t see the message.”
1. Attendance Stability
Turning unplanned absences into planned handoffs reduces “point” incidents and no-shows. Over time, that trims unscheduled-absence cost exposure (overtime premiums, supervisor firefighting, line slowdowns).
2. Lower Overtime & Rework
When a released shift is proactively filled by a qualified teammate, you avoid last-hour OT stacking and the quality drift that often comes with it. Industry analyses of unscheduled absence show the hidden cost drivers are OT, productivity loss, and admin time—areas this feature directly targets. SHRM
3. Higher Engagement, Better Retention
Workers get flexibility without penalty (no points if they follow the process), which builds trust and reduces churn. Supervisors get control without chaos (rules/approvals, audit trail). That combination improves schedule adherence and lowers the “attendance churn” that erodes capacity.
4. Cleaner Data, Faster Decisions
Because releases, pickups, and approvals live in WFM, your reports reflect reality—coverage, utilization, UPH, and cost per unit update as the roster changes, not weeks later.
-Require approvals (at least initially) to reinforce adoption and policy alignment.
-Gate eligibility by skills/certifications (e.g., forklift, cherry picker) and work area to protect safety and throughput.
-Measure what matters: track release volume, fill-rate time, points avoided, OT avoided, and variance in labor cost per unit.
Shift Release converts a chronic source of cost and conflict (unavoidable life events colliding with fixed schedules) into a controlled, measurable workflow. Employees keep flexibility without risking points. Supervisors keep standards without the scramble. Leaders finally see the operational impact in one place.
If your current attendance playbook is a patchwork of calls, texts, and whiteboards, you’re leaving money and morale on the table. ShiftWorks, within Veryable’s WFM platform, gives you a single system to anticipate, approve, and fill shifts before they become absences.
Take the Interactive Tour or Schedule a Live Demo to learn more about how Shift Release reduces attendance points, preserves coverage, and lowers unit costs.
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