Online portal lets casual workers swap shifts

A new online portal in the US is being marketed for businesses that run their operations through shifts, which allows workers to swap and claim work hours online.

The “HaveMyShift” service allows managers and workers to post and find shifts that need to be filled, working under the slogan “Work Flexibly; Live Happily”.

The service was founded by a pair of shift workers who wanted to find an easier way to manage their work schedule. The service, which is integrated with Facebook, will send an email to registered users of the service when a shift appears that needs to be filled.

The service is currently free for its most basic features, but paid features include the ability to post an “emergency shift” post, with the inclusion of a note explaining why the shift needs to be filled.

Currently the service is being used by 4,000 employees, and has exchanged over 21,000 work hours. There are no plans for bringing the service into Australia, but the high number of workers on casual and part-time shift work here is a good starting point for a similar local service.