# Handle a call-off: open shifts and finding coverage

> Someone can't work. Convert the shift to open, let eligible staff claim it from their phones, or assign coverage in one click — with staff notified.

Canonical: https://enmantle.com/help/call-off-coverage · Section: Scheduling & Coverage · Updated: 2026-09-20

A shift is covered until it isn't. When someone calls off, you need coverage fast and you need a record of how it got filled. Enmantle gives you two paths: open the shift so eligible staff can grab it, or assign someone yourself in one click.

*Video: Filling a call-off*
## Convert the shift to Open

When a scheduled person can't work, you don't delete the shift — you open it up.

1. Open the shift on the [Time Grid](/help/weekly-schedule-time-grid).
2. In the editor, click `Open`. You'll see "Shift converted to open," and the `Open shift (no employee assigned)` toggle turns on.
3. The shift is now unassigned and visible to eligible staff at that location.

The shift stays on your grid the whole time, so nothing falls through the cracks while you wait for it to fill.

*Screenshot: The Time Grid, with an Open shifts row at the top for coverage.*
## Eligible staff claim it from their phones

Once a shift is Open, the eligible staff at that location see it and can **claim it right from their phone** via the mobile app — no phone tree, no group text. They tap `Claim` and confirm in the `Claim this shift?` dialog. The people best positioned to cover are the ones who get the chance first.

A few things worth knowing:

- Only **eligible staff at that location** see the open shift, so you're not broadcasting to people who can't help.
- If **two people claim the same shift**, the first claim wins cleanly — the second person sees "Shift was already claimed by another staff member." No double-booking, no awkward walk-back.
- You can require approval on claims with the `Requires manager approval to claim` toggle, so a shift isn't final until you say so. When it's on, staff see a `Request this shift?` dialog instead of an instant claim. This is optional — leave it off and claims are instant.

When a claim goes through, the assignment notification goes out **in-app and by email**, so everyone knows who's working.

## Assign coverage yourself in one click

You don't have to wait for someone to claim it. When a call-off comes in, it lands on the `Coverage Requests` dashboard, and you can assign from your available staff in one click.

1. Open the `Coverage Requests` dashboard.
2. Enmantle recommends staff who are **available** for that window, drawn from the availability grids they keep.
3. Click `Assign` next to the person you want.
4. They're notified **in-app and by email**. (Escalation and assignment notifications are in-app plus email only — never SMS.)

Because the list is already filtered to who's actually free, you're not guessing or cross-checking calendars. See [Staff availability](/help/staff-availability) for how that list is built.

> The staff picker tiers people **Available**, **Partially available**, and **Unavailable**, with same-home staff first — so your most natural coverage is right at the top.

## When staff know ahead of time

A call-off isn't always last-minute. When a staff member knows in advance they can't work a shift, they can submit a **coverage request** instead of leaving you to find out the hard way.

- The staff member taps `Request Coverage` on the shift they can't work. Its card now shows a `NEEDS COVERAGE` flag, and other eligible staff get a `Pick Up` action.
- It lands on your `Coverage Requests` dashboard.
- You can let others `Pick Up` the shift, or `Assign` someone available in one click — the same two paths as above.

Coverage requests turn a scramble into a heads-up. The earlier a request lands, the more calmly you can fill it.

## Next steps

- Keep your [staff availability](/help/staff-availability) current so the one-click assign list is always accurate.
- For overnight and on-call coverage, see [On-site on-call shifts](/help/on-call-shifts).