Some shifts have hard start and end times. Others give the shifter a window. ShiftSee handles both.
What "flexible" means
When a business marks a shift is_flexible = true:
- The shifter can clock in earlier than the scheduled start (within the platform's flex-early window, configurable per deployment).
- The shift's late-grace multiplier is wider, so a shifter running late doesn't auto-cancel as quickly.
Both edges are governed by environment variables SHIFT_REQ_FLEX_EARLY_START_WINDOW and SHIFT_REQ_FLEX_LATE_GRACE_MULTIPLIER. They're tunable platform-wide; ask support if you think the defaults aren't right for your business.
When should a business mark flexible?
- Open-format roles (a server who can start anywhere from 5pm to 6pm).
- Production or kitchen prep where exact start time isn't critical.
- "First N hours of the day" coverage.
When should a business NOT mark flexible?
- Customer-facing shifts that depend on a specific service window.
- Tightly choreographed events.
- When the start time is a hard constraint from a vendor or partner.
Pay calculation
Flexible shifts are paid for actual hours worked, not scheduled hours. The hourly rate is unchanged; we just bill the elapsed time.