If you can’t work a scheduled shift, Shift Coverage makes it easy to ask for help from your teammates—without group texts or back-and-forth messages.
When to Use Shift Coverage
Use Shift Coverage when:
You can’t work a scheduled shift
You need a teammate to take your place
You want the schedule to update automatically once coverage is approved
Shift Coverage is for individual shift changes, not for long-term schedule changes.
How Shift Coverage Works (Quick Overview)
Here’s what happens when you request coverage:
You request coverage for a shift
Eligible teammates are notified
One or more teammates can accept
The shift is approved based on your studio’s rules
The schedule updates automatically
You don’t need to message a manager or update the schedule yourself.
Step-by-Step: Request Shift Coverage
Option A:
Step 1: Open Schedule
Go to My Schedule > All
Find the shift you can’t work
Select Find Cover
Option B:
Step 1: From Sub Board (mobile - version 13.6.23)
Go to Sub Board → Select Classes (to send a class sub request) or Shifts (to send a shift cover request)
Tap the + button
If you're on classes, you will be directed to submit a class sub request
If you're on shifts, you will be directed to submit a shift cover request (coming soon the ability to swap/trade shifts)
You can request coverage for a single shift, or Multiple upcoming shifts at once
Add a reason (if required)
Add a note if required
View eligible and available staff. If personal invites are allowed, you can deselect users out of the available list
Submit the request
Staff is notified via their notification channel and frequency preferences
You can remind staff of your open request
Step 2: Submit Your Coverage Request
When requesting coverage:
Select a reason (if required)
Add a note for your teammates (optional)
Select eligible staff (if personal invites are allowed within the shift settings)
Submit the request
Only teammates who are eligible for that shift will see the request.
Step 3: Wait for a Response
After you submit your request:
Eligible teammates are notified
Teammates can accept or decline the shift from the schedule or sub board (coming soon)
You can remind staff of the request
Response Types
Invited: These staff members were invited to cover this shift and haven’t responded yet.
Available: These staff members are eligible to cover this shift but haven’t been invited yet. People you didn’t invite (because invite-all is off, or you manually deselected them)People who are newly added/synced after the request was created
Unavailable: These staff members can’t cover this shift because they are already scheduled or have declined the request. Soon, this will reflect their actual availability entries.
What happens next depends on your studio’s rules:
Automatic approval → the shift is reassigned right away
Manager approval → a manager reviews and approves
Staff approval → you confirm the coverage before it’s final
You’ll be notified when the shift is approved or if more action is needed.
After Coverage Is Approved
Once approved:
The teammate who accepted becomes the new shift owner
The shift appears on their schedule and within the sub board
The shift is removed from your schedule
Everyone sees the updated schedule automatically
If plans change and the sub can't cover, they can reopen a cover request by reinitiating the Request Cover process directly within the shift
No additional steps are required from you.
Track Your Coverage Requests
You can view your coverage activity anytime:
Requests you’ve sent
Requests you’ve received
Requests that were approved
Go to Shift Schedule → Cover Board (web) or Sub Board (mobile) to see everything in one place.
When Shift Coverage Isn’t Available for a Shift
Sometimes you may notice that:
You don’t receive coverage requests for certain shifts, or
You’re unable to request coverage for a specific shift
This is usually because you are not on the relevant Team or assigned that Location.
When a shift is assigned to a specific Team & Location:
Only eligible teammates will see or be invited to cover it
You may not be able to request or accept coverage outside that group
You don’t need to set anything up yourself. If you have questions about eligibility or crew assignments, check with your manager.
Important Things to Know 📌
Coverage requests follow team and location rules
Some shifts may require approval before reassignment
Coverage requests may be restricted close to shift start time
Once approved, shifts update automatically—no manual changes needed
If you have questions about coverage rules, contact your manager.
Using Shift Coverage on Mobile 📱
You can request and respond to coverage directly from the NetGym mobile app.