How to Set Up Requestable Volunteer Shifts in RotaPlanner

Managing volunteer or part-time staff doesn't have to be a scheduling nightmare. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to use RotaPlanner to create requestable shifts, enabling your team to self-schedule based on availability.

This setup is ideal for nonprofits, charities, churches, and other flexible workplaces where staff aren’t on fixed hours. You’ll learn how to define shift patterns, add skill requirements, and automate shift approvals—saving time, reducing admin, and giving your team more control.

• ✅ Create flexible, recurring shifts
• ✅ Let staff & volunteers request their own shifts
• ✅ Track hours and payroll with zero manual work

Setting Up Requestable Shifts in RotaPlanner

To begin creating a flexible schedule in RotaPlanner, start by adding your shifts. When setting up each shift, make sure to check the option "Staff can request this shift". You can also define how many people you want to fill that shift—e.g., up to two volunteers.

If no one is pre-assigned, all spots can be filled by requests. If one person is assigned, only one additional request will be accepted. This ensures your schedule doesn't get overbooked.

Using Recurring Patterns

Shifts can be set to repeat using the recurrence options—commonly weekdays (Monday to Friday) or custom patterns. Name your shift (e.g., "Morning Kitchen Shift") and apply the recurrence settings that match your needs.

Assigning Skills to Shifts

For roles that require specific skills, such as kitchen work or admin duties, you can create skill-based sections. Assign the required skill to the section, and any shifts placed within will inherit that skill requirement. Volunteers without that skill won’t be able to request those shifts.

Publishing and Notifying Staff

Once your shifts are ready, hit “Publish” in the top-right corner. Only published shifts are visible to staff or volunteers. When published, users with matching skills will receive an email notification and can log in to request available shifts.

Requests appear in the “Actions” tab for the user, and as an admin, you’ll see pending requests under the “Requests” tab. Approving a request assigns the shift automatically—no need to republish.

Preventing Overbooking

Once the maximum number of staff have requested a shift, it’s automatically closed for further requests. This ensures no manual cleanup and prevents volunteer overload.

Tracking Hours and Costs

After shifts are assigned, scroll to the “Time Worked” section. You'll see a breakdown of total hours worked per person, as well as cost calculations if you’ve set hourly rates. This can be viewed by week or month and helps you stay on top of time tracking and budgeting.

Hourly rates can be defined per staff member in the staff settings or directly on specific shifts using the “Pay Rate” field.