ShiftPilot user guide

Welcome to ShiftPilot

ShiftPilot brings your scheduling and timekeeping into one place. Managers build and publish schedules, employees clock in and out and request time off, and admins handle reports, billing, and settings.

What you can do depends on your role. The sections below are grouped by role, so jump to the part that matches you. If you wear more than one hat, you will see the matching menus inside the app.

Create your company

Anyone setting up ShiftPilot for the first time starts by creating a company workspace.

1. Go to the ShiftPilot sign up page and choose Start free trial.
2. Enter your company name, your name, your work email, and a password.
3. Submit the form. Your 14-day free trial starts right away, with no credit card required.
4. Check your inbox for a confirmation email and click the link to verify your account.
5. Sign in and follow the setup prompts to add departments and invite your team.

Signing in

To sign in, you need three things: your company name (sometimes shown as a short company code), your email, and your password.

1. Open the ShiftPilot sign in page.
2. Enter your company, email, and password.
3. Select Sign in.

Forgot your password? Use the reset link on the sign in page and follow the email instructions. New employees should look for an invitation email, which walks you through setting your password the first time.

Roles explained

ShiftPilot has three main roles. Your role decides which menus and actions you see.

• Employee. Views their own schedule, clocks in and out, submits timecards, requests time off, and sets availability.
• Manager. Everything an employee can do, plus building schedules and approving timecards, time off, and shift swaps for their assigned departments.
• Admin. Full access across the company, including employees, departments, reports, billing, settings, and the audit log.

Managers only see and act on the departments they are assigned to, which keeps each part of the business separate.

My schedule Employee

Your schedule shows the shifts assigned to you once a manager publishes them.

1. Open My schedule from the menu.
2. Browse your upcoming shifts as a list or by week.
3. Select a shift to see details such as start and end time, breaks, role, and any notes.

If you need to give up or swap a shift, open the shift and choose the swap or request option. Your manager is notified and will approve or decline it.

Clocking in and out Employee

The time clock records your worked hours.

1. Open Time clock.
2. When you start work, select Clock in. The button shows your current status and elapsed time.
3. Starting a break? Use Start break, then End break when you return.
4. At the end of your shift, select Clock out. Your hours are calculated automatically, with breaks removed.

My timecard Employee

Your timecard adds up the hours you worked for the current pay period.

1. Open My timecard.
2. Review your daily hours and the split between regular and overtime.
3. When the period is complete, select Submit to send it to your manager for approval.

You can also view past timecards to check what was approved. If something looks wrong, let your manager know so they can correct it.

Requesting time off Employee

Request vacation, sick, personal, or unpaid time directly in the app.

1. Open Time off.
2. Select Request time off.
3. Choose the type, the start and end dates, and the number of hours.
4. Add a short note if helpful, then submit.

Your manager is notified and will approve or decline the request. You can see your balances and the status of every request on the same page.

Setting availability Employee

Tell your manager when you can and cannot work so scheduling fits your life.

1. Open Availability.
2. For each day of the week, set the times you are available or unavailable.
3. Save your changes.

Managers can see your availability while building the schedule, which helps avoid assigning shifts that do not work for you.

Notifications Everyone

The bell icon at the top of the app shows your notifications, with a count of anything unread.

• Select the bell to see recent updates such as a published schedule, an approval, or a missed clock in.
• Select a notification to mark it as read, or use Mark all read.
• Open the full Notifications page to browse everything and filter to unread only.

You can also receive important notifications by email. Admins can adjust which notifications your company sends.

Building a schedule Manager

The schedule builder is where you plan the week for your department.

1. Open Schedule builder and choose your department and the week.
2. Create a draft schedule, then add shifts by entering start and end times, breaks, and a role.
3. Apply a shift template to fill common shifts quickly instead of typing them each time.
4. Assign an employee to each shift. Their availability is shown to help you choose. Leave a shift unassigned to mark it as an open shift.
5. When the week is ready, select Publish. Everyone affected is notified right away.

Approvals Manager

The approvals queue is where you review what your team submits.

1. Open Approvals.
2. Switch between the Timecards, Time off, and Shift swaps tabs. Each tab shows the count waiting for you.
3. Review the details, then select Approve or Reject. You can add a note explaining your decision.

The person who submitted the request is notified of your decision. Every approval is recorded in the audit log.

Fixing time entries Manager

Sometimes a clock in or out is missed or entered incorrectly. Managers can correct it.

1. Open Team time clock.
2. Find the employee and the day that needs a correction.
3. Edit the entry with the right times and save.

Manager corrections are clearly marked and recorded, so there is always a trail of what changed and who changed it.

Departments Admin

Departments let you organize your team and keep each area separate.

1. Open Departments.
2. Add a department with a name and optional code.
3. Assign one or more managers to a department so they can schedule and approve for it.

Managers only see the departments they are assigned to, which keeps responsibilities clear.

Employees Admin

Add the people on your team and set how they work.

1. Open Employees and select Add employee.
2. Enter their name and email. They will receive an invitation to set up their account.
3. Set their employment type, pay rate, and weekly overtime threshold.
4. Assign them to one or more departments and give them a role.

When someone leaves, deactivate their account. Their history stays intact for your records and reports.

Shift templates Admin

Shift templates save the shifts you use again and again, so managers can schedule faster.

1. Open Shift templates.
2. Create a template with a start time, end time, break length, and role for a department.

Managers can then apply a template in the schedule builder instead of entering each shift by hand.

Reports and exports Admin and Manager

Reports give you a clear view of hours and attendance, ready for payroll.

1. Open Reports.
2. Set the period and, if needed, a department, then select Apply filters.
3. Review the summary cards and switch between Hours worked, Overtime, Attendance, and Time off.
4. Select Export CSV to download the data in a payroll-ready format.

Managers see reports for their departments, while admins see the whole company.

Audit log Admin

The audit log records important actions across your company, so you always know what happened and who did it.

1. Open Audit log.
2. Filter by date range, person, action, or type.
3. Export the results if you need them for your records.

The log is read only and keeps the most recent 30 days by default. Longer retention is available on request.

Your free trial

Every new company starts with a 14-day free trial and full access to every feature. No credit card is needed to begin.

As the trial nears its end, the admin receives reminders. When it ends, add a subscription to keep full access. If the trial ends without a subscription, the workspace pauses. Your data is kept safe, and employees can still clock in and out so no worked time is lost.

Subscribing and payment Admin

ShiftPilot is a simple flat price of $60 per month for your whole company, with no per-employee fees.

1. Open Billing.
2. Select Subscribe. You are taken to a secure checkout to enter your payment details.
3. Once payment is confirmed, full access continues without interruption.

To update your card, view invoices, or cancel, open the billing portal from the same page. If you cancel, you keep access until the end of your billing period. Payments are handled securely by Stripe, and ShiftPilot never stores your card details.

Common questions

I cannot sign in. What should I check?

Make sure you are using the correct company, email, and password. If you are a new employee, look for the invitation email to set your password. You can also use the password reset link on the sign in page.

Why can I not see a menu my coworker has?

Menus depend on your role. Managers and admins see more options. If you think your role is wrong, ask your admin to update it.

My clock in did not record. What now?

Let your manager know. They can add or correct the entry from Team time clock, and the change is recorded in the audit log.

How is overtime calculated?

Hours beyond your weekly overtime threshold count as overtime on your timecard. Your admin sets the threshold for each employee, with 40 hours as the default.

Can employees use ShiftPilot on a phone?

Yes. ShiftPilot works in any modern browser on a phone, tablet, or computer.