MyShiftPlanner is nearly 7 years old! Over the lifetime of the app, we’ve supported hundreds of thousands of shift workers all around the world.
But, MyShiftPlanner is more than just a shift planning app. It’s also one of the most powerful calendar tools on the app store, and used by lots of different people in lots of different ways.
More Than a Shift Rota App
For the last 7 years, shift workers everywhere have found MyShiftPlanner an invaluable tool for helping them manage their shift work lives.
Created to help a shift worker manage family life and a 4on/4off shift rota, MyShiftPlanner has evolved into a powerful tool.
There’s built-in patterns and the ability to create your own complex rotas. As well as extra features such as WorkTime reports, Overtime Tracking, Annual Leave tracking, Device Calendar Sync, Sharing options, and Multiples Calendars.
All these different features are used by shift workers. But, they are also used by lots of other people too. Many of whom don’t think of themselves as shift workers.
Over the years, we’ve found that people use MyShiftPlanner for all sorts of reasons and for lots of different purposes.
Keeping Loved-Ones in the Loop
Shift work affects everybody! Including the people around the shift worker themselves.
Your family members, partners, friends – all benefit from knowing when you’re on or off. And when to leave you alone after a night shift!
Being able to see in advance when you can spend time together is very important for all kinds of relationships, whether they are romantic, family or friendship groups. We regularly get messages from partners and family who use the Live Sharing feature to share their calendar with each other.
Other good features for keeping track of family or loved one’s rotas are the Calendar Overlay and Multiple Calendar options in the Pro-Pack.
We had a lovely review from Mary who loved to use the app to know when her son was able to visit . And a very emotional email from the partner of a shift worker who informed us that our MyShiftPlanner had saved her marriage!
Supporting Your Child Care
Several users have told us that they manage their childcare through the app. By adding a second calendar, using Multiple Calendars, you can set up the rotas for when children need to be in childcare.
We’ve also been told by users that MyShiftPlanner has helped them to manage their child custody schedule. By sharing calendars with partners (or ex-partners) both parents can be kept up to date with everything that required for their children’s care.
Shift workers who don’t know they’re Shift Workers
Lots of people work shifts. But many people who work shifts, don’t regard themselves as classic shift workers.
Shift workers generally have rotating patterns, they work non-standard hours, such as nightshifts, evenings, etc. But lots of workers work different hours through the week, without working a rotating pattern, or ever having to work nights.
Retail, hospitality, care work, and many other organisations ask workers to work different hours through the work week. These are often part-time jobs, zero-hour contracts, or other hour-restricted contract types.
Many of them use MyShiftPlanner by simply adding the shifts they work to the calendar, when they receive them. Sometimes, only the previous week.
What makes MySP different from a simple calendar? The ability to create custom shift types, with the correct hours, customised colours and reminders. But it also has advanced features not found in regular calendar apps. Such as Work Time Reports which calculate the hours a worker has worked on each shift type, for weeks, months years or any amount of time.
Some of our users rely on this to keep an accurate record of the working hours for the week – and make sure they get paid! But other features, such as Annual Leave Tracking, overtime recording and calendar sync are also highly prized by our users for giving them the power and flexibility to manage their non-standard (shift) working hours.
Manage Volunteer Rotas
Many volunteer organisations require their volunteers to work rotas of one kind or another.
Volunteering is on the rise! Since lockdown, many more people have seen the value of volunteering and giving their time freely to help other people. Whether it’s working in a charity or Fair Trade shop, picking up litter, gardening at the local park, or helping out at the local school, volunteers are put on rotas by the organisation they work for to help manage their time and make sure they are able to keep working but not do too much.
MyShiftPlanner is being used right now by volunteers to set up simple rotas for work. They can change and customise the names of the shifts, to better represent their work, and share them with partners or family, through calendar sync or live sharing.
MyShiftPlanner really is an excellent, free tool for volunteers.
Working in New Ways in the New Norm
In the new norm, more and more people are being asked to work in new and different ways.
Since Lockdown, it’s more common for people to spend several days a week working from home. Many organisations and businesses have embraced the concepts of flexible working. Sometimes workers have regular days at home, sometimes on a rotation. Some workers are being asked to work a week at home, a week in the workplace. MyShiftPlanner can be customised to help manage this form of working.
Calendar sync and sharing also helps, as partners are also often working flexible hours as well, and managing childcare, homeschooling and all the complexities of family life can be difficult without the right tools to help.
MyShiftPlanner is more than just the most powerful shift rota app on the app stores. It’s also one of the most powerful calendar tools on the app store for anyone!
