Online exchange lets hourly workers swap shifts

There are more than 75 million hourly workers in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and it’s a safe bet that most of them need to juggle their shift schedules at least once in a while. Aiming to make that process easier, HaveMyShift offers a central place for workers and managers to post and find shifts that need to be filled. Operating under the slogan, “Work Flexibly; Live Happily,” Chicago-based HaveMyShift was founded by a duo including a Starbucks barista seeking an easier way to manage his schedule. Workers and managers can both post shifts they need to fill, and Facebook-integrated HaveMyShift will send an email to other registered users in the same area, as determined by ZIP code and Google Maps. (Users can select how often they want to receive such emails, including options for once-a-day summaries or for notifications every time a new shift in their area gets posted.) Employees seeking extra shifts can also browse for opportunities on the site. Basic use of HaveMyShift is free; paid features include an “emergency shift” posting, which costs USD 5 for extra prominent placement and the inclusion of a personal note explaining why the poster urgently needs to get the shift covered. On an interesting side note, HaveMyShift apparently tapped crowdSPRING—a name already familiar to regular Springwise readers—for a graphic redesign, which hasn’t yet been implemented. There are currently more than 4,000 employees registered on HaveMyShift, which has facilitated the exchange of more 21,000 shift hours to date, its founders say. One to bring to hourly employees in the rest of the hard-working world…?