Shift swaps and overrides

Grafana IRM provides flexibility for on-call schedules through shift swaps and overrides. These features allow you to make temporary adjustments to schedules without modifying the underlying rotation pattern.

About shift swaps and overrides

When managing on-call rotations, teams often need to accommodate schedule changes due to vacations, sick leave, or other personal conflicts. Grafana IRM offers two features to handle these situations:

Shift swaps: Enable team members to request coverage for their shifts and allow others to volunteer to take those shifts
Overrides: Let you specify a temporary replacement user for specific time periods

Both features help teams maintain coverage during absences without disrupting the primary schedule configuration.

Which feature should I use?

Choose the appropriate feature based on your situation:

Feature	Best used when	Process
Shift swaps	You need coverage but don’t know who’s available	Create a request that team members can volunteer to accept
Overrides	You’ve already coordinated with a specific colleague	Directly assign the replacement to cover your shift

Shift swaps

Shift swaps allow on-call users to request coverage for their shifts when they are unavailable. This collaborative approach distributes the workload fairly across the team.

Key features

Request-based system: Create requests for shift coverage that team members can volunteer to take
Notifications and reminders: Automated alerts to inform team members about open requests
Mobile app support: Manage shift swaps on the go through the Grafana IRM mobile app
Calendar integration: Automate shift swap requests with calendar integration

Shift swap workflow

Team member creates a shift swap request for a specific time period
Notification is sent to eligible team members
Another team member volunteers to take the shift
Original team member approves the volunteer (if required)
Schedule is updated automatically
Both team members receive confirmation notifications

For detailed instructions on creating, accepting, and managing shift swaps, refer to Manage shift swaps.

For information on automating shift swaps with calendar integration, refer to Automate shift swaps.

Overrides

Overrides directly assign a replacement user for a defined time period. This feature gives you precise control over schedule adjustments when you’ve already coordinated coverage with a specific colleague.

Key features

Direct replacement: Explicitly assign a specific user to cover any shifts that occur during the override
Temporary changes: Make one-time adjustments without altering the underlying schedule
Date and time precision: Set exact start and end times for the override period
Override calendar: Use a calendar app to manage override schedules in your existing systems

Override workflow

Team member identifies when they need coverage
They coordinate with another team member to cover the shift
Admin or team member creates an override specifying:
- The time period for the override
- The user who will provide coverage
- Any relevant notes about the override
Schedule is automatically updated to reflect the override
Both users receive confirmation of the override

For step-by-step instructions on creating and managing overrides, refer to Add overrides.