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Manage shift swaps

Shift swaps allow on-call users to request coverage when they’re unavailable. Other team members can volunteer to take over these shifts, providing flexibility in on-call scheduling.

Learn how to manage shift swaps from the IRM mobile app

Before you begin

To manage shift swaps, you need:

  • Correct permissions in Grafana IRM (SCHEDULES_WRITE permission if RBAC is enabled)
  • A schedule where you want to request or take a shift swap

How shift swaps work

When you create a shift swap request:

  • The request becomes visible to all users with access to the schedule
  • Team members can volunteer to take the shift
  • Once accepted, the replacement user receives all notifications during the swap period
  • The original schedule remains unchanged for future rotations

Request a shift swap

You can request shift swaps from the web UI or the Grafana IRM mobile app.

Request from the web UI

  1. Navigate to IRM > Schedules
  2. Select the schedule where you want to request a shift swap
  3. Click Add > Shift Swap Request
  4. Set the Swap Start date and time
  5. Set the Swap End date and time
  6. (Optional) Add a description to provide context for your request
  7. Click Create

The shift swap request appears immediately in the schedule view and notifications are sent to your team.

Request from the mobile app

  1. Open the Grafana IRM mobile app
  2. Navigate to the Schedules tab
  3. Select the schedule where you want to request a shift swap
  4. Tap the + button and select Shift Swap Request
  5. Set the start and end times for the swap
  6. (Optional) Add a description
  7. Tap Create

Take a shift swap

When you take a shift swap, you assume the requester’s on-call duties for the specified time period.

  1. Navigate to IRM > Schedules
  2. Select the schedule containing open shift swap requests
  3. Locate an open shift swap request in the Shift Swaps section or in the schedule timeline
  4. Review the shift details, including the time period and any description provided
  5. Click Take Swap to accept the request
  6. Confirm your decision when prompted

Once you take a shift swap, you’ll receive all notifications and alerts during the swap period that would have gone to the original on-call user.

Cancel a shift swap

You can cancel your own shift swap requests at any time:

  1. Navigate to IRM > Schedules
  2. Select the schedule containing your shift swap request
  3. In the Shift Swaps section, find your request
  4. Click the Delete (trash) icon next to the request
  5. Confirm the deletion when prompted

If someone has already taken your shift swap, removing the request reverts the swap and returns on-call responsibility to you.

View existing swap requests

To review existing swap requests:

  1. Navigate to IRM > Schedules
  2. Select the schedule you want to view
  3. Look for events marked with the swap request icon in the schedule timeline
  4. Alternatively, scroll to the Shift Swaps section to see a list of all swap requests

Notifications and reminders

Grafana IRM sends notifications to ensure users are informed about shift swaps:

  • Push notifications are sent to users with schedule alerts enabled
  • Slack notifications (if configured) inform teams of open requests

Reminder schedule

Shift swap reminders are sent at the following intervals before the swap start time:

  • 4 weeks
  • 3 weeks
  • 2 weeks
  • 1 week
  • 3 days
  • 2 days
  • 1 day
  • 12 hours

Notifications are sent during working hours (9 AM – 5 PM local time) based on the user’s mobile device timezone.

Automate shift swaps

To enable auto-generated shift swap requests based on calendar events:

  1. Navigate to IRM > Schedules > Settings
  2. Under Calendar Integration, enable calendar integration
  3. Follow the prompts to authenticate and connect your calendar
  4. Configure which calendar events should trigger shift swap requests

For detailed instructions on setting up automated shift swaps, refer to Automate shift swaps.

Troubleshooting shift swaps

Unable to take a shift swap

If you can’t take a shift swap:

  • Verify that you have SCHEDULES_WRITE permission
  • Check that the shift swap hasn’t already been taken by someone else
  • Confirm that you’re not already scheduled for that time period

Missing notifications

If notifications for shift swaps aren’t being received:

  • Verify that push notifications are enabled in user settings
  • Check Slack channel configuration if using Slack integration
  • Check that notification services are properly configured in Grafana IRM