About
When I Work is an all-in-one workforce management solution built exclusively for hourly and shift-based workplaces such as restaurants, retail stores, call centers, healthcare facilities, and hospitality businesses. The platform brings together three core capabilities — employee scheduling, time and attendance tracking, and team messaging — into one mobile-first app that both managers and employees actually want to use. Managers can build schedules in minutes using the smart auto-scheduler, which matches shifts to employees based on availability, eligibility, and preferences. OpenShifts allow teams to fill gaps quickly without manual phone calls or texts. Once published, schedules are instantly shared with the entire team. The integrated time clock turns any device into a GPS-enabled clock-in station, using geofencing to verify employee locations and reduce time theft. Attendance data flows directly into payroll integrations, minimizing errors and saving administrative hours each week. Built-in team messaging eliminates scattered group texts by giving managers a single channel to send shift reminders, announcements, and direct messages — all in the same place employees check their schedules. Time-off requests and approvals are handled within the app as well. When I Work scales from teams of five to workforces of 500+ across multiple locations, making it suitable for growing businesses. It integrates with popular payroll and HR tools, supports compliance tracking, and includes overtime monitoring. The platform is available as a web app and fully featured mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Key Features
- Smart Auto-Scheduler: Automatically builds optimized shift schedules in minutes by matching employees based on their availability, eligibility, and preferences — eliminating manual planning effort.
- GPS-Enabled Time Clock: Turns any device into a time clock with GPS clock-ins and geofencing to verify employee locations, track breaks, and simplify payroll processing.
- Built-In Team Messaging: Keeps the entire team connected with direct messages, group announcements, and shift reminders — all within the same app where employees view their schedules.
- OpenShifts & Time-Off Management: Allows managers to post unfilled shifts for employees to claim and handles time-off requests and approvals entirely within the platform.
- Payroll & HR Integrations: Connects with leading payroll, HR, and business tools to streamline data transfer, reduce errors, and ensure compliance with labor regulations.
Use Cases
- A restaurant manager builds and publishes the weekly staff schedule in minutes, filling open shifts automatically and notifying employees instantly via the app.
- A retail chain with multiple locations tracks real-time attendance across all stores using GPS clock-ins, ensuring accurate payroll data without manual timesheets.
- A healthcare staffing coordinator uses OpenShifts to quickly fill last-minute coverage gaps without making individual phone calls to available staff.
- A call center supervisor sends shift reminders and policy updates to the entire team through built-in messaging, replacing fragmented group text chains.
- A franchise operator monitors overtime hours and labor costs across all franchise locations from a single dashboard to stay within budget and remain compliant.
Pros
- All-in-One Platform: Combines scheduling, time tracking, and messaging in a single app, eliminating the need to juggle multiple disconnected tools.
- Significant Time Savings: Users report saving up to 14 hours per week on scheduling tasks thanks to automation and real-time updates.
- Mobile-First Design: Built for on-the-floor and field workers with fully featured iOS and Android apps that employees genuinely adopt and use.
- Scales With Your Business: Supports teams from 5 to 500+ employees across single or multiple locations without requiring a platform change.
Cons
- Focused on Hourly/Shift Workers: The platform is designed specifically for shift-based workplaces, making it less suitable for salaried or project-based teams.
- Cost Increases With Team Size: Pricing scales per user, which can become a significant expense for larger hourly workforces compared to flat-rate alternatives.
- Advanced Features Behind Higher Tiers: Some capabilities like advanced integrations and detailed reporting may require upgrading to higher-priced plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of businesses is When I Work best suited for?
When I Work is designed for businesses that employ hourly or shift-based workers, including restaurants, retail stores, call centers, healthcare facilities, hospitality venues, franchises, and seasonal operations.
Does When I Work have a mobile app?
Yes. When I Work offers fully featured mobile apps for both iOS and Android, allowing managers and employees to view schedules, clock in, and message their team from any device.
How does the GPS time clock work?
Employees clock in through the When I Work app, which uses GPS and geofencing to confirm they are physically at the correct work location before recording their time, helping reduce time theft and buddy punching.
Can When I Work integrate with payroll systems?
Yes. When I Work integrates with many popular payroll and HR platforms, allowing time and attendance data to flow directly into payroll processing to reduce manual entry and errors.
Is there a free trial available?
Yes. When I Work offers a free trial so businesses can explore the scheduling, time tracking, and messaging features before committing to a paid plan.
