First: the next ten minutes
It’s 9 pm on Friday. Kofi has just messaged: his daughter is sick and he can’t do the 8 am canteen shift tomorrow. Before you start texting around, do three quick things.
- Reply to Kofi. “Thanks for letting me know, hope she feels better. I’ll sort it.” People who are thanked for telling you early keep telling you early.
- Check whether you actually need a replacement. If the shift has three people and can run with two, it may be fine. Tell the other two so they aren’t surprised.
- Check the roster. Who else can do this job, isn’t away that day and isn’t already on somewhere else at the same time?
Who to ask first
Most organisers ask the person most likely to say yes. That works on the night and slowly ruins the roster: the helpful people end up doing double, and the people who never get asked never take a turn.
Ask in this order instead:
- 01
Fewest turns first
Of the people who can do the job and aren’t away, ask whoever has had the fewest turns lately.
- 02
Then the reserve list
People who have said they’re happy to be called at short notice (see below).
- 03
Then a swap
Someone already on a later date who could trade with the person dropping out.
- 04
Last, the regulars
Your reliable few, and only if the shift really can’t run short.
Ask one person at a time, with a clear deadline, rather than blasting the group chat. In a group message everyone waits for someone else to answer, and if two people say yes at once, one of them is let down.
Messages you can copy
Asking one person
“Hi Mei, Kofi can’t do canteen tomorrow (Sat 14 March, 8:00–10:30). You’re one of the few who hasn’t had a turn for a while. Could you take it? If not, no problem, just let me know by 8 tonight so I can ask someone else.”
Offering a swap
“Hi Tomás, Kofi can’t do tomorrow morning but could take your turn on Sat 28 March. Would you be up for swapping with him?”
When nobody can
“Canteen tomorrow will run with two instead of three. Aisha and Liam, thanks for holding the fort. I’ll keep the menu short.”
Then update the roster everyone looks at, straight away. A change that lives only in your messages is the change someone forgets.
Set up a reserve list
Some people genuinely like being called at short notice: retirees, people with flexible jobs, students in the holidays. Ask, once a term: “Who’s happy to be on the call list for last-minute gaps?” Keep that list short and use it in turn, so the same reserve isn’t called every week.
Count reserve shifts as real turns. If Hamish covers three gaps in a month, he should be further down the list for the next roster, not the first name you think of.
How to have fewer gaps
Every last-minute gap has a cause, and most causes are fixable before the roster goes out.
- Ask for away days before you roster. Most drop-outs are dates people knew about weeks ago: a wedding, a holiday, a shift at work. One message before you build the roster catches most of them.
- Publish early. A roster sent out two days ahead clashes with plans people have already made. Two weeks or more gives them a chance to say.
- Make it easy to say no early. If people feel awkward pulling out, they wait until the last minute. Thank people who tell you early, every time.
- Send a reminder. A short message a day or two before catches the person who simply forgot. There are examples in roster reminder messages.
- Check the load. If one person drops out repeatedly, ask privately whether they are on too often or the day no longer suits. The guide on how often volunteers should be rostered helps here.
Should people find their own replacement?
Many groups have a rule: “If you can’t make it, find someone to swap with.” It takes work off the organiser, and it suits close teams where everyone knows each other.
It has two downsides. Newer or shyer people don’t know who to ask, so they either turn up when they shouldn’t or quietly don’t come. And the same obliging people get asked to swap all the time. A middle path works well: people may arrange a swap themselves, but they must tell the organiser so the roster is updated, and if they can’t find anyone, the organiser takes over without any fuss.
When it’s you who can’t make it
If you are the one dropping out, tell the organiser as soon as you know, say which date and job, and if you can, offer another date in return. You don’t need to give a reason. Saying “I’m really sorry, I can’t make Saturday, but I could do the 28th” is plenty.
How FairTurns handles it
In FairTurns, people mark the days they’re away, for free, and Fill leaves them off those days when the roster is made. When a gap does turn up, an organiser can move people on the calendar, and a chart shows who has had the fewest turns, so you know who to ask.
With Pro, people can reply “I can’t make it” straight from the roster email or in the app, and the team’s moderators are emailed. If filling by itself is on, the next person in line is put on and asked, and so on down the line, with the turns still counted. See replies and filling by itself.
Questions
Who should I ask to cover a shift?
Start with the people who can do the job, are not away that day, and have had the fewest turns lately. Then try a reserve list, then a swap, and only then your reliable regulars.
Should I post the gap in the group chat?
Asking one person at a time with a short deadline usually works better. In a group message everyone waits for someone else, or two people say yes at once.
How do I reduce last-minute drop-outs?
Ask for away days before you roster, publish the roster at least two weeks ahead, send a short reminder a day or two before, and thank people who tell you early.
Should the person who cannot make it find their own cover?
They can arrange a swap if they like, as long as they tell the organiser. If they cannot find anyone, the organiser should take it over without fuss.