# Shift approvals

> Let managers formally approve and lock the previous day's shifts from a dedicated sub-menu.

Source: https://help.shyfter.com/en/schedules/shift-approvals  
Category: Schedules  
Updated: 2026-06-30

Shift approval is a feature for companies that want a formal end-of-day schedule control process. It lets a schedule manager or HR manager review the previous day's shifts, approve them, and lock them to prevent any later changes.

This is particularly useful before payroll exports or reconciliations with clockings.

## Enable shift approvals

Go to **Settings → Schedules → Settings** and turn on the option **Shift approval by the schedule manager or HR**.

Once the option is enabled, a new **Shift approvals** sub-menu appears in the **Schedules** menu.

## Using the Shift approvals sub-menu

Go to **Schedules → Shift approvals**.

This sub-menu shows the shifts for the relevant period (usually the previous day or recent days) along with their status: pending approval, approved, or locked.

For each shift, you can:

- **Approve** the shift: confirm that the slot went ahead as scheduled.
- **Edit** before approval if an adjustment is needed.
- **Lock** the shift after approval to protect it against any changes.

You can process shifts one by one or select several shifts for bulk approval.

## Difference with manual locking

Manual locking (from the schedule via right-click or the More menu) is a quick action to protect a single slot.

Approval through the dedicated sub-menu is a formal process that traces the approval action: who approved, when, and what the shift's state was. This traceability is useful for companies with reporting obligations or social audits.