How to Start Using When I Work With a Free Trial

Updated

When I Work offers a free 14-day trial that you can start from its website by selecting Start Free Trial, entering your full name and email address, or signing up with Google. This self-serve route suits managers who want to evaluate scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging directly. If you would rather see the product with guidance first, Schedule Demo is listed as an alternative.

Before You Start

The trial is intended for workplaces that manage hourly, shift-based teams. The site describes the product as designed exclusively for hourly workers and as a mobile-first platform for teams on the floor or in the field. Typical settings named on the page include restaurants, retail, call centers, healthcare, seasonal work, hospitality, franchises, and volunteer teams.

You will need:

  • A full name and email address, or a Google account if you choose that sign-up path.
  • A basic idea of your team structure, since the first useful step after sign-up is adding employees and building a schedule.

Steps to Begin the Trial

  1. Open wheniwork.com and select Start Free Trial.
  2. Enter your Full Name and Email Address, then confirm the trial start. Alternatively, choose Start my free trial with Google.
  3. Once in the account, add your team members so shifts can be assigned to real people.
  4. Build your first schedule. The site states schedules can be built in minutes and shared instantly, with OpenShifts available to fill gaps.
  5. Share the schedule with your team so they receive notifications in the app rather than through manual follow-ups.
  6. Turn on time tracking if you want attendance data alongside the schedule. The time clock works on any device and tracks attendance, breaks, and time off.

What to Test During the 14 Days

Use the trial to check the three core areas the product combines into one platform:

Area What the site says it does What to try
Employee scheduling Build schedules in minutes, offer OpenShifts, notify the team instantly Create a week of shifts and publish it
Time and attendance Turn any device into a time clock; track attendance, breaks, and time off; GPS clock-ins and geofencing verify staff locations Have a team member clock in and review the record
Team messaging Send shift reminders, announcements, and direct messages without sharing phone numbers Post an announcement and a shift reminder

Also test approving time-off requests and viewing live attendance, both of which the page lists as part of the platform.

Choosing Between Trial and Demo

  • Start the free trial if you are comfortable setting up a schedule yourself and want to judge the app on your own team's data.
  • Schedule a demo if you want a guided walkthrough before committing time to setup, or if you need to involve other decision-makers.

Checking Plans and Pricing

Plan details are available on the Pricing page linked from the site navigation. Review that page before your trial ends so you know which plan fits your team size and feature needs. The site does not state trial terms beyond the 14-day length, so confirm any limits on users or features on the pricing page or during sign-up.

Common Sticking Points

  • Skipping team setup: A schedule is only useful once employees are added, so do that before building shifts.
  • Not publishing the schedule: The value of instant notifications comes from sharing the schedule, not just creating it.
  • Ignoring time tracking until later: Turning on the time clock early lets you compare scheduled versus actual hours during the trial, which is the clearest way to judge whether the platform replaces your separate tools.