What Is When I Work and What Does It Do?

When I Work is an all-in-one workforce management software built for hourly and shift-based teams. It combines employee scheduling, time and attendance tracking, and built-in team messaging in a single mobile-first platform, so managers and employees don't have to juggle separate tools for schedules, attendance, and chat. It fits workplaces where staff work on the floor or in the field—restaurants, retail, call centers, healthcare, seasonal and hospitality operations, franchises, and volunteer teams.

Core Functions

Employee Scheduling

Managers build schedules in minutes, share them instantly, and notify the team automatically. OpenShifts let you post unfilled gaps for employees to pick up, which reduces phone tag and manual follow-ups. Time-off requests can be approved within the same platform.

Time and Attendance

Any device can be turned into a time clock that tracks attendance, breaks, and time off. GPS clock-ins and geofencing verify staff locations, which helps reduce human error and makes payroll easier to process.

Built-In Team Messaging

Shift reminders, announcements, and direct communication happen in one place—without managers or coworkers needing to share personal phone numbers. This replaces fragmented text chains with a single channel tied to the schedule.

Integrations

When I Work connects with tools for scheduling, payroll, and more, so the platform can feed data into systems you already rely on.

Who It's For

The common thread is hourly work: teams whose hours vary by shift and whose managers need real-time visibility into who is working and when.

What It Replaces

Instead of running a spreadsheet for schedules, a separate punch clock for attendance, and group texts for communication, When I Work puts all three in one app. The stated benefit is that managers spend less time building the schedule and more time running the business, while employees get one place to check shifts, clock in, and receive updates.

Getting Started

The site offers a free 14-day trial, with sign-up by name and email or through Google, plus options to schedule a demo or create an account. Pricing details are available on the pricing page; check current plan terms there before committing, since features and limits vary by plan.