# Feature: Open Shifts

**Source:** VSMS Functional Requirements v1.1, Section 6

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## Visibility

All Volunteers (with or without the Trainee flag) can see the full schedule including:
- All assigned volunteers and their operational roles
- Which specific roles are still needed on each shift (e.g. `1 Behaviour Team needed`)

Open spots show the **role gap**, not just a headcount.

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## Claiming Open Shifts

| FR ID | Requirement | Notes |
|-------|-------------|-------|
| **FR-O01** | Any Volunteer **without** the Trainee flag can claim an open shift. Claims are first-come first-served and confirmed automatically — no Admin approval required. | Trainees can see open shifts but cannot claim them. |
| **FR-O02** | A volunteer is blocked from claiming a shift if they have approved time off on that date. They are directed to remove their time off first. | |
| **FR-O03** | When a volunteer claims a shift, Admin is notified immediately. | |

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## Floater Notifications *(Nice to Have — not in MVP)*

> **✦ Post-MVP:** When a shift spot opens, Floaters are notified first by email. After a set window (default: 1 week), volunteers who do not already have a shift that day are also notified. Floaters do not have an exclusive claim window — any eligible volunteer can claim at any time via the schedule view.