What is Microsoft Shifts? Illustrated Basics of Managing Work Shifts in Teams and Differences from Time and Attendance Systems
About This Article
This article was compiled using generative AI and verified against official Microsoft Support information as of September 17, 2026. It explains Shifts schedules, publishing, time-off and swap requests, the time clock, and the demarcation of responsibility between Teams licensing and time and attendance systems from a practical perspective.Verification Status: 📘 Official Microsoft information verified / Actual device behavior not verified
Microsoft Shifts is an app within Microsoft Teams that allows you to create and publish work shifts, enabling frontline team members to check their schedules and request time off or shift swaps. Microsoft currently states thatShifts is included in Teams.
What is important here is not just the name "Microsoft 365 E3/E5," butwhether the user's actual contract and service plan allow access to Teams.
- Key Terms to Learn First
- Keeping E3/E5 and Teams Separate
- Simple Example: Creating a One-Day Reception Shift for Three People
- Different Roles Look at Different Places
- Shifts Can Handle Both "Schedules" and "Actual Hours," but It Is Not Necessarily a Payroll System
- Pay Close Attention to Time Clock Location Detection
- Privacy Settings Are Also Part of the Schedule
- Note the Preview Status of "Open shifts across locations"
- Transitioning from Excel
- Checklist for Managers
- Common Misconceptions
- Official Information and Primary Sources
Key Terms to Learn First
| Term | Meaning for Beginners |
|---|---|
| shift | A work slot, such as "9:00 AM to 5:30 PM" |
| schedule | The work schedule for the entire team |
| open shift | An unassigned work slot that team members can request to take |
| publish / share | The action of sharing a schedule created by a manager with team members |
| time off | Requests for leave or time off |
| time clock | A feature to record clock-in, clock-out, and break times within Shifts |
| time sheet | A list of times recorded using the time clock |
| frontline worker | Frontline staff who do not work solely in front of a PC, such as those in stores, on-site, or in factories |
Keeping E3/E5 and Teams Separate
| Checklist Item | Approach |
|---|---|
| Shifts App | An app included in Teams |
| M365 E3/E5 | Do not assume Shifts availability based solely on the product name |
| Teams | Verify the actual SKU/service plan and user assignments |
| Purview Suite | Not a product intended to add Shifts usage rights |
Because there are licensing structures that include Teams and others that treat Teams separately, rather than simply writing "Shifts is available with E3" in internal manuals,verifying that users can sign in to Teams and that the Shifts app is allowed in the organizationis a safer approach.
flowchart LR
A[管理者/現場責任者] --> B[Shiftsで勤務表作成]
B --> C[下書き]
C -->|公開/Share| D[メンバーのTeams]
D --> E[勤務確認]
D --> F[休暇・交換・Open shift申請]
F --> A
D --> G[Time clock ※有効化時]
Simple Example: Creating a One-Day Reception Shift for Three People
Instead of immediately phasing out Excel schedules, create a single day's schedule in a test Team.
09:00-17:30 Aさん 10:00-18:30 Bさん 12:00-20:30 Cさん
Open Shifts in the test Team
Verify the team's time zone
Create shifts for the three people
Review them in the manager view without publishing yet
Publish to the test members
Have members check their own shifts on their end
What to Look For
The time zone matches the work location
Unpublished changes are not communicated to members as confirmed schedules
Once published, the target members can see the correct shifts
Other people's shift information is not visible beyond organizational policy
Success Criteria
Being able to distinguish the workflow of manager draft -> publish -> member verification.
Changing Just One Detail
Change only Person B's start time from 10:00 to 10:30 and republish. Track only the modified shift to confirm how the publishing action relates to notifications and confirmation on the frontline.
Different Roles Look at Different Places
| Role | Primary Focus |
|---|---|
| Frontline Members | Own shifts, time-off requests, swaps/open shifts, and the time clock |
| Frontline Managers / Administrative Staff | Shift creation, publishing, open shifts, request approvals, and time zones |
| IT Department | Teams SKUs, app permissions, Team owners, devices, location detection, privacy, and WFM integration |
Shifts Can Handle Both "Schedules" and "Actual Hours," but It Is Not Necessarily a Payroll System
Shifts includes a time clock feature to record clock-ins, clock-outs, and breaks. Official Microsoft documentation states that users can clock in and out from Teams mobile, desktop, and web.
However, the ability to record time in Shifts andwhether those records serve as the official data for company payroll and working hours management are two different matters.
Decide on the following before implementation:
Is the official source of truth for work schedules Shifts or the existing schedule?
Is the official source of truth for actual clock-in/out times Shifts or the existing time and attendance system?
Which system's values will be passed to payroll?
Who will handle corrections and approvals?
How will night shifts, cross-day shifts, and breaks be handled?
flowchart TD
A[Shifts勤務予定] --> B[現場で勤務]
B --> C[Time clock実績 ※利用時]
C --> D{正式な勤怠正本?}
D -->|組織で正式採用| E[承認・給与連携ルールへ]
D -->|表示/補助用途| F[既存勤怠システムを正本に維持]
Pay Close Attention to Time Clock Location Detection
In Shifts, managers can configure location detection for the time clock. If users grant Teams access to location services on their mobile devices, it is used to verify their location when clocking in or out.
Current Microsoft Support documentation explains that if a user is within200 metersof the configured coordinates, they are treated as "on location." The time report for managers indicates whether they were "on location" rather than showing the exact coordinates.
Just because location detection is available does not mean you should enable it unconditionally. Verify employee communications, internal regulations, necessity, and device usage policies first.
Privacy Settings Are Also Part of the Schedule
Shifts includes privacy controls, such as determining how far back coworkers' past shifts can be viewed, whether other employees' time-off reasons or notes are visible, and whether notes or activities within shifts are shown.
Rather than assuming "it's a shift schedule, so everyone should see everything," restrict visibility to what is operationally necessary.
Note the Preview Status of "Open shifts across locations"
Current Microsoft Support configuration guides state thatopen shifts across locations is in public preview. If you incorporate preview features into critical production workflows, re-verify the availability status, eligibility criteria, and potential for changes using the latest information.
Transitioning from Excel
Microsoft states that you can import schedules into Shifts from an Excel workbook. While convenient for organizations with existing Excel schedules, rather than importing all production data from the start, verify column and time mappings with a small group over a short period.
What to Look For
Dates and times are not shifted
Names and member mappings are correct
Imported schedules can still be reviewed as unpublished drafts
Success Criteria
Test shifts are assigned to the correct people and dates, and have not been accidentally published to production members.
Checklist for Managers
Target users' Teams licenses/service plans
Whether Shifts is enabled in Teams admin policies
Team owners and frontline managers
Time zone and the start of the week
Approval rules for open shifts, swaps, and time-off requests
Whether to use the time clock as the official time and attendance record
The necessity of using location detection and privacy explanations
The scope of visibility for coworkers' shifts, time-off reasons, etc.
Data integration with Excel/WFM and the official source of truth
Whether critical operations depend on preview features
Common Misconceptions
Is Shifts always available if you have E3/E5?
Since Shifts is included in Teams, verify actual Teams access and organizational app permissions. Do not judge based solely on the E3/E5 name.
Can we immediately phase out our existing time and attendance system since there is a time clock?
No. Clarify the official source of truth for payroll and labor management, approvals, corrections, and integration requirements first.
Will enabling location detection allow managers to track GPS location at all times?
The time clock location detection described in Microsoft's Shifts Support is a feature related to verifying location at the time of clocking in or out. It is important to review the terms of use and organizational operations, and avoid interpreting it in an unnecessarily broad sense.
Official Information and Primary Sources
The value of Shifts is not limited to simply moving Excel schedules to Teams.Centralizing schedule creation, publishing, verification, and change requests within the frontline Teams workflow, while clearly defining the boundaries with the official time and attendance and payroll records,is the core of the implementation.
