When you book shifts through Instawork, it's important to schedule times as accurately as possible to respect Professionals' schedules. However, business needs can change, and you may occasionally need to adjust shift durations. This article explains how to handle early dismissals or extended shifts.
Sending a Professional home early
If all tasks are completed before the shift's scheduled end time, you can dismiss a Professional early and have them clock out. You can adjust the Professional's clock-out time in your dashboard if needed. In most cases, you will only be charged for the hours a Pro worked.
4-Hour Minimum Policy
To ensure Professionals are fairly compensated for committing to your shift, you may be charged a minimum amount of hours when sending a Professional home early. You may be charged a 4-hour shift minimum if:
The shift was originally scheduled for 4 or more hours.
The Pro worked at least 1 hour, but fewer than 4 hours.
The Pro is being sent home due to lack of available work.
If you send a Pro home early, you may be asked to choose why the Pro was clocked out early in the timesheet of the shift details.
Asking a Professional to stay later
If your business needs require additional help, you can ask a Professional to work beyond their scheduled end time:
The Professional has the option to accept or decline based on their availability
If they stay later, they will be paid until they clock out
The same hourly rate applies for extended hours (W-2 shifts may be subject to overtime rules)
Billing automatically adjusts to reflect the actual clock-out time
No need to contact Support or your Account Manager about the adjustment
Important: Not all Professionals will have the flexibility to stay later than scheduled. If a Professional cannot extend their shift, this should NOT negatively impact their ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
My Instawork Professional was late to the shift. Am I charged for the time they are not there?
You will only be charged once a Professional clocks in and begins working at your location.
Check here for more information on when a Pro is late to a shift.
I sent an Instawork Professional home early for inappropriate behavior. What should I do?
Please mark them as "Send Home" in the timesheet and reach out to our Support Team to resolve the issue.