(Updated) Assign open shifts in Microsoft Teams Shifts

Updated September 22, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. 

What and Why:

Assign open shifts is a new Microsoft Teams Shifts capability that helps managers build schedules more efficiently. Managers can enter shifts that need coverage as open shifts, then use Assign open shifts to automatically assign those shifts within a schedule group based on employee availability, approved time off, historical scheduling patterns, and configured scheduling rules. Managers can review and adjust assignments before publishing the schedule.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 562535.

Rollout Schedule:

• General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in mid-June 2026 and is expected to complete by end of October 2026 (previously mid-September).

Impact on Your Organization:

• Who is affected: Frontline managers who create or manage schedules using Microsoft Teams Shifts.
• Platforms/Services: Microsoft Teams (Shifts) on web and desktop.
• What will happen:
  • A new “Assign open shifts” button appears for users with scheduling permissions.
  • Open shifts can be automatically assigned based on availability, time off, historical patterns, and scheduling rules.
  • Managers can review and edit assignments before publishing.
  • Using the feature is optional.

  Screenshot 1: Select a schedule group and review constraints from the Assign Open Shifts dialog:

  Screenshot 2: A schedule has been successfully generated:

[Action Required / Recommendations:]

• No action is required.
• Admins may choose to share documentation and update internal guidance for scheduling managers.

Learn more: Auto-assign open shifts - Microsoft 365 for frontline workers | Microsoft Learn

Compliance considerations:

AreaExplanationDoes the change alter how existing customer data is processed?The feature uses existing Shifts data (availability, time off, scheduling rules, historical patterns) to generate suggested assignments, without introducing new data types.Does the change include an admin control and can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership?Visibility of the feature is governed by existing Shifts scheduling permissions, which can be managed through role and group-based access.Does the change allow a user to enable or disable the feature themselves?Managers can choose whether or not to use Assign Open Shifts during scheduling.