Close an Open Shift From Yesterday

Last updated: Feb 25, 2026, 2:49 PM

Question

How do I close out a shift from a prior day that was not completed?

Answer

If the open shift is from a past business week (e.g., last week), please contact Toast Customer Care for assistance

 

If an employee forgot to clock out, their shift may remain open, which can prevent new time entries or shift review. Follow the steps below to close the shift successfully.

 

  1. Confirm the shift is open
    1. Navigate to Reports > Employee Management > Shifts.
    2. Open shifts on this report can only be viewed when a single day is selected. With this in mind, select the date range drop-down menu and select a single day when the employee forgot to clock out.
    3. Scroll down and confirm the shift shows in the Open Shifts section.
  2. Does this shift occur in a past business week?
    1. If Yes, it is from a past business week, an internal setting may allow us to help you close this shift. This can only be done by Customer Care, so contact us to proceed. Note: There is a limit on how far back we can work with this setting in order to close an old shift.
    2. If No, it is from the current business week, continue to step three.
  3. Check if the employee clocked in after the open shift
    1. Navigate to Reports > Employee Management > Time Entry Management.
    2. Select the date range drop-down menu and set it from the open shift to the present day. You can also use the Select employee drop-down menu to filter to this employee's shifts only.
      1. If the employee worked after the open shift, take a screenshot or jot down all of the following for each shift here:
        1. Job
        2. Time in (day and time)
        3. Time out (day and time)
        4. Unpaid/paid break time (if applicable)
        5. Cash tips declared (if applicable)
        6. This information will need to be re-entered later.
      2. If the employee did not work after the open shift, skip to step five below.
  4. Delete time entries for all shifts after the open shift
    1. This temporarily reopens those shifts so the POS can access the older shift.
    2. To delete a time entry, select the shift on this page so a sidebar appears on the right.
    3. Select Delete and Confirm.
    4. Repeat steps b and c for all dates from the date of the open shift to the present.
    5. Do not delete the open shift. It will now be the last shift worked for this employee, so the shift review can be completed.
  5. Complete Shift Review on the Toast POS
    1. On the POS, select My Account > Shift Review
    2. Select the (⋮) Other Shifts menu
    3. Choose the date of the open shift
    4. Complete Shift Review (tip entry, cash owed, etc.)
    5. Select Clock Out
      1. Note: If a manager is closing the shift on behalf of an employee, navigate to Manager Activities > Review Employee Shifts > Select Employee > Complete Shift Review.
      2. An employee must have at least one of these permissions enabled: 1.1 Table Service Mode, 1.2 Quick Order Mode, or 1.4 Payment Terminal Mode. These are required to complete the shift review and tip out. For more information on permissions, see Permissions Reference Guide.
  6. Re-enter the deleted shifts (this step is unnecessary if the employee did not work after the open shift in step 3)
    1. Navigate to Reports > Labor > Time Entry Management.
    2. Select + Add Entry.
    3. Open your screenshot or notes from step 3 and re-enter the following information for each shift you deleted previously:
      1. Employee name
      2. Date
      3. Job
      4. Time in
      5. Time out 
      6. Unpaid/paid break time (if applicable)
      7. Cash tips declared (if applicable)
    4. Select Save Entry. Repeat this process for any other deleted shifts from step 4.