Ghost shift
A ghost shift is a scheduled post that is recorded as worked but where nobody was actually present. The hours are paid and often billed to the client even though the site was uncovered.
Last updated 2026-11-10
Why it matters
Ghost shifts usually come from weak verification: a punch that is not tied to a place, a supervisor who signs timesheets from memory, or a shift that is never checked.
The risk is both financial and contractual, because a client who finds an uncovered post can dispute invoices and end the contract.
How InstaNotified handles it
Location-verified clock-ins, live location of on-duty employees and geofence alerts give a record of who was at which site, so presence is checked against the schedule rather than assumed. Comparing presence with the schedule needs Scheduling, which is part of the Complete plan.
Read more: GPS & GeofencingRelated terms