When I Work
When I Work is a Minneapolis-based SaaS platform providing employee scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging for over 200,000 shift-based workplaces across restaurants, retail, healthcare, hospitality, and other hourly verticals in the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What When I Work does
When I Work is a Minneapolis-based SaaS company founded in 2012 that provides employee scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging software for shift-based and hourly workforces. The platform serves more than 200,000 workplaces, predominantly small and mid-sized businesses across verticals including restaurants, retail, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, call centers, and franchise operations, with select enterprise references such as Dunkin', Ben & Jerry's, and 1-800-GOT-JUNK!. The product is positioned for the "deskless worker" — hourly employees and frontline managers who historically coordinate shifts via spreadsheets, group texts, and bulletin boards.
The platform is built as a mobile-first, cloud-based workforce management suite that consolidates three core products — employee scheduling, time clock/attendance, and team messaging (WorkChat) — into a single application. Notable technical capabilities include GPS-enabled clock-ins with geofencing for attendance verification, a smart auto-scheduler that matches shifts based on eligibility, availability, and preferences, and a labor forecasting module that compares scheduled hours against demand to prevent overstaffing. Add-on modules include multi-location management, overtime tracking, timesheet processing, and employee engagement tools, with an open API and native integrations to major payroll providers (ADP, Rippling, QuickBooks, Gusto). On-demand pay is offered through a third-party partnership with Clair following the 2023 acquisition of Lean Financial.
When I Work operates a hybrid go-to-market combining product-led growth with an enterprise field-sales motion. Customers can self-serve through a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, with plans starting at $2.50 per user per month and scaling in user tiers of five; larger organizations are supported via a "Schedule Demo" sales motion. Revenue is generated through per-user SaaS subscriptions with no long-term contracts and seasonal hibernation options for variable workforces. The company has raised approximately $224 million in total funding, including a $200 million growth round led by Bain Capital Tech Opportunities in November 2021 at an estimated $400 million post-money valuation, and employs 101–250 people operating primarily in the United States.
When I Work firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- When I Work
- Legal name
- When I Work, Inc.
- Website
- https://wheniwork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- When I Work is a Minneapolis-based SaaS platform providing employee scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging for over 200,000 shift-based workplaces across restaurants, retail, healthcare, hospitality, and other hourly verticals in the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
When I Work industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Management Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Management & Scheduling (BPACAPAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Time, Attendance & Scheduling Administration (BPACAIAE)
Keywords
Where When I Work is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
When I Work business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription (Per User): Subscription-based SaaS model billed per user per month. Plans scale with team size using user tiers of five. No long-term contracts required. Includes scheduling, time tracking, team messaging, and integrations. 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Core workforce management platform starting at $2.50 per user per month |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
When I Work product offering
Product offeringCore offering
When I Work is a cloud-based, mobile-first SaaS workforce management platform built exclusively for hourly and shift-based workers. The platform combines employee scheduling, time and attendance with GPS-verified clock-ins and geofencing, and built-in team messaging into a single subscription product. It serves over 200,000 workplaces across restaurants, retail, healthcare, franchises, hospitality, manufacturing, and similar shift-based verticals, with pricing starting at $2.50 per user per month.
Product overview
When I Work is an all-in-one workforce management SaaS platform designed exclusively for hourly and shift-based workers. The platform combines three core products—Employee Scheduling, Time Clock/Time and Attendance, and Team Messaging—into a single mobile-first platform. Additional add-on modules include Automated Scheduling (smart auto-scheduler), Labor Forecasting, Multi-Location Scheduling, Overtime Tracking, Timesheet Software, Employee Retention, Employee Engagement, and Time Management tools. The platform also integrates with payroll providers (ADP, QuickBooks, Gusto, Rippling) and offers On-Demand Pay via a third-party partnership with Clair. Pricing starts at $2.50 per user per month with plans scaling based on team size in user tiers of five.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Employee Scheduling Software Cloud-based scheduling application that lets managers build work schedules in minutes, publish OpenShifts to fill coverage gaps, and notify team members instantly via push. Designed for shift-based businesses such as restaurants, retail stores, healthcare facilities, franchises, and hospitality operations.
- Time Clock / Time and Attendance Mobile and kiosk time-tracking application that turns any device into a time clock, tracking attendance, breaks, and time off. Uses GPS clock-ins and geofencing to verify staff locations, prevent buddy punching, and feed accurate hours into payroll integrations.
- Team Messaging (WorkChat / TeamTxt) In-app team communication tool for shift reminders, announcements, and direct messages, allowing managers and hourly staff to coordinate without sharing personal phone numbers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Save 14 hours per week on scheduling (YSU Mathematics Assistance Center)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use When I Work
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
When I Work technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability2 records
Feature7 records
When I Work partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered acquisition and core.
- Lean FinancialacquisitionAcquired fintech startup providing financial products including on-demand pay for the flex workforce. Lean Financial's offerings include rapid pay solutions and cash advances with a pipeline of hundreds of thousands of workers. The acquisition aims to help small business owners improve employee retention.
- ClaircoreThird-party On-Demand Pay service provider integrated into When I Work. Allows eligible US-based users access to earned wages ahead of payday at no cost to workplaces with Time & Attendance enabled. Requires data sharing for hours worked, hourly rate, and break information.
- RipplingcorePayroll integration partner. When I Work syncs attendance and labor data with Rippling to ensure consistency and eliminate manual data entry between systems.
- ADPcorePayroll integration partner. Automatic sync of attendance and labor data from When I Work to ADP payroll platform.
- QuickBookscorePayroll and accounting integration partner. Syncs When I Work attendance and labor data with QuickBooks for payroll processing.
- GustocorePayroll integration partner. Automatic sync of When I Work time tracking data with Gusto payroll service.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
When I Work competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sling: Sling is a shift scheduling and workforce communication tool built for restaurants, hotels, and retail SMBs. It overlaps with When I Work on shift planning, time tracking, and team messaging with similar pricing tiers.
- Deputy: Deputy is a cloud-based employee scheduling and workforce management platform for shift-based teams across hospitality, healthcare, and retail. It competes head-to-head with When I Work on SMB and mid-market scheduling, time tracking, and mobile-first shift management.
- Homebase: Homebase provides scheduling, time tracking, team communication, and hiring tools for hourly small businesses, especially restaurants and retail. It directly overlaps with When I Work's core PLG motion, free-tier model, and target verticals.
- 7shifts: 7shifts is an employee scheduling and team management app focused on the restaurant industry, offering shift planning, tip management, and labor compliance. It directly competes with When I Work for restaurant customers seeking mobile-first scheduling.
- Connecteam: Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management app covering scheduling, time tracking, communication, and checklists for deskless workers. It is a direct competitor to When I Work in mobile-first SMB workforce management.
- WorkJam: WorkJam provides digital workforce management including scheduling, task management, and employee engagement for shift-based and frontline workforces. It directly competes with When I Work's mobile-first scheduling and team messaging.
- Humanity (by Beeline): Humanity is a cloud-based employee scheduling and workforce management platform serving hospitality, healthcare, and retail. It competes with When I Work on shift planning, time and attendance, and compliance features.
- Shiftboard: Shiftboard offers shift scheduling, workforce management, and credential tracking for shift-based and on-demand workforces across healthcare, manufacturing, and public safety. It overlaps with When I Work on scheduling, time tracking, and credential/compliance.
Broad incumbents
- UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group): UKG (formed from Kronos and Ultimate Software) is a broad workforce management and HCM incumbent serving enterprise and mid-market. Its scheduling and time & attendance suites overlap with When I Work but are part of a much larger full-stack HCM portfolio.
- Rippling: Rippling is a unified workforce management, payroll, HR, and IT platform that bundles scheduling-adjacent capabilities into a broader employee system record. It is a key integration partner of When I Work but also an indirect competitor as it expands scheduling features.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
When I Work social profiles
Digital presenceWhen I Work financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
When I Work leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
When I Work subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
When I Work funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
When I Work M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about When I Work
What does When I Work do?
When I Work is a cloud-based, mobile-first SaaS workforce management platform built exclusively for hourly and shift-based workers. The platform combines employee scheduling, time and attendance with GPS-verified clock-ins and geofencing, and built-in team messaging into a single subscription product. It serves over 200,000 workplaces across restaurants, retail, healthcare, franchises, hospitality, manufacturing, and similar shift-based verticals, with pricing starting at $2.50 per user per month.
Is When I Work a public or private company?
When I Work is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was When I Work founded?
When I Work was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is When I Work based?
When I Work is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does When I Work make money?
One revenue line is on record: saaS Subscription (Per User).
Who are When I Work's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sling, Deputy, Homebase, 7shifts, Connecteam, WorkJam, Humanity (by Beeline) and Shiftboard. Broad incumbents are UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) and Rippling.
Does When I Work have an API?
Yes. The Service is available via a web-based Application Program Interface (API). Workplaces may access their account data and the Service through the API. Abuse or excessively frequent requests to When I Work via the API may result in the temporary or permanent suspension of access. Third-party products that access When I Work via the API are subject to the API terms, including restrictions on modifying, creating derivative works, processing other parties' data, or reverse engineering. Developer documentation is at apidocs.wheniwork.com/external/index.html.
What industry is When I Work in?
When I Work's product category is Workforce Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAPAI, Workforce Management & Scheduling, with a secondary code of BPACAIAE, Time, Attendance & Scheduling Administration. Its NAICS code is 51821 and its SIC code is 7372.