An article of manufacture is provided including a computer with memory including stored therein a first list of employees each having a criteria of eligibility data associated therewith and a second list of work area functions each having a criteria of eligibility data associated therewith; a computer usable code having a computer readable program code medium embodied therein for controlling the transfer of a shift change in a place of employment, the computer readable program code medium in said article of manufacture including computer-readable program code for causing the computer to ascertain an identity of an owner of a shift, computer-readable program code for causing the computer to ascertain an identity of a recipient of a shift, and computer-readable program code for causing the computer to approve the transferring of a shift of the owner to the recipient only if the eligibility data of the recipient matches that of the work area function associated with the shift of the owner.