The problem

Hospital staff work long and intense schedules. Planned shifts rarely match reality: emergencies extend hours, handovers take longer, and administrative tools often miss these deviations.

Without reliable working time data:

• Staff experience unnoticed overtime and fatigue.
• Institutions struggle with compliance, reporting, and workforce planning.
• Research on workload and well-being lacks solid evidence.
• Patients face a heightened risk of complications when overworked staff are fatigued or staffing levels are not accurately reflected.

There is currently no standardized, privacy-conscious system to verify real working hours in clinical environments.

The solution

openworkinghours provides an open, verifiable way to record and review actual working time.

• Verification - Confirm professional identity.
• Shift entry - Staff log their planned shifts via a mobile interface.
• Tracking - Optional, privacy-first location and activity data estimate real attendance.
• Review & confirm - Staff verify and correct tracked times before submission.

The result: a trusted dataset that reflects real work patterns, owned and reviewed by the staff themselves.

How it works

Built for flexibility and transparency:

• Modular web architecture using open technologies (React, TUI Calendar, modern APIs).
• Designed for mobile-first use in clinical contexts.
• Privacy and anonymity by design: all tracking and review happen locally before any data is shared. Submissions can remain anonymous to protect staff from legal or contractual risk.
• Open API for integration with existing HR, scheduling, or research systems.
• Developers can contribute to independent modules: data collection, review interface, or institutional dashboard.

Why it matters

Reliable working time data benefits everyone:

• Staff gain visibility into their workload and recognition for their effort, without compromising privacy or facing legal risk.
• Hospitals can optimize staffing, ensure compliance, and plan more effectively.
• Researchers and policymakers gain evidence for improving work conditions and patient safety.
• Patients gain transparency on where staff are working within healthy limits, helping identify hospitals that maintain safer workloads and better care environments.

Transparency in working hours builds trust, supports fairness, and enhances the sustainability and safety of healthcare work.

Current status

The MVP prototype is live with simulated data:

• Verification process implemented.
• Public dashboard available.
• Core shift management and review workflows functional.
• Mobile optimization under active development.

We are now seeking:

• Developers to help refine modules and architecture.
• Partner institutions to provide feedback and letters of intent for pilot testing.