TikTok creator @deszthebratt has sparked a widespread conversation about scheduling practices in the service industry. Her video, which has amassed over 184,000 views and more than 900 comments, criticizes what she describes as inconsiderate “clopen” shifts assigned by managers in food service and customer-facing roles.
What Is a “Clopen” Shift?
The term “clopen” refers to a scheduling practice where an employee is required to close an establishment late at night and return early the following morning to open it. The TikToker recorded her video after a night shift, explaining that this routine leaves her with virtually no personal time between shifts.
@deszthebratt Nothing grinds my gears more than a clopen #retail #customerservice #workbelike #fyp
Creator Details Exhausting Reality of Back-to-Back Shifts
In the video, she details the grueling timeline: businesses in her mall often close at 10 p.m. and reopen as early as 7 a.m. This leaves workers with only a narrow window to commute, decompress, and sleep before returning.
She asked, “Why do you think I would want to sit up here, clean the whole store, clean the whole store, set up the store for in the morning, and stay until close?”
She went on to explain that by the time she arrives home after a closing shift, she has no time for anything else before she must wake up early to open again.
“Only thing I had time to do was sleep. . . Why do you think I wanna do that?” she said. She added that the managers who assign these shifts have never worked a shift requiring them to close at night and return to open the next morning, calling the practice unfair.
Commenters Rally Behind Criticism of Scheduling Fairness
The video resonated with many viewers who agreed that closing-and-opening shifts are universally disliked. Several commenters pointed to a lack of equity in how schedules are constructed.
One commenter wrote, “And these store managers make the schedule to benefit them and not trying to make the schedule to be fair.”
Retail Manager Responds: Scheduling Errors Are Often Unintentional
A self-identified retail manager offered a different perspective, stating that “clopen” shifts are not typically assigned maliciously.
They wrote, “I’m a retail manager. i make the schedule. I promise when we do that it’s not on purpose. . . making a schedule and trying to place people where they are needed & work around vacations & request days off. . . It’s not fun. lol we make mistakes.”
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the creator’s claims about her work schedule. The details above are based on statements shared by @deszthebratt on TikTok.
