How to Enable the Sub Board for Independent Contractors

Video Walkthrough (Using the Sub Board)

See also: How to Handle Instructor Substitutions.

What “Independent Contractor” Means in Zipper

Zipper doesn’t have a separate contractor account type — contractors are Staff-role users. This guide sets them up so they can manage their own substitutions without needing broader admin access.

Part 1: Enable the Sub Board Org-Wide

Step 1: Open Substitution Settings

• Navigate to: Staff > Substitution Board

• Look for a Settings or gear icon.

Step 2: Turn on the sub board

• Find the Enable Substitution Board master toggle
• Toggle: On

Step 3: (Optional) Require approval for claims

• Find the Require approval for claims toggle
• Toggle: On if you want to review claims before confirming a substitute
• This is recommended for independent contractors — gives you a final check before the swap is confirmed

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Part 2: Grant Sub Board Permissions to Contractors

Step 4: Open the contractor’s staff profile

• Navigate to: Staff > Staff Members
• Click the contractor’s name
• Find the Permissions or Claims section

Step 5: Add the required permissions

Add these claims to the contractor:

• view-substitution-board — they can see open sub requests
• claim-substitutions — they can claim open requests

Optionally add:

• post-substitution-board — they can post their own sub requests

Do not add review-substitution-claims — that’s for managers who approve claims.

• Click: Save

Step 6: Contractor confirms access

Have the contractor log into their Zipper account. They should see a Substitutions section in their navigation where they can view and claim open sub requests.

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Tips

• Contractors can self-manage subs with post-substitution-board + claim-substitutions. Add “Require approval” if you want oversight.
• Don’t want contractors posting their own requests? Only grant view-substitution-board + claim-substitutions — not post-substitution-board.

Troubleshooting

Contractor can’t see the sub board. Check: (1) master sub board toggle is enabled, (2) contractor has view-substitution-board claim, (3) contractor is logged into their account (not an admin account).

Contractor’s claim isn’t being confirmed. If “Require approval” is on, a manager needs to review and approve the claim. Remind them to check their pending approvals.

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Need a hand?

Email our team at support@joinzipper.com and we'll usually reply within a few hours.

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