What does "must be able to work all shifts" mean?

A job I'm applying for states that "the successful candidate must be able to work all shifts", but also goes on to say "Please include your availability on your CV".

Am I understanding what being able to work all shifts means, or is the employer's asking to include availability here a tactic to weed out applications, where any indication that you won't be available all the time is a disqualification from the hiring process?

A job I'm applying for states that "the successful candidate must be able to work all shifts", but also goes on to say "Please include your availability on your CV".

Am I understanding what being able to work all shifts means, or is the employer's asking to include availability here a tactic to weed out applications, where any indication that you won't be available all the time is a disqualification from the hiring process?

It means it will say in your contract you have to work whenever they want, regardless of your availability and other commitments. They could call you Friday at 10pm and tell you to come in a 6am the next day. Don't apply.

Yes, they only want to hire a person who is completely flexible about which shifts they can work. They will almost certainly deselect anyone who doesn't say they are available for all shifts. It's a fair warning of what their needs are.

What I suspected. Thanks to you both.

A job I'm applying for states that "the successful candidate must be able to work all shifts", but also goes on to say "Please include your availability on your CV".

Am I understanding what being able to work all shifts means, or is the employer's asking to include availability here a tactic to weed out applications, where any indication that you won't be available all the time is a disqualification from the hiring process?

yea glassapple is right, was gonna say that

you gona take it?

Well commonly and ideally, all companies expect their employees to be flexible in order to meet the demands of the business - in other words what if they get extremely busy and they are extremely short staffed? They may ask you to work extra shifts if that is the situation.
But it also depends on what the contract says as well. If it says exactly that (flexibility and overtime may be required) then I don't think there is a lot you can do because its there on the print.

But there is no harm in applying because either way you may get the job or not. You will never know the result unless you try.

I haven't applied man, and I don't think I will tbh as I don't think I'd be able to hand being on beck and call like that, but so many employers in retail ask for it, so it's really limiting my options.

Well, the harm would be if I do get the job and am forced to take it and work on a moment's notice. I don't really see the point in applying in that case, but are you saying that may not be what happens?

It means it will say in your contract you have to work whenever they want, regardless of your availability and other commitments. They could call you Friday at 10pm and tell you to come in a 6am the next day. Don't apply.

it implies no such thing

all it implies is that they they want people who , at least initially, are not overly restricted in what shifts they can work , especially if the pay structure is one without shift allowances ...

if the pay structure is one without shift allowances ...

What do you mean by this part?

Some employers pay extra if you work anti-social hours. For example, I had a job where you got 30p an hour extra if you worked after 6.30pm; £1.20 an hour on Saturdays after 6.30pm; and there was a night-shift allowance for hours worked overnight (though I forget how much that was).

But other employers pay exactly the same hourly rate no matter what time of day (or night) you work.

exactly

where there is a shift allowance there is an incentive for the worker to work unsocial hours shifts especially when it kicks in early in the evening ( 7 or 8 pm ) and/or is paid for all weekend shifts etc...