Wireless communications systems and methods related to scheduling and communicating in an uplink direction over a medium shared by multiple network operating entities are provided. A first wireless communication device transmits, to a second wireless communication device, a message indicating an uplink allocation in a transmission slot, the uplink allocation including an allocation size based on an allowable listen-before-talk (LBT) delay in the transmission slot. The first wireless communication device receives, from the second wireless communication device, an uplink communication signal in the transmission slot, the uplink communication signal including an uplink data portion based on the allocation size and a filler portion associated with an LBT delay in the transmission slot.