Calendar Views

Learn how to use and customize the different calendar views in the Shifts platform to effectively visualize schedules, shifts, leave requests, and availability across day, week, and month timeframes.

Overview

The Calendar Views in Shifts provide multiple ways to visualize schedules, shifts, time off, and availability information. With options ranging from daily to monthly views and specialized displays for different data types, these calendars help you efficiently manage your workforce schedule. This article explains how to navigate, use, and customize the various calendar views to suit your needs.

Accessing Calendar Views

Different calendar views are available throughout the application:

Schedule Calendar

The main scheduling calendar:

1. Navigate to Schedules in the main menu
2. The default calendar view will display
3. Use this calendar to view and manage all shifts

Leave Calendar

For time-off requests and management:

1. Navigate to Time Off in the main menu
2. The leave calendar will display
3. Use this calendar to view and manage leave requests

Availability Calendar

For viewing employee availability:

1. Navigate to Staff > Availability
2. The availability calendar will display
3. Use this calendar to see when employees are available to work

Calendar View Types

Daily View

Detailed view of a single day’s schedule:

1. Click the Day button in the calendar toolbar
2. View all shifts and events for the selected day
3. The daily view shows:
   • Hourly timeline (typically 5am-12am or configurable)
   • All scheduled shifts by employee
   • Break periods within shifts
   • Time-off and unavailability
   • Color-coded shift types and statuses

Weekly View

Seven-day overview of scheduling:

1. Click the Week button in the calendar toolbar
2. View shifts and events across a full week
3. The weekly view shows:
   • Each day in columns (either Sun-Sat or Mon-Sun, based on settings)
   • Hourly timeline for each day
   • All scheduled shifts by employee or position
   • Color-coded events for quick identification
   • Week totals for hours and coverage

Monthly View

Broad overview of an entire month:

1. Click the Month button in the calendar toolbar
2. View all shifts and events for the full month
3. The monthly view shows:
   • Traditional calendar grid
   • Shift counts or summaries per day
   • Color indicators for coverage status
   • Leave and time-off blocks
   • Special events and holidays

List View

Tabular display of schedule information:

1. Click the List button in the calendar toolbar
2. View shifts and events in a sortable table format
3. The list view shows:
   • Start and end times
   • Assigned employees
   • Shift types and locations
   • Sortable columns for flexible viewing
   • Filterable data for focused analysis

Navigating the Calendar

Date Selection

Move between time periods:

1. Use the Previous (<) and Next (>) arrows to move backward or forward
2. Click the date display between arrows to open the date picker
3. Select a specific date to jump directly to that time period
4. Use Today button to quickly return to the current date

View Switching

Toggle between different calendar views:

1. Use the view selector buttons in the calendar toolbar
2. Buttons typically include: Day, Week, Month, and List
3. The current view is highlighted
4. Your selected view becomes the default until changed

Filtering Calendar Data

Focus on specific information:

1. Click the Filter button in the calendar toolbar
2. Apply filters like:
   • Locations: Specific work sites
   • Departments: Organizational units
   • Employee Types: Role classifications
   • Shift Types: Categories of shifts
   • Status: Published, draft, or unfilled shifts
3. Click Apply Filters to update the view
4. Save filter combinations for future use

Schedule Calendar Features

Shift Display Options

Customize how shifts appear:

1. Click the Display Options button
2. Choose from display modes:
   • Employee View: Group shifts by employee
   • Position View: Group shifts by role or position
   • Location View: Group shifts by work location
   • Department View: Group shifts by department
3. Toggle additional display options:
   • Show/hide break periods
   • Show/hide shift details
   • Show/hide unfilled shifts
   • Display shift costs (if authorized)

Shift Interactions

Work with shifts directly in the calendar:

1. Click on any shift to view its details
2. Drag and drop shifts to reschedule (if you have permission)
3. Resize shifts by dragging the edges to change start/end times
4. Right-click (or long press on touch devices) to access the shift action menu:
   • Edit shift details
   • Duplicate shift
   • Delete shift
   • Assign/unassign employees
   • Change shift status

Creating New Shifts

Add shifts directly from the calendar:

1. Click the + New Shift button, or
2. Click and drag on empty calendar space to define the time period
3. The shift creation form will open
4. Enter shift details:
   • Date and times
   • Position or role
   • Location
   • Required skills
   • Notes or instructions
5. Click Save to create the shift
6. The new shift will appear on the calendar

Schedule Publishing

Manage draft and published schedules:

1. Draft shifts appear with a different color/pattern
2. Published shifts have solid colors
3. Use the Publish button to:
   • Publish individual shifts
   • Publish an entire day’s schedule
   • Publish a week’s schedule
4. Published shifts trigger notifications to assigned employees

Leave Calendar Features

Leave Request Display

Visualize time-off requests:

1. Different leave types appear with unique colors:
   • Vacation/PTO
   • Sick leave
   • Personal days
   • Other configured leave types
2. Solid colors indicate approved requests
3. Striped/patterned blocks show pending requests
4. Transparent or subdued colors indicate denied requests

Managing Leave Requests

Process time-off directly from the calendar:

1. Click on any leave block to view details
2. From the detail popup, managers can:
   • Approve the request
   • Deny the request
   • Request more information
   • Add notes
3. View leave balances and policy information alongside requests

Creating Leave Requests

Submit time-off requests:

1. Click the + New Request button
2. Select the leave type from the dropdown
3. Choose date range and duration:
   • Full days
   • Half days (AM/PM)
   • Specific hours (if applicable)
4. Add any required documentation or notes
5. Submit for approval
6. The request will appear on the calendar with “pending” status

Leave Conflicts

Identify scheduling conflicts:

1. The calendar highlights conflicts between:
   • Leave requests and scheduled shifts
   • Overlapping leave requests
   • Leave requests that exceed available balance
2. Conflict indicators appear as warning icons
3. Click on conflicts to see details and resolution options

Availability Calendar Features

Availability Patterns

View when employees can work:

1. Recurring availability appears as semi-transparent color blocks
2. One-time availability exceptions show with different patterns
3. Completely unavailable times appear in red or with “X” pattern
4. Preferred working times may show in a distinct color

Editing Availability

Modify availability patterns:

1. Click on any time block to edit
2. Create recurring patterns:
   • By day of week
   • By time of day
   • By preference level (preferred, available, unavailable)
3. Set one-time exceptions for specific dates
4. Save patterns as templates for quick application

Availability vs. Schedule Comparison

Compare availability to actual scheduling:

1. Toggle the Show Scheduled Shifts option
2. View how scheduled shifts align with availability
3. Identify potential conflicts between schedules and availability
4. Use the split-view to see availability and schedule side-by-side

Calendar Customization

Personal Preferences

Customize your calendar experience:

1. Click the Preferences button in the calendar toolbar
2. Configure your default view (Day, Week, Month, or List)
3. Set your preferred start day of the week
4. Choose your time format (12-hour or 24-hour)
5. Select which information to show in shift blocks
6. Configure color schemes and contrast for readability

Saved Views

Create and access personalized calendar configurations:

1. After setting up filters and display options, click Save View
2. Give your configuration a descriptive name
3. Choose whether to make it private or shared with others
4. Access saved views from the Views dropdown
5. Update or delete saved views as needed

Calendar Exports

Export calendar data for external use:

1. Click the Export button in the calendar toolbar
2. Choose the export format:
   • PDF (visual calendar format)
   • Excel/CSV (data format)
   • iCal/ICS (for importing to other calendar applications)
3. Select the date range to export
4. Choose which information to include
5. Click Export to download the file

Mobile Calendar View

Access calendars on mobile devices:

1. The mobile app provides optimized calendar views
2. Swipe left/right to navigate between days/weeks
3. Tap on shifts or leave blocks for details
4. Use pinch gestures to zoom in/out for different time scales
5. Portrait mode focuses on daily views
6. Landscape mode enables weekly overview

Calendar Integrations

Connect with external calendar systems:

1. Click Settings > Integrations > Calendar
2. Configure integration with:
   • Google Calendar
   • Microsoft Outlook
   • Apple iCalendar
   • Other supported platforms
3. Choose which calendars to sync:
   • Your personal shifts
   • Team schedule (if you’re a manager)
   • Leave and time off
4. Set sync frequency and conflict handling preferences

Best Practices

For optimal calendar usage:

1. Start with Month View for big-picture planning, then drill down to Week and Day views
2. Save Custom Views for your most common tasks (e.g., scheduling, leave approval)
3. Use Color Coding consistently to quickly identify shift types and statuses
4. Set Default Filters to focus on relevant departments or locations
5. Export Regularly for record-keeping and backup
6. Combine Views to compare availability with scheduling
7. Clear Filters when searching for specific shifts or patterns

Related Resources

• Basic Navigation
• Scheduling Overview
• Leave Management
• Shift Management

This article should be updated when:

1. New calendar view types are added
2. The calendar interface is redesigned
3. Additional calendar features are introduced
4. New export formats become available
5. Integration capabilities are expanded