Creating Schedules

Learn how to create efficient work schedules, manage recurring shifts, ensure proper staffing levels, and assign the right employees to each position while following business rules.

Overview

Creating schedules in Shifts allows managers to define when and where employees work, ensuring proper coverage for all locations while respecting work rules, employee preferences, and business requirements. The platform offers multiple tools to make scheduling efficient, fair, and compliant.

Accessing the Schedule Builder

1. From your manager dashboard, click Scheduling in the main navigation
2. Select Schedule Builder from the dropdown
3. Choose the location(s) you want to schedule
4. Select the date range for your scheduling period

Creating Individual Shifts

Basic Shift Creation

1. In the Schedule Builder, click the + Add Shift button
2. Select the location for the shift
3. Set the shift date, start time, and end time
4. Choose the number of employees needed for each role
5. Add any notes or special instructions
6. Click Save to create the shift

Advanced Shift Options

When creating shifts, you can specify additional details:

• Skills Required: Select specific skills employees must have
• Break Schedule: Define required breaks (meal breaks, rest periods)
• Shift Notes: Add important information visible to assigned employees
• Shift Color: Color-code shifts by department or function
• Shift Priority: Mark critical shifts that must be filled first

Creating Recurring Shifts

For regular scheduling patterns:

1. Create the first shift as described above
2. Before saving, check the Recurring Shift option
3. Select the recurrence pattern:
   • Daily: Every day, weekdays only, or specific days
   • Weekly: Every week on the same day(s)
   • Biweekly: Every two weeks on the same day(s)
   • Monthly: Same date each month or specific day (e.g., 3rd Monday)
4. Set the end date or number of occurrences
5. Click Save to create the recurring pattern

Managing Recurring Shifts

After creating recurring shifts:

• Editing Pattern: Changes apply to all future shifts in the pattern
• Editing Individual: Changes apply only to the selected shift instance
• Breaking Pattern: Remove a shift from the pattern without affecting others

Copying Schedules

To save time when creating similar schedules:

1. From the Schedule Builder, click Copy Schedule
2. Select the source date range to copy from
3. Choose the destination date range to copy to
4. Select which shifts to include
5. Click Copy to duplicate the schedule

Assigning Employees to Shifts

Manual Assignment

1. Click on an unassigned shift
2. Select the Assign Employees tab
3. View the list of eligible employees
4. Click the + icon next to an employee to assign them
5. Repeat until all positions are filled
6. Click Save Assignments

Using Recommendations

The system can suggest optimal employees for each shift:

1. Select a shift and click Get Recommendations
2. Review the recommended employees (sorted by match quality)
3. Select employees from the recommended list
4. Click Assign Selected to complete assignments

Bulk Assignments

For efficient mass scheduling:

1. From the Schedule Builder, click Bulk Assign
2. Select the date range and shift types
3. Choose the assignment method (manual or auto-recommend)
4. Review and confirm assignments
5. Click Complete Assignments

Managing Scheduling Conflicts

The system will alert you to potential conflicts:

• Availability Conflicts: When employees are scheduled outside their availability
• Overtime Risks: When assignments might trigger overtime rules
• Rest Period Violations: When employees don’t have adequate rest between shifts
• Double Booking: When employees are assigned to overlapping shifts
• Qualification Mismatches: When assigned employees lack required skills

To resolve conflicts:

1. Click on the conflict indicator
2. Review the details of the conflict
3. Choose to override with reason or reassign to resolve

Using Work Rules

Shifts supports rule-based scheduling:

• Minimum Staffing: Ensure adequate coverage by role
• Role Requirements: Define which roles must be present
• Prohibited Pairings: Prevent certain role combinations
• Location Requirements: Ensure employees are assigned to appropriate locations

Best Practices

For effective schedule creation:

1. Plan ahead - Create schedules at least 2 weeks in advance
2. Use templates for consistent shift patterns
3. Consider employee preferences when making assignments
4. Balance workloads by distributing hours fairly
5. Check for compliance with labor laws and break requirements
6. Review conflicts before publishing to employees

Related Resources

• Schedule Templates
• Publishing Schedules
• Shift Requirements
• AI-Assisted Scheduling
• Managing Schedule Conflicts

This article should be updated when:

1. The schedule creation interface changes
2. New scheduling features are added
3. Recurring shift options are modified
4. Staff assignment algorithms are updated
5. New conflict detection or resolution features are added