Scheduling
Manage staff shifts, publish updates, and keep your schedule accurate and up to date for your team.
What scheduling is for
Scheduling helps you decide who works which shifts and when. Use it to see coverage at a glance, avoid gaps, and make sure the right people are in the right place at the right time.
The scheduler is designed for office and admin staff who plan staff coverage. You use it to view the current schedule, add or adjust shifts, handle time off, and prevent staff from being double-booked.
Viewing the schedule
Use the schedule view to see who is working on a given day, week, or time range.
Your screen may show different views such as Day, Week, or Month, and may include filters like Role, Location, or Program.
Open the scheduling area
Go to the staff scheduling area from your main navigation. Look for a label such as Scheduling, Staff Schedule, or Shifts.
Choose your view
Use the buttons or tabs at the top to switch between Day, Week, or Month views, if available. Pick the view that makes it easiest to see coverage.
Adjust the date range
Use the arrows or date picker to move forward or backward in time. Confirm you are looking at the correct week or day before making changes.
Filter the schedule (optional)
If your screen supports it, use filters such as Role, Location, or Staff member to narrow the schedule to the group you care about right now.
When the schedule loads, you should see staff names alongside their shifts, with start and end times, and possibly the role or location for each shift.
Adding a shift
Add a shift when you assign a staff member to work at a specific time.
Before you add a shift, decide who should work it, where they will work, and the start and end times. This reduces changes later.
Start a new shift
In the schedule view, select the day and time where you want to add a shift. You may click on an empty time slot or use an Add shift or New shift button.
Select the staff member
Choose the staff member from the Staff or Employee dropdown. Confirm you have the correct person, especially if you have staff with similar names.
Set the shift time
Enter the Start time and End time. Some screens also allow you to set the Date or Days if the shift repeats. Make sure the times match what you agreed with the staff member.
Add details like role or location
You may see fields such as Role, Position, Location, or Notes. Fill in these fields to make it clear what the shift is for and where the staff member should be.
Save the shift
Select Save, Create, or a similar button. Confirm that the new shift now appears on the schedule in the correct place for that staff member.
If the shift does not appear as expected, refresh your view or check that your filters are not hiding it.
Editing a shift
Edit a shift whenever times, roles, or locations change.
Some systems track changes to shifts. Make sure you only edit shifts you are allowed to change, especially close to the shift start time.
Find the shift you need to change
In the schedule view, locate the staff member and the day with the shift you want to adjust.
Open the shift details
Select the shift. You may click on the shift block or use an Edit icon or menu option such as Edit shift.
Update the information
Adjust fields such as Start time, End time, Role, Location, or Notes. If the shift should move to a different staff member, change the Staff field if your screen allows it.
Save your changes
Select Save, Update, or similar. Confirm that the schedule now shows the updated time, role, or staff member.
If your system supports drag-and-drop, you may move a shift directly on the calendar. After moving it, check that the times and any conflict warnings still look correct.
Removing or canceling a shift
Remove or cancel a shift when it should no longer be worked.
Removing a shift may affect payroll, staffing, and communication with staff. Confirm that you are canceling the correct shift before you continue.
Locate the shift to remove
Use the schedule view to find the exact shift you want to remove, checking the staff name, date, and time.
Open the shift actions
Select the shift to open its details. Look for a Delete, Remove, or Cancel shift option, which may appear as a button or in a menu.
Confirm the removal
If a confirmation message appears, read it and then confirm you want to remove the shift. The shift should disappear from the schedule for that staff member.
Notify the staff member if needed
If your system does not automatically notify staff about changes, contact the staff member to let them know the shift was canceled or reassigned.
If you remove a shift by accident, check whether your system allows you to undo the change or re-add the shift with the same details.
Publishing the Schedule
Publishing makes your latest changes visible to staff. Until you publish, staff cannot see new shifts or changes you have made.
Open the publish option
In the scheduling toolbar, select Publish. The button usually shows how many unpublished shifts you have, such as Publish (5).
Choose who to notify
When the publish options appear, pick how you want to notify staff about this update.
- Only notify staff with new or changed shifts — Sends an email only to people whose shifts were added or changed.
- Notify everyone with upcoming shifts — Sends an email to everyone who has a shift in the schedule.
- Do not notify anyone — Publishes the schedule without sending any emails.
Publish the schedule
Select Publish to confirm. Staff can now see the updated schedule, and any emails you chose to send will go out based on the option you selected.
If staff report that they cannot see a change you made, check whether you have published since making that change.
Viewing Publish History
Use publish history to see who published the schedule, when they did it, and who was notified.
Open publish history
In the scheduling toolbar, select the clock or history icon. This opens the list of past publishes.
Review past publishes
Look through the list to see each publish, including the Date, who published it, how many shifts were included, and who was emailed.
If there is confusion about which version of the schedule staff received, use this list to confirm the most recent publish and who it reached.
Handling time off or unavailable time (if available)
If your scheduling screen supports time off or unavailable time, use it to block times when staff cannot work.
You may see options such as Time off, Unavailable, PTO, or Leave. These often work like shifts but show staff are not available.
Start a new time off entry
From the schedule or staff view, look for a button such as Add time off, Mark unavailable, or similar. You may also open a staff member and choose a Time off tab.
Choose the staff member and dates
Select the staff member if not already selected. Enter the Start date and End date, or pick the specific day and times when they are unavailable.
Add details and reason
You may see fields for Reason (for example, vacation or sick), Location, or Notes. Fill these in to help others understand why the staff member is not available.
Save the time off
Select Save or Add. Confirm that the schedule now shows the staff member as unavailable or blocked out for those times.
If you later approve or deny time off in another area, return to the schedule to confirm that shifts match the final decision.
Preventing conflicts and double-booking
Use the schedule and any built-in warnings to avoid overlapping shifts and double-booked staff.
Many systems show conflict warnings, such as colored borders, icons, or messages if a staff member is scheduled for two places at once.
To reduce conflicts:
- Check a staff member's full day or week view before adding a new shift.
- Watch for any warning icons or messages when you save a shift.
- Avoid giving one staff member overlapping Start time and End time ranges, even across different locations.
If the system warns you about a conflict:
- Read the message to see which other shift is affected.
- Decide whether to adjust the new shift, change the staff member, or move one of the existing shifts.
- Only save overlapping shifts when you are certain the staff member can cover both (for example, if one is on-call).
After resolving a conflict, scan the schedule again to confirm the staff member is scheduled in only one active shift per time period.
Troubleshooting common scheduling issues
Use this section when something on the schedule does not look right or you cannot make the change you expect.
- Check that you are on the correct Date, Week, or Month.
- Clear or adjust filters such as Role, Location, or Staff that might be hiding the shift.
- Refresh the schedule view and look again for the staff member and time.
Good habits for accurate schedules
Keep these habits in mind to maintain a clean, reliable staff schedule:
- Review the upcoming week at least once to confirm coverage and spot gaps or overlaps.
- Update shifts as soon as you know about changes, rather than waiting until the last minute.
- Record time off and unavailable time before you assign new shifts.
- Use notes on shifts for anything unusual, such as coverage swaps or special duties.
- Periodically check with staff to confirm the schedule matches their understanding.
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