Overview
Use the Scheduler to create and manage the schedule for your workplace.
You can access the Scheduler in the When I Work web app at any time by clicking the Scheduler tab at the top of the page.
The schedule
The schedule displays scheduled shifts, annotations, employees’ availability preferences, and approved time off.
Callout | a |
Name | Annotation |
Description |
Use annotations to send your staff an announcement, let them know your business is closed, or prevent them from taking time off. Click Annotation button next to a date to add or edit an annotation. |
Callout | b |
Name | OpenShift |
Description |
Use OpenShifts to offer shifts to a select group of qualified employees (based on position). Eligible employees can pick up OpenShifts that haven’t already been claimed. To schedule an OpenShift, click in the OpenShifts row or drag an existing shift into the OpenShifts row. If there are four or more OpenShifts scheduled for a day in week view, the OpenShifts menu can be collapsed and expanded. |
Callout | c |
Name | Unpublished shift |
Description | Unpublished shifts are not visible to employees. You can identify unpublished shifts by their diagonal stripes. |
Callout | d |
Name | Published shift |
Description | Published shifts are visible to employees. All published shifts have solid colors. |
Callout | e |
Name | Time off |
Description | The employee has time off. |
Callout | f |
Name | Availability preference (preferred) |
Description | The employee prefers to work on this day. Hover your pointer over the triangle to view the employee’s preferred hours. |
Callout | g |
Name | Availability preference (unavailable) |
Description | The employee is unavailable for some of the day. Hover your pointer over the triangle to view the employee’s unavailable hours. |
Callout | h |
Name | Availability preference (unavailable all day) |
Description | The employee is unavailable all day. |
Callout | Name | Description |
a | Annotation |
Use annotations to send your staff an announcement, let them know your business is closed, or prevent them from taking time off. Click Annotation button next to a date to add or edit an annotation. |
b | OpenShift |
Use OpenShifts to offer shifts to a select group of qualified employees (based on position). Eligible employees can pick up OpenShifts that haven’t already been claimed. To schedule an OpenShift, click in the OpenShifts row or drag an existing shift into the OpenShifts row. If there are four or more OpenShifts scheduled for a day in week view, the OpenShifts menu can be collapsed and expanded. |
c | Unpublished shift | Unpublished shifts are not visible to employees. You can identify unpublished shifts by their diagonal stripes. |
d | Published shift | Published shifts are visible to employees. All published shifts have solid colors. |
e | Time off | The employee has time off. |
f | Availability preference (preferred) | The employee prefers to work on this day. Hover your pointer over the triangle to view the employee’s preferred hours. |
g | Availability preference (unavailable) | The employee is unavailable for some of the day. Hover your pointer over the triangle to view the employee’s unavailable hours. |
h | Availability preference (unavailable all day) | The employee is unavailable all day. |
Adding shifts
To add a shift, simply click the appropriate cell in the schedule and fill out the shift details.
When you click a cell, you’re presented with the option to use a shift template or create a custom shift.
- If you’ve added shift templates, select a shift template to save time.
- If you need to create a one-off shift or haven’t created any shift templates, click Create Custom Shift.
Shift details
Every shift is made up of the same building blocks.
Callout | a |
Name | Assign To |
Description | (Required) The employee working the shift. |
Callout | b |
Name | Time |
Description | (Required) When the shift begins and ends. |
Callout | c |
Name | Unpaid Break |
Description | (Optional) The length of the unpaid (lunch) break that the employee should take during the shift, in minutes. If you use When I Work Time & Attendance, you can set up unpaid breaks to automatically deduct from the timesheets. |
Callout | d |
Name | Color |
Description | (Optional) The color for the shift. |
Callout | e |
Name | Position |
Description | (Optional) The position the employee will be working, such as barista, cashier, or manager. |
Callout | f |
Name | Job Site |
Description | (Optional) If the shift will take place off-site from your normal workplace, add a job site to let the employee know where to go. |
Callout | g |
Name | Shift Notes |
Description | (Optional) Instructions or notes for the assigned employee. |
Callout | h |
Name | Repeat Shift |
Description | (Optional) Click to set up a repeating shift. |
Callout | i |
Name | Save As Shift Template |
Description | (Optional) Click to create a shift template based on this shift. |
Callout | Name | Description |
a | Assign To | (Required) The employee working the shift. |
b | Time | (Required) When the shift begins and ends. |
c | Unpaid Break | (Optional) The length of the unpaid (lunch) break that the employee should take during the shift, in minutes. If you use When I Work Time & Attendance, you can set up unpaid breaks to automatically deduct from the timesheets. |
d | Color | (Optional) The color for the shift. |
e | Position | (Optional) The position the employee will be working, such as barista, cashier, or manager. |
f | Job Site | (Optional) If the shift will take place off-site from your normal workplace, add a job site to let the employee know where to go. |
g | Shift Notes | (Optional) Instructions or notes for the assigned employee. |
h | Repeat Shift | (Optional) Click to set up a repeating shift. |
i | Save As Shift Template | (Optional) Click to create a shift template based on this shift. |
Copying shifts
To copy a shift, hold the control key (or the command key if on a Mac) and click the shift you want to copy, then drag it to any cell.
As you move the shift around, icons appear to let you know whether employees are qualified or have conflicts.
- Thumbs up icon means the employee is qualified to take the shift (based on position).
- Thumbs down icon means the employee is not qualified to take the shift (based on position).
Month view does not support drag and drop.
Reassigning shifts
Click and drag a shift to move it to a different employee.
As you move the shift around, icons appear to let you know whether employees are qualified or have conflicts.
- Thumbs up icon means the employee is qualified to take the shift (based on position).
- Thumbs down icon means the employee is not qualified to take the shift (based on position).
Month view does not support drag and drop.
Publishing
Shifts are not visible to your employees until you publish the schedule. When the schedule is finished, click Publish & Notify in the top-left corner of the Scheduler.
For more details, see Publishing the Schedule.
Views
Scheduler views allow you to build the schedule a day, week, or month at a time for each schedule. You can also switch to positions view if you prefer to build the schedule based on which positions need to be filled.
Callout | a |
Name | Schedule |
Description | Switch between the separate schedules. |
Callout | b |
Name | Employees |
Description | Sort employees in the employees view. Choose between the following options:
|
Callout | c |
Name | Date picker |
Description | Change the time period you’re viewing:
|
Callout | d |
Name | Today |
Description | Click to return to today’s schedule. |
Callout | e |
Name | Time period |
Description | Click the drop down menu to switch between day, week, and month view. |
Callout | f |
Name | Full screen |
Description | Click to make the Scheduler full screen. |
Callout | Name | Description |
a | Schedule | Switch between the separate schedules. |
b | Employees | Sort employees in the employees view. Choose between the following options:
|
c | Date picker | Change the time period you’re viewing:
|
d | Today | Click to return to today’s schedule. |
e | Time period | Click the drop down menu to switch between day, week, and month view. |
f | Full screen | Click to make the Scheduler full screen. |
Filters
Use filters to help you focus on the schedule for a particular position or job site.
Callout | a |
Name | View Options |
Description | Use the selections in View Options to filter the schedule.
Use the View Shift Colors By drop down menu to color code the schedule by:
|
Callout | b |
Name | Forecast Tools |
Description | Toggle Forecast Tools to display labor costs on the schedule. Enter projected sales for each day to compare daily labor costs with daily revenue. |
Callout | c |
Name | Positions |
Description | Show and hide shifts based on position.
|
Callout | d |
Name | Job Sites |
Description | Show and hide shifts based on job site.
|
Callout | Name | Description |
a | View Options | Use the selections in View Options to filter the schedule.
Use the View Shift Colors By drop down menu to color code the schedule by:
|
b | Forecast Tools | Toggle Forecast Tools to display labor costs on the schedule. Enter projected sales for each day to compare daily labor costs with daily revenue. |
c | Positions | Show and hide shifts based on position.
|
d | Job Sites | Show and hide shifts based on job site.
|
Tools
The Scheduler tools provide advanced features like budget planning, printing, templates, and export.
Callout | a |
Name | Print button (Print) |
Description | Click to print the schedule or save it as a spreadsheet (XLS format). |
Callout | b |
Name | Copy Previous Day / Week |
Description | Click to copy the schedule from the previous day/week to the schedule you’re currently viewing. |
Callout | c |
Name | Clear Schedule |
Description | Click to remove all shifts from the current view. |
Callout | d |
Name | Load Template |
Description | Click to load a previously saved schedule template. |
Callout | e |
Name | Save Template |
Description | Click to save this schedule as a template so that you can save time by quickly recreating it again. |
Callout | f |
Name | Export Schedule |
Description | Click to export the schedule to a spreadsheet file. |
Callout | Name | Description |
a | Print button (Print) | Click to print the schedule or save it as a spreadsheet (XLS format). |
b | Copy Previous Day / Week | Click to copy the schedule from the previous day/week to the schedule you’re currently viewing. |
c | Clear Schedule | Click to remove all shifts from the current view. |
d | Load Template | Click to load a previously saved schedule template. |
e | Save Template | Click to save this schedule as a template so that you can save time by quickly recreating it again. |
f | Export Schedule | Click to export the schedule to a spreadsheet file. |
Employee options
The employee options display information about each employee, allow you to update employee information, and make quick updates to employees’ schedules.
Callout | a |
Name | N / N |
Description | The employee’s scheduled and maximum hours.
|
Callout | b |
Name |
(All shifts confirmed) |
Description | The employee has confirmed all assigned shifts. |
Callout | c |
Name |
(Some shifts confirmed) |
Description | The employee has confirmed some assigned shifts. |
Callout | d |
Name | Publish [employee]’s Shifts |
Description | Click to publish the employee’s shifts. |
Callout | e |
Name | Unpublish [employee]’s Shifts |
Description | Click to unpublish the employee’s shifts. |
Callout | f |
Name | Print [employee]’s Schedule |
Description | Click to print the employee’s shifts. |
Callout | g |
Name | Copy [employee]’s Previous Day / Week |
Description | Click to copy the employee’s shifts from the previous day/week to the schedule you’re currently viewing. |
Callout | h |
Name | Edit [employee]’s Details |
Description | Click to update the employee’s positions, access privileges, schedules, wages, and other details. |
Callout | i |
Name | Delete [employee]’s Shifts |
Description | Click to delete employee’s shifts on the current view. |
Callout | Name | Description |
a | N / N | The employee’s scheduled and maximum hours.
|
b |
(All shifts confirmed) |
The employee has confirmed all assigned shifts. |
c |
(Some shifts confirmed) |
The employee has confirmed some assigned shifts. |
d | Publish [employee]’s Shifts | Click to publish the employee’s shifts. |
e | Unpublish [employee]’s Shifts | Click to unpublish the employee’s shifts. |
f | Print [employee]’s Schedule | Click to print the employee’s shifts. |
g | Copy [employee]’s Previous Day / Week | Click to copy the employee’s shifts from the previous day/week to the schedule you’re currently viewing. |
h | Edit [employee]’s Details | Click to update the employee’s positions, access privileges, schedules, wages, and other details. |
i | Delete [employee]’s Shifts | Click to delete employee’s shifts on the current view. |