Overview

This article walks through how to start Scheduling with When I Work. 

If you would like to use the Scheduling and the Time Clock & Attendance services together, see Setting Up Scheduling and Time Clock & Attendance for Your Business.

Considerations

• This article describes how to set up your account from a computer. While you can also use your iOS or Android device to start scheduling, we recommend using a computer. The extra screen size and advanced tools greatly speeds up the process.
• New accounts start on a free plan. The user with account holder access privileges can upgrade the account’s plan to use paid Scheduling.

Before you begin

• If you haven’t used When I Work before, sign up for a free account.
• If you already have an account, use a supported web browser to sign in to When I Work on the web.

Set up Scheduling

Configure your account to fit your business needs.

Name the schedule

Hover over , then select  Schedules to edit your default schedule or to add more schedules.

Consider setting up separate schedules. You might want to set up multiple schedules if your business operates out of different physical locations/regions or you want to build separate schedules for different teams/departments.

Add positions

Hover over , then select  Positions to create or edit positions.

Create a position for each type of employee that works in your business. Positions tie employees and shifts to a particular duty or skill. Keeping employees and shifts separated by position helps you ensure that your business has the skill coverage that you need.

Add employees

Hover over , then select  Employees to view and manage your employee list.

There are several ways to add employees:

• Add employees one at a time: Use this method if you know your employees’ contact information (email address and/or phone number).
• Import multiple employees at the same time: Use this method if you know your employees’ contact information (email address and phone number) and you want to save time entering employee information.
• Tell your employees to register with your When I Work account: Use this option if you don’t know your employees’ contact information. When employees register without being explicitly invited, you must approve their accounts.

Create shift templates

Hover over , then select  Shift Templates to create or edit shift templates.

Create a shift template for each standard shift at your business. Instead of manually entering in custom shift details one-by-one on the scheduler, shift templates let you easily create shifts that are scheduled often, speeding up the schedule building process.

Configure scheduling settings

Hover over , then select  Scheduling Settings to configure.

Determine how employees interact with the schedule by configuring the Scheduling Settings. The Scheduling Settings includes options that allow employees to take accountability for their own schedule.

Schedule shifts for a week

Use the scheduler to add shifts to your first weekly schedule.

Create the schedule

Click  Scheduler on the navigation bar.

Add shifts using the shift templates you set up or create a custom shift. Keep the shifts unpublished while building the schedule. This allows you to make changes to schedule as a whole before notifying your employees about their upcoming shifts.

Publish the schedule

When your weekly schedule is complete, publish the schedule to notify your staff about their shifts.

Next steps

• From the Scheduler:
  • Create a schedule template based on this week to use over and over.
  • Add OpenShifts to create shifts that can be picked up by eligible employees.
• Configure your company logo and preferences in the General Settings.
• Check out Web App Navigation Reference for Managers to help find features and settings within the account.
• Learn more about When I Work with Management Team Training.