Shift Scheduling

Overview

Shift scheduling lets managers build and publish work schedules. Define shift templates, assign employees, set up recurring patterns, and let TimeLeaf handle conflict detection automatically. This feature is available on the Professional plan and above.

Shift templates

Shift templates are reusable definitions for common shift patterns. Each template includes:

• Name. e.g., "Morning", "Night", "Weekend"
• Start and end time. supports overnight shifts that span midnight
• Break times. one or more break windows with duration and paid/unpaid status
• Color code. a hex color used on the calendar for quick visual identification

Creating a template

1. Go to Settings > Shifts > Templates.
2. Click New Template.
3. Fill in the name, times, breaks, and color.
4. Save the template. It is now available when creating or editing shifts.

For overnight shifts (e.g., 22:00 to 06:00), set the end time earlier than the start time. TimeLeaf interprets this as spanning midnight.

Assigning shifts

To schedule an employee for a shift:

1. Open the Schedule view from the main navigation.
2. Click on a day cell for the target employee.
3. Select a shift template or define a custom shift.
4. Save the assignment. The employee receives a notification.

You can also drag and drop shifts between employees or days on the calendar view.

Bulk assignment

Select multiple employees from the schedule grid, click Assign Shift, choose a template, and apply it to the selected date range. This is useful for scheduling an entire team at once.

Recurring patterns

Instead of assigning shifts one week at a time, set up recurring patterns:

1. Select an employee or team on the Schedule view.
2. Click Set Pattern and define the rotation (e.g., 4 days on, 2 days off).
3. Choose the shift template for each working day in the cycle.
4. Set a start date and optionally an end date.

TimeLeaf generates shifts automatically based on the pattern. Generated shifts can still be edited individually.

Leave-shift conflict detection

When a shift is assigned to an employee who has approved leave on that day, TimeLeaf flags the conflict:

• A warning appears on the schedule calendar.
• The manager receives a notification.
• The shift is marked as conflicted until resolved.

Similarly, if an employee requests leave on a day they have a scheduled shift, the leave request form displays the shift details so both the employee and approver are aware.

Vacant shifts

When a scheduled employee calls in sick or cancels, mark the shift as vacant:

1. Open the shift on the schedule.
2. Click Mark Vacant.
3. Optionally enable open for pickup. eligible employees see the vacant shift and can claim it.

Managers can also reassign a vacant shift directly to another employee.

Publishing the schedule

Draft schedules are only visible to managers. Click Publish on the weekly schedule view to make shifts visible to employees and send notifications. You can publish up to 8 weeks in advance.