Shifts (new version)
- How do I assign employees to a timetable?
- How do I assign shifts in a timetable?
- What tools can I find in the shifts timetable for managing shifts?
- How do I add shift patterns?
- How do I apply shift patterns?
- What are activities and how can I add them to shifts?
- How can I publish a timetable with all the data added?
- What does the 'loading' status mean?
- Can I view timetables organized by shifts?
- Can I view timetables organized by positions?
- What are shift templates and how can I create them?
- What is the "Shifts" section in the mobile app?
- Can I publish a schedule for a specific time period?
- What is the cost table?
- Can I add more than one shift in the same cell of a timetable?
- Can my employees see the Shifts tool in their Sesame app?
- Can my employees see their coworkers’ shifts in the Sesame app?
- Can AI help me plan my shifts?
- What is the AI shift planner?
- What is the Shift import agent?
- What are coverage shifts (auto-assign shifts)?
- Can I add days off and time off directly from the timetable?
- How does the Shifts AI assign coverage shifts?
- Can I view and download the timetable showing only employees without assigned shifts?
- Can I hide employees for a specific time period?
- Can I copy my shift timetable?
- How can I view the overtime balance in the timetable?
- How can I assign shifts, time off, or days off to multiple cells at the same time?
- How to create and configure on-call shifts
- How do on-call shifts affect time calculations?
- How do I create and manage timetables?
How do on-call shifts affect time calculations?
When creating an on-call shift, you need to decide whether that shift counts as planned time or not:
- If you decide it DOES count as planned time, the system will expect the employee to work those hours.
- If you decide it DOES NOT count as planned time, the system will not expect the employee to work those hours. Therefore, if they clock in, the time worked will be considered overtime.
That said, the behavior of on-call shifts varies depending on how your employees’ theoretical time is configured. There are two main configurations:
Theoretical time configured by schedule or shift
In this case, the employee’s working time is determined by the assigned shifts. Below are different use cases and what happens in each one depending on whether the toggle is enabled or not.
The on-call shift does NOT count as planned time
- If the employee does not clock in, nothing happens. No negative balance or overtime is generated, as the system did not expect them to work those hours.
- If the employee clocks in during the on-call shift, all the time worked is considered overtime. For example:
- Theoretical time: 0h
- On-call time: 4h
- Time worked: 4h
- Overtime: +4h
The on-call shift DOES count as planned time
- If the employee does not clock in, a negative balance is generated, as the system expected them to work those hours. For example:
- Theoretical time (on-call): 4h
- Time worked: 0h
- Balance: -4h
- If the employee clocks in fewer hours than the on-call shift, a negative balance is generated. For example:
- Theoretical time (on-call): 4h
- Time worked: 2h
- Balance: -2h
- If the employee clocks in exactly the on-call hours, the balance is even. For example:
- Theoretical time (on-call): 4h
- Time worked: 4h
- Balance: 0h
- If the employee clocks in more hours than the on-call shift, the additional hours are considered overtime. For example:
- Theoretical time (on-call): 4h
- Time worked: 6h
- Overtime: +2h
Theoretical time configured by contract
In this case, the employee’s working time is determined by their contracted hours. Below are different use cases and what happens in each one depending on whether the toggle is enabled or not.
The on-call shift does NOT count as planned time
- If the employee does not clock in, a negative balance is generated because the contract hours are not covered. For example:
- Planned time: 8h
- On-call time: 2h
- Time worked: 0h
- Balance: -8h
- If the employee clocks in during the on-call shift, the worked time partially compensates the contract hours. For example:
- Planned time: 8h
- On-call time: 4h
- Time worked: 4h
- Balance: -4h
The on-call shift DOES count as planned time
- If the employee does not clock in, the negative balance is the same as if there were no on-call shift. For example:
- Planned time: 8h
- On-call time: 2h
- Time worked: 0h
- Balance: -8h
- If the employee clocks in more hours than the on-call shift, a negative balance is generated for not covering the contract hours. For example:
- Planned time: 8h
- On-call time: 2h
- Time worked: 4h
- Balance: -4h
- If the employee clocks in exactly the on-call hours, a negative balance is generated for not covering the contract hours. For example:
- Planned time: 8h
- On-call time: 2h
- Time worked: 2h
- Balance: -6h
- If the employee clocks in a full working day plus the on-call shift, a positive overtime balance is generated by exceeding the contract hours. For example:
- Planned time: 8h
- On-call time: 2h
- Time worked: 10h
- Overtime: +2h
Which configuration should you choose? The decision depends on how on-call shifts are managed in your company.
-
Disable the toggle if:
- You understand on-call shifts as availability time, not actual working time.
- You only want to count hours if the employee actually works during the on-call shift.
- You do not want a negative balance to be generated if the employee does not clock in during the on-call shift.
-
Enable the toggle if:
- You consider on-call shifts to be part of the expected working hours.
- You want a negative balance to be generated if the employee does not cover the on-call shift.
- You need to monitor and enforce compliance with on-call shifts.