To perform automated scheduling, you will usually want to know which shifts in the schedule each provider has requested not to work (i.e., will be off) due to vacations or other obligations. This information is entered using the 'Shift Requests' feature. You'll need to retrieve a schedule request from the 'Provider' tab.
Select the 'Shift Requests' button from the menu. Then, click on the drop down menu to select the provider's name and location.The provider's requests will be displayed in the schedule.
You have the ability to make changes for your providers. Click on the menu next to the number of the day. The menu will display the following options 'Times Off', 'Need off' , 'Wish off', 'Request on', and 'Available' for the specified provider.
*Please note that 'Need off' shifts are different from 'Can't Do shifts'. Off Shifts are specific shifts in the current schedule for which the provider is not available to work due to other obligations. 'Can't Do shifts' are named shifts, such as Clinic shifts, that the provider cannot be scheduled for at any time in the schedule.
1. Schedule: To view a different schedule request, simply select the schedule from the drop down menu. You can move alphabetically through the Schedules by pressing the Down arrow key on your keyboard.
2. Location: To view different Locations, simply select the Location from the drop down menu. You can move alphabetically through the Locations by pressing the Down arrow key on your keyboard. This drop down menu is only available if you schedule/work at multiple locations. The 'All locations' option views both requests at the same time. If you have providers that work at multiple locations within your group, 'All locations' will be default.
3. Provider: To view a different provider's availability, simply select a different provider's name from the drop down menu. You can move alphabetically through the providers by pressing the Down arrow key on your keyboard. Use this option in conjunction with your alphabetically sorted requests schedule to sequentially enter data; this will help you avoid inadvertently skipping a provider during data entry.
4. Select Sites: [not shown if you have not created sites] This enables you to select which Sites are being displayed in the current schedule. Initially displays all Sites. For large schedules that require scrolling in order to view the entire schedule, you can facilitate review and editing of specific 'Site' schedules by limiting the display only to selected site(s). You can also, use the 'Need off' option, select the menu in the top corner next to the 'Site' name.
5. Location Notes: Select the 'Location Notes' button within the 'Shift Requests' screen. A pop up window will display called, 'Location notes'. These notes can be used for reminders specific to that provider's schedule, such as 'studying for boards on the 15th, please cluster shifts in last half of month if possible', or 'please give both Howard and me a Saturday morning off to play tennis', or 'can take 1 - 2 extra shifts this month if needed'. To edit the 'Location Notes', click on the button and you'll be able to edit the notes in the window. To view the entire note, you'll need to open the 'Location notes' window by selecting the 'Location Notes' button.
Note: 'Location Notes' are available as read-only text from the shift requests screen after the due date has past for the requests.
6. Bulk comments: Manage comments in bulk for the current schedule.
7. Requested Workload: Here providers can enter in the number of hours or the number of shifts you are requesting for the period.
8. Request Times off: If a provider has requested several days off in a row, you can mark off by selecting the 'Request Time off' button in the top menu. Select the 'Times off' option and the 'Request time off' window will display. Here you have the option to choose from 'Need off' or 'Wish off' for your 'Request'.
Then, you'll be able to select a 'Starts' and 'Ends' time for the days you end up taking off. Next, click the 'Applicable locations' option for which the time off applies to. You also, have the option to make this a recurring event by choosing the 'Recur' feature.
Therefore, select the days of the week (Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, and Sat) on which your time off occurs on by selecting 'Occurs on days'. The trash can icon displays after making your requests for the day. Select the icon to 'Delete' your requests if you found out your provider is available for that day.
Note: To set a range of dates off using the key combination, click the 'Need off' or 'Wish off' option from the menu, then click the Shift key or the Alt key plus, the 'Need off' or 'Wish off' option from the menu on the last date. This will mark several days off.
9. Requests History: Here's a log of all changes for 'Requests'. Hover over the highlighted shift and right click on the pop up to display the status.
10. All Available: Click this button to clear all Off Shift entries that you have made, making the provider available for scheduling for all shifts in the schedule except those that are 'Can't Do', 'Prohibit Biased' and 'Preserve all on requests'. This feature is useful if you have made errors entering off data (such as data for the wrong provider) and want to start over again for the current provider. (Or if you used the 'All Need off' option.)
11. All Need off: Click this button to mark the current provider off for all shifts in the schedule, making them unavailable for computerized scheduling. Consider using this feature for providers who are available to work only a few shifts where it may be easier mark a provider off for all shifts and 'Preserve all on requests'.
12. Missing Requests: This feature lists who has not entered in their requests and who entered in their 'Future Off Requests'. Plus, a 'reminder email' is sent to providers who have not entered requests.
- The request reminder email includes a list of the requests transferred from the 'Future off Requests' calendar and pre-created by the administrator.
- A link is available in the email that suppresses further reminders for the schedule.
You can set the status of an individual day or shift by clicking on the shift then selecting an option from the menu, as:
1. Times off: You can mark off by selecting the 'Times off' option within the menu located in the top right corner of any day. Select the 'Times off' option and the 'Request time off' window will display. Here you have the option to choose from 'Need off' or 'Wish off' for your request.
Then, you'll be able to select a 'Starts' and 'Ends' time for the days you end up taking off. Next, click the 'Applicable locations' option for which the time off applies to. You also, have the option to make this a recurring event by choosing the 'Recur' feature. Therefore, select the days of the week (Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, and Sat) on which your time off occurs on by selecting 'Occurs on days'.
The trash can icon displays after making your requests for the day. Select the icon to 'Delete' your requests if you found out your provider is available for that day.
Note: To set a range of dates off using the key combination, click the 'Need off' or 'Wish off' option from the menu, then click the Shift key or Alt key plus, the 'Need off' or 'Wish off' option from the menu on the last date. This will mark several days off.
2. Need off: You are unable to work this shift. You can by pass the menu options and directly make this entry by selecting the letter 'N + click' on the shift. The letter 'N' highlighted in a pink background will be displayed and the font color for the shift name is pink.
Note: 'W(N)' is now shown when a 'Need off' request is converted to 'Wish off'
3. Wish off: You do not want to work this shift, but you're available if the shift cannot otherwise be scheduled. 'W + click' is the shortcut combination.The letter 'W' will be displayed and the shift name will be highlighted in yellow.
4. Request on: If you want to choose a shift you want to work, you can use the 'Request on' feature within the menu by left-clicking on the specific shift or select the letter 'R + click' on the particular shift. The letter 'R' highlighted in a blue background will be displayed. The letter 'R' indicates a shift that has been requested for prescheduling by another provider. You can still also request prescheduling for the same shift and provide an explanation of your reasons. Your schedule administrator will ultimately make the decision about how the shift is scheduled.
Available: You wish to remove an existing Off or 'Request on' designation for a shift and return it to being simply 'Available' (available to work). 'F + click' is the shortcut key combination.
Note: Selecting the 'Available' option will not affect shifts that your schedule administrator has designated for you as being 'Can't Do'.
5. Prescheduled shift: If you 'lock' or 'cycle scheduled' providers into the request schedule the letter 'P' will be displayed. Once; you hover over the shift it will display 'Prescheduled to provider name'. The 'All available'/'All Need off'/'Request Times off' dialogs include a list of the shifts pre-scheduled to the provider.
- In the shift request screen, a message is shown above the calendar when the provider is prescheduled for some hours/shifts. A list of the shifts can be obtained by mousing over the '...' fragment in the message. An itemized list of shifts prescheduled to the current provider is available in the all off/all available dialog and time off definition dialog.
- Shifts pre-scheduled to the current provider are highlighted prominently.
6. Show all off: The number adjacent to the icon on a day is the number of providers who have requested at least one shift off in that day. This information can help you to select days that your off request is most likely to be granted. If you have requested a shift off on a day, click on the icon to view the time priority of your request. You can also, click the icon to see a list of providers who have requested any shifts off in the day. Cycle off requests count toward the daily limit.
Shift off / Shift available: If the currently selected provider has requested a shift off within a day, simply click on the menu in the top right corner of any day. The menu will appear with 'Times off', 'Need off', 'Wish off', and 'Available'. The day is automatically made as Off if you select 'Times off', 'Need off', and 'Wish off' options.
If a shift is already marked as Off, the shifts can be made available, by selecting the 'Available' option from the drop down menu. 'Can't Do' and 'Prohibit Biased' shifts are unaffected. This letter 'C' indicates a shift that your schedule administrator has marked for you as 'Can't Do'. You do not need to mark these shifts as Off in order to avoid being scheduled for them.
Scheduler comment: Comments are displayed at the bottom of each day with a blue background. When a day in the schedule contains both provider and schedule administrator comments, only the administrator comment will be displayed with a blue background. You can see all comments for a day by hovering the mouse cursor over any existing comment. The comment will also be printed on the 'main schedule'.
To add a Scheduler comment:Left click on 'Toggle editing of scheduler comments (CTRL + 1)' button. The 'Scheduler comment' pencil icon at the bottom of the day will display to add a comment. A 'Scheduler comment' window appears containing a text entry area. Type the 'Scheduler comment' for the day.
Provider comment: Comments are displayed at the bottom of each day. 'Provider comments' are shown with a yellow background. If your scheduled providers have added comments about a day on their requests, you may want to add this information to the 'Location Notes'. This option is located within the 'Provider' tab > 'Shift Requests' screen. Provider comments are displayed when you are viewing that provider's requests as a reminder of why the day was requested off. You can see all comments for a day by hovering the mouse cursor over any existing comment. The comment will also be printed on that provider's 'individual and main schedule'.
To add a provider comment: Left click on 'Toggle editing of provider comments (CTRL + 2)' button. The provider comment pencil icon will display at the bottom of the day to add a comment. A 'Provider comment' window appears containing a text entry area. Type the provider comment for the day.
Note: Provider comments for events occurring on a monthly basis can also be created and automatically added to schedules as part of 'Monthly Cycle' scheduling.
Off reason tracking(optional)
Select the 'Admin' tab > 'Edit Location' button > then click 'Provider requests' to display the 'Off reason tracking' section, where you can track the following reasons when a shift is requested off more specific by selecting or creating reasons such as 'Vacation', 'Admin' (administrative duties), 'CME' or 'Personal'. Which explain why your providers are taking a shift off. There's also 2 custom fields you can use.
Need off - Vacation (V + click) Need off - Admin (A + click) Need off - CME (C + click) Need off - Personal (X + click) Wish off - Vacation (V + right click) Wish off - Admin (A + right click) Wish off - CME (C + right click) Wish off - Personal (X + right click)
Schedule keys: If a 'Formatted key' or a 'Free form key' is defined for a version of the schedule (main, individual, and request), then the schedule key is available from a tool above the calendar.
