How to Set up Open Shift Rotations

Hero Schedule's Open Shift Rotations feature is a powerful tool for managing how open shifts are assigned to employees. This allows you to track and assign open shifts fairly, based on either the last time an employee was assigned a shift or the total number of open shift hours they've worked.

Related articles:

• Setting up Open Shift Pools
• Managing Mandatory Overtime with Open Shift Rotations
• How to Create an Open Shift

Creating an Open Shift Rotation

1. Navigate to the Setup Menu: Go to Menu, then select Setup, and finally click Open Shift Setup.
2. Start a New Rotation: Click the Open Shift Rotations tab and then select New Open Shift Rotation.
3. Define Rotation Details:
   • Name: Give the rotation a clear name that reflects its purpose (e.g., "Mandatory By Date" or "Open Shift Hours").
   • Method: Choose one of the two methods to track assignments:
     • Last Assigned: This method tracks the date an employee was last given an open shift. When you sort your employees, the ones who haven't been assigned an open shift for the longest time will appear at the top of the list. This is ideal for ensuring everyone gets an equal turn.
     • Open Shift Hours Assigned: This method tracks the total hours an employee has worked on open shifts. You can sort employees to see who has worked the fewest or most hours, making it easy to balance the workload. You'll also need to select a time period for this counter (per pay period, per month, or per year).
4. Select Open Shift Pools: Choose which open shift pools this rotation should apply to. You can select all pools or specific ones if different departments have different rotation rules.
5. Save: Click Save to finalize the rotation.

Using Rotations to Assign Open Shifts

Once you've created a rotation, you can use it when assigning open shifts.

1. Create or Select an Open Shift: Go to the schedule and either create a new open shift or find an existing one.
2. Assign the Rotation: When you're ready to assign an employee to the open shift, you'll see a drop-down menu for rotations. Select the rotation you want to use (e.g., "Mandatory By Date").
3. Sort Employees: The employee list will automatically sort based on the rotation method you chose.
   • Last Assigned: Employees who haven't been assigned a shift in the longest time will be at the top.
   • Open Shift Hours Assigned: Employees with the fewest hours will be at the top.
4. Assign the Shift: Select the employee at the top of the list to ensure the shift is assigned fairly according to your rotation rules. The system will update their assigned date or total hours, and they'll move down the list the next time you use that rotation.
5. Refresh: If you're working with multiple open shifts, you may need to refresh the page to see the updated sort order after each assignment.

Notes

• Be Descriptive: Give your rotations clear, descriptive names so you know exactly what they're for at a glance.
• Multiple Rotations: While you can have multiple rotations, a simple setup with one or two is often the most effective.
• Multiple Rotations per Shift: It is possible to apply multiple rotations to a single open shift, which will count the hours or assignment date toward all selected rotations simultaneously.
• Adjusting the Sort: When assigning shifts, you can toggle the sort order to view employees from least to most hours (or longest to shortest time since last assigned) and vice versa. This gives you flexibility in how you make assignments.

This feature helps you maintain a fair and transparent system for distributing open shifts, whether it's for mandatory assignments or simply for tracking who's had a chance to pick up extra hours.