Work schedules describe when a position is normally worked. They can also identify the actual schedule for an assignment and help determine where a budget or compensation adjustment applies.

Before you begin

You need the Manage position setup permission to create or change work schedules. Position and assignment access is separate. See Roles and permissions.

Create a work schedule

Before creating a schedule, confirm whether it represents a lasting work pattern and how people should recognize it on a position or assignment. Avoid names tied to one employee or a temporary coverage event.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Under Positions, select Work schedules.
  3. Select Create work schedule.
  4. Enter a clear name and optional description.
  5. Choose the shift classification that best describes the schedule.
  6. Save the schedule.

Use names that make sense when they appear on position and assignment forms, such as Weekdays, Evening shift, or Weekend coverage.

Use the description for details that help selection, such as the normal days or hours. Use the shift classification for a stable category that an adjustment can match.

Position and assignment schedules

A position has a planned work schedule. An assignment can record an Actual work schedule when the employee works a different schedule.

When the actual work schedule is blank, the assignment uses the position work schedule for that date. Recording a different assignment schedule does not change the position schedule.

Example: assignment exception

A position has the planned Weekdays schedule. One employee assigned to it works Evening shift beginning October 1.

Keep Weekdays on the position and record Evening shift as the assignment’s actual work schedule beginning October 1. Other assignments continue to use the position schedule unless they have their own actual schedule.

This distinction matters when labor budget or actual compensation adjustments match a schedule or shift.

Schedule availability

Availability controls whether a schedule can be selected for new work on a date. Make a schedule unavailable when it should no longer be offered.

Existing positions, assignments, history, and financial adjustments keep the schedule that applied to them. If the availability date was entered incorrectly, correct or remove that dated availability entry instead of renaming the schedule to represent a different schedule.

Use a new schedule when the business meaning changes. For example, do not rename Evening shift to Weekend coverage after it has been used. Make the earlier schedule unavailable and create the new choice.

How adjustments use schedules

A labor budget or actual compensation adjustment can be limited to a work schedule. The adjustment then applies only where that schedule and the other selected conditions match.

Changing a work schedule can therefore change which adjustments apply from the selected date. Review the relevant labor budget or actual compensation results after a schedule change.

Example: schedule-based premium

A 10% premium applies to Night shift assignments. An employee moves from Day shift to Night shift on November 1.

On October 31, the night premium does not match. On November 1, it can match if the adjustment’s other conditions and dates also apply. The schedule does not create the premium by itself; it is one eligibility condition.

Before making a schedule unavailable

Confirm:

  • whether positions or future assignments still need the schedule;
  • whether a labor budget or actual compensation adjustment uses it; and
  • the date when new selections should stop.

Also review future-dated assignments. A schedule that appears unused today may already be selected for a future period.

Change a schedule safely

  1. Decide whether the change corrects the existing meaning or creates a new schedule meaning.
  2. Review current and future positions and assignments using the schedule.
  3. Review labor budget and actual compensation adjustments that match it.
  4. For a real retirement, add the date when new selection should stop.
  5. For a new meaning, create a new schedule instead of renaming the old one.
  6. Verify one position and assignment before and after the date.
  7. Review Activity for the recorded setup change.