Overview
Employee preferences in Shiftlab define when employees are unavailable to work. These preferences are critical for building efficient, automated schedules that respect employee availability while optimizing staffing and business needs.
When to Use This
Setting up employee schedules for automated building
Accounting for recurring or one-time employee time off
Ensuring schedules comply with employee availability and company rules
Step-by-Step Instructions
Video Instruction
Inputting Employee Preferences
Schedule builders can only add Employee Preferences. Employees cannot add in their own preferences.
Identify employees with unavailable times (e.g., recurring classes, personal commitments).
Example: Sofia has school every Wednesday and Thursday.
Hover over the employee’s name under the day they are unavailable.
Click the Pref (Preferences) button.
Specify unavailable hours:
Uncheck All Day if only partial hours are unavailable.
Enter the start and end time for unavailability.
Example: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM every Wednesday and Thursday.
Set repetition if the unavailability is recurring:
Example: Repeat weekly until school is over.
Add a note describing the reason (e.g., “School”).
Click Save.
Adding Full-Day Preferences
For full-day unavailability, leave All Day checked.
Example: Liam is unavailable every Sunday for personal reasons.
Repeat for each affected day if recurring.
Add a note and click Save.
Building an Automated Schedule
After entering preferences for all employees, click Auto Build.
Shiftlab will generate a schedule that:
Respects all employee preferences
Optimizes staffing efficiency
Aligns with business forecasts and company rules
Key Details & Definitions
Employee Preferences: Times when employees cannot work, including partial or full-day unavailability.
Recurring Preferences: Repeated unavailability on specific days each week.
Auto Build: Shiftlab feature that generates schedules automatically based on preferences, forecasts, and company rules.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why are my Employees still scheduled during unavailable times?
Go and verify the employee preferences and check if repetition is correctly set.
Why are my Employee Preferences not saving?
Ensure a note is added and the checkmark is clicked before saving.
Why are my recurring employee preferences ending too early?
Confirm the end date for repeated unavailability covers the intended period.
Can my Employees add their own Employee Preferences?
No. There is no way for an employee to add or enter in their own preferences. This is done by Schedule builders so automation is using accurate data. Employees can request time off through the system.