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Schedule Approval Process & Locking

Updated over a week ago

Overview

This article explains how the schedule approval process works. The approval process allows organizations to control who can approve schedules and whether a schedule becomes locked after approval. When a schedule is locked, only authorized leadership roles can make changes.

When to Use This

Use this process when:

  • You want to prevent managers from making changes after a schedule is finalized.

  • You need a clear approval workflow for schedule creation.

  • You want employees to understand the status of their schedules.

  • Your organization requires different permission levels for editing and approving schedules.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Turn Schedule Approval On or Off

  1. Go to the Schedule Approval Settings.

  2. Toggle the Schedule Approval feature On or Off.

    • If you want this feature enabled, request to have it turned on.

2. Select the Approval Role

  1. Choose the Organizational Role responsible for approving schedules (e.g., District Manager).

  2. Save the selected role.

3. Set Whether Approved Schedules Become Locked

  1. In the same settings area, choose whether schedules should become Locked after approval.

  2. If enabled, only users with the designated approval role can make edits to a locked schedule.

4. Build and Approve the Schedule

  1. A manager builds the schedule for upcoming weeks.

  2. When the schedule is ready, the approver (e.g., District Manager) reviews and approves it.

  3. Once approved:

    • The schedule becomes locked for all roles below the approver.

    • Store Managers and other lower roles cannot make edits unless:

      • The approver adjusts the schedule, or

      • The approver changes the schedule status back to an editable state.

5. Communicate Schedule Status to Employees

  1. Employees can view the schedule status next to their assigned shifts.

  2. Define and share what each status means internally.
    Example:

    • Draft: The schedule is not final; employees should not make personal plans based on it.

    • Review: The schedule is mostly finalized and unlikely to change.

    • Approved: The schedule is fully confirmed and should only change if major issues arise.

Key Details & Definitions

  • Schedule Approval: A workflow that requires specific roles to review and approve schedules before they are considered final.

  • Locked Schedule: A schedule that cannot be edited by lower-level roles after approval.

  • Approval Role: The organizational role responsible for approving and unlocking schedules.

  • Draft Status: The schedule is still being created.

  • Review Status: The schedule is under review but not finalized.

  • Approved Status: The schedule is finalized and locked unless updated by the approver.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why can't my manager edit the schedule?
The schedule is likely in Approved status, which locks editing for roles below the approver.

Can the approver still make edits after approval?
Yes. Approvers can make changes at any time, even while the schedule is locked for others.

Can we change who approves schedules later?
Yes. Update the approval role in the Schedule Approval Settings.

Can we prevent schedules from locking after approval?
Yes. Turn off the lock option in the settings.

Related Articles

  • How to Build a Schedule

  • Understanding Schedule Statuses

  • Managing User Roles and Permissions

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