Overview
Plan your team's week, see labor costs update in real-time, and publish schedules everyone can access.
Understanding the Schedule View
When you open Talent > Schedules, you'll see:
Week Navigator:
Current week displayed (e.g., "2/02 - 2/08")
Total shift count
Status badge (DRAFT or Published)
Navigation arrows (← Today →)
Calendar Grid:
7 days across the top (MON through SUN)
Each day shows the date
Announcement icon (for shift notes)
Employee List:
All active employees for the selected location
Hours and cost summary per employee
Visual schedule bars showing assigned shifts
Creating a New Schedule
1. Select Your Location and Week
Location dropdown: Choose which wash you're scheduling
Week navigation: Use arrows or click TODAY to jump to current week
2. Add Shifts to Employees
To create a shift:
Click on an employee's row for the desired day
OR drag from the employee name onto a day column
Enter shift details:
Start time
End time
Break duration (if applicable)
Position/role for that shift
Any special notes
Visual feedback:
Shifts appear as colored bars
Length represents hours
Cost updates automatically
3. Use Open Shifts (Optional)
What are Open Shifts?
Shifts not yet assigned to a specific employee
Useful when you know you need coverage but haven't decided who
Employees can potentially claim open shifts (if enabled)
To create an Open Shift:
Click in the "OPEN SHIFTS" section for a day
Set time and role
Assign to a specific employee later
4. Review Labor Costs
As you build the schedule:
Each employee shows: "X.XX hrs | $XXX"
Total week cost visible at bottom
Helps you stay within budget
💡 Pro tip: WashStacks calculates costs based on the pay rates you set in employee profiles. Keep those updated!
5. Add Shift Announcements
For special notes:
Click the announcement icon (📢) on any day
Add messages like:
"Holiday pay in effect"
"Expecting busy afternoon"
"Equipment maintenance scheduled 2-3pm"
All employees working that day will see the note
Draft vs. Published Schedules
Draft: | Published |
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❌ Employees cannot see the schedule ✓ No notifications sent ✓ Perfect for planning | ✓ Schedule becomes visible to all assigned employees ✓ Employees receive email notification ✓ ⚠️ Future changes may notify employees again |
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Best Practices
1. Schedule ahead:
Aim for 1-2 weeks in advance
Gives employees time to plan
Reduces last-minute requests
2. Review coverage:
Ensure you have enough people for peak times
Don't forget about breaks and positions
3. Check costs before publishing:
Make sure you're within the labor budget
Adjust shifts if needed
4. Communicate changes:
If you must change a published schedule, notify affected employees directly
Use the announcement feature for shift-wide updates
Troubleshooting
Can't assign a shift:
Check that the employee is active (not dismissed)
Verify that the employee is assigned to the selected location
Ensure shift times don't overlap with any of their other shifts
Cost calculation seems wrong:
Verify the employee's pay rate in their profile
Check that shift hours are correct
Confirm break time is properly entered
Employee says they can't see the schedule:
Check that the schedule status is Published (not DRAFT)
Confirm the employee has logged in at least once
Verify they're assigned to the correct location