# Shift Schedule
Shift Schedule groups the tools for defining shifts, assigning them to employees, and viewing monthly shift calendars. Use these screens together to plan and manage employee work schedules.
Overview
Shift scheduling in Freespace HRMS involves three linked screens:
| **Screen** | **Purpose** |
|------------|-------------|
| Shift | Define shift blocks (start time, end time, breaks). |
| Employee Shift Week Template | Create repeating weekly shift patterns for groups of employees. |
| Employee Shift Map | Assign shifts to individual employees by date, or generate from a template. |
Attendance uses assigned shifts to populate shift in/out times when attendance is generated.
Components
Shift
Master data for shift definitions. Each shift has a name, start/end time, and optional break details. See Shift.
Employee Shift Week Template
A reusable weekly pattern that assigns a shift to each employee for every day of the week (Monday through Sunday). See Employee Shift Week Template.
Employee Shift Map
Date-level shift assignments. View a monthly calendar showing which shift each employee works on each day. Generate assignments from a week template or add individual shift mappings. See Employee Shift Map.
Employee Shift Mappings Report
A monthly grid report (under Shift Schedule) showing all employees and their assigned shifts per day. Supports Export, Print, and Add Shift to generate mappings from a template.
Typical Workflow
- Define shifts — Create shift blocks in Shift (e.g. Morning 8-4, Evening 4-12, Night 12-8).
- Create a week template — In Employee Shift Week Template, assign shifts for each day of the week for a group of employees.
- Generate shift map — In Employee Shift Map or the Shift Mappings report, select a period and template, then generate assignments for the month.
- Adjust individual days — Override specific dates in the Shift Map when schedules change.
- Generate attendance — When attendance is generated, shift timings are loaded from the shift map for each employee and date.
Best Practices
- Define all shift blocks before creating templates or maps.
- Use week templates for stable schedules — they save time compared to day-by-day assignment.
- Review the Shift Mappings report monthly to catch gaps or conflicts.
- Update shift maps before generating attendance for a new month.
FAQ
When should I use Shift vs Time Slot?
Use Shift and shift maps for labour employees with variable daily schedules. Use Time Slot for salaried staff with the same weekly hours every week.
Must I generate shift map before attendance?
Yes for labour employees. Without a shift assignment, shift in/out times are empty when attendance is generated.
Can two employees share the same week template?
Yes. One template can list many employees with different shifts per day on each row.
What if I change a shift block after mapping?
Existing shift map records keep old shift IDs until regenerated — regenerate the period after editing shift timings.
Where do I see gaps in monthly assignments?
Use the Employee Shift Mappings report under Shift Schedule — empty cells mean no shift assigned for that date.
Does shift schedule affect payroll OT?
Yes. Scheduled shift times drive late/early calculations and attendance-based overtime on Pay Run when enabled.