Create a split shift

A split shift consists of two or more separate working periods in a single day. To create a split shift, you must create a split activity that you can use to create a split shift.

Prerequisites

• You have the Shifts permission.
• The activities that you use in the shifts are created in Options > Scheduling > Activity.
• The shift categories that you use are created in Options > Scheduling > Shift category.

Page location

Client > Shifts > General tab

Procedures

Create an activity for a split shift in the Options module

1. Click the Add activity button in the upper-right corner.

2. Rename the activity.

3. In the Color column, select white as the color so that the activity appears as unscheduled time on the agent’s schedule.

4. Ensure that all the check boxes are unchecked.

5. Click Apply.

Create a split shift in the Shifts module

1. Click the Rule sets tab.

2. Click New and then rename the rule set. Alternatively, click an existing rule set.

3. Select a Base activity for the shift. The base activity is the base layer of the shift. You can only select one activity as the base activity. You can add additional activities in the Activities tab.

4. Select a Category. All shifts created in a rule set belong to the same shift category. For separate shift categories, you must set up more than one rule set.

5. If you want the shift to be set to Available by default, select Yes. If you do not want it to be set to Available by default, select No.

   NOTE   You can select No for shifts that are only available on certain days. For example, days where the hours of operation are shortened or lengthened due to a holiday. You can then determine which day(s) the shift is not available on the Availability date and Availability day of week tabs.

6. To define the Start period for the shifts, set the following three parameters:

   • Early - The earliest start time of the first portion of the working shift.

   • Late - The latest start time of the first portion of the working shift.

   • Segment - The increments of the start time between the early and late start.

7. To define the End period for the shifts, set the following three parameters. If the end time is after midnight, type +1 after the end time, for example, 02:00+1.

   • Early - The earliest end time of the second portion of the working shift.

   • Late - The latest end time of the second portion of the working shift.

   • Segment - The increments of the end time between the early and late end.

8. Define the Length of the shift. You must only include the working time of the shift. The length of the shift must only include contract time and exclude the split where the agent is not working.

   • Min – The shortest possible shift length and only includes contract time.

   • Max - The longest possible shift length and only includes contract time.

   • Segment - The increments of the shift length between the minimum and maximum shift length.

9. Select the Only for restrictions check box if the shifts must only be used in connection with restrictions such as agent preferences, availability, or rotations. If you select the check box, the shifts are still only used if there are no other shifts that fulfill the rules of the restriction. The rule sets which are only for restrictions are highlighted with a little black dot before their names in the list of rule sets.

10. Click Refresh to show the shifts generated based on the current rules.

11. Click Save.

    NOTE   Nothing appears in the shift visual because the length that you entered does not yet match the duration between the start and end periods.

12. Click the Activities tab.

13. Click New.

14. Ensure that the Auto position check box is unchecked.

15. Select Absolute start for the Type.

16. Select the Activity that you created for the non-scheduled period for the agent.

17. Define the length of the activity.

    • Min - The shortest possible length of the nonscheduled period of the split shift.

    • Max - The longest possible length of the nonscheduled period of the split shift.

    • Segment - The increments of the activity length between the minimum and maximum length.

18. Define the position of the activity at the time of day in the agent's time zone.

    • Early start - The earliest time that the nonscheduled period of the split shift might begin.

    • Late start - The latest time that the nonscheduled period of the split shift might begin.

    • Segment - The increments of the position within the shift between the early and late start time.

19. Click Refresh to show the shifts generated based on the current rules.

20. Click Save.

EXAMPLE   An agent works a split shift from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM with a non-scheduled period between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

1. Click New and then rename the rule set.

2. Select a Base activity for the shift.

3. Select a shift category.

4. Select Yes from the Available drop-down menu.

5. To define the Start period for the shifts, set Early to 6:00 AM, Late to 6:00 AM, and Segment to 0:15.

6. To define the End period for the shifts, set Early to 7:00 PM, Late to 7:00 PM, and Segment to 0:15.

7. To define the Length of the shift, set Min to 8:00, Max to 8:00, and Segment to 0:15.

8. Select the Only for restrictions check box if the shifts must only be used in connection with restrictions such as agent preferences, availability, or rotations. If you select the check box, the shifts are still only used if there are no other shifts that fulfill the rules of the restriction. The rule sets which are only for restrictions are highlighted with a little black dot before their names in the list of rule sets.

9. Click Refresh to show the shifts generated based on the current rules.

10. Click Save.

    NOTE   Nothing appears in the shift visual because the length that you entered does not yet match the duration between the start and end periods.

11. Click the Activities tab.

12. Click New.

13. Ensure that the Auto position check box is unchecked.

14. Select Absolute start for the Type.

15. Select the Activity that you created for the non-scheduled period for the agent.

16. To define the length of the activity, set Min to 5:00, Max to 5:00, and Segment to 0:15. Min and Max are set to five hours because there is a five hour gap between 10:00 AM, when the first part of the shift ends, and 3:00 PM, when the second part of the shift starts.

17. To define the position of the activity at the time of day in the agent's time zone, set Early start to 10:00 AM, Late start to 10:00 AM, and Segment to 0:15.

18. (Optional) If a break is required, add another line to add a new activity for breaks.

19. Click Refresh to show the shifts generated based on the current rules.

20. Click Save.

21. Add the shift to a shift bag, so that you can assign it to agents. For further information, see Manage shift bags