Create rules to handle self-scheduling

Agents can use self-scheduling to move their own lunches and breaks and to add their own work hours. Define what validations to use for self-scheduling on the Self-scheduling tab in the workflow control set in Options.

Video Overview: Self-Scheduling | Get Started (length 4:52)

Read more about the validations for adding hours in How adding hours works and for moving lunches and breaks in How moving lunches and short breaks works.

IMPORTANT Always select the workflow control set you want to work with before making any changes.

Prerequisites

You have the Options permission.

Page location

Client > Options > Scheduling > Workflow control set > Self-scheduling tab

Procedures

Set a limit for how long agents can work without a lunch break

Use the limit for max work time without lunch to define the maximum number of hours an agent can work without a lunch break. This setting applies to both the move lunch feature and the add hours feature.

NOTE The maximum work time without lunch validation requires that the Report as setting is set to Lunch for the lunch activity.

Select the Maximum work time without lunch check box.
Define the maximum time that the agent can work without a lunch break. You must add the maximum work time without a lunch break in five minute increments.

EXAMPLE The max working time without lunch setting is set to 5:00 h. This means that the latest start time of the lunch is 5 h from the start of the shift, and the earliest end time of the lunch is 5 h from the end of the shift.

NOTE When adding hours, the maximum work time without lunch validation applies to both the block of time that the agent is currently adding and any previously scheduled work time which is adjacent to the new block. If a lunch needs to be added, it is placed within the new block of time. Only one lunch can be added each time.
Click Apply to save.

Manage rules for moving lunches and short breaks

The rules for moving lunches and short breaks control which moves that are allowed and which moves that are blocked for the users.

Select the Minimum continuous work time check box to ensure that agents cannot move their lunches or short breaks too close to the start or end of the shift or to other breaks.
Define the minimum time of continuous work time.

EXAMPLE The minimum continuous work time setting is set to 1:00 h. If the agent starts their shift at 8:00 AM, the earliest possible time they can place their short break is at 9:00 AM.
Select the Check overstaffing check box to block moves of lunches and breaks where the skills already exceed the overstaffing limit and where the move causes it to exceed the overstaffing limit.
Select the Check understaffing check box to block moves of lunches and breaks where the skills already exceed the understaffing limit and where the move causes it to exceed the understaffing limit.
Click Apply to save.

Manage rules for adding hours

The rules for adding hours control when agents can add hours, what the staffing limitations are, and if and where lunch and short breaks are included in the shifts.

Define the Rolling period for when agents can add hours. The valid range for the rolling period is 0 to 48 days.

EXAMPLE The rolling period is set to 1-21 days. This means that the agents can add hours for tomorrow and the following 20 days.
Enter the Lunch duration. This is the duration of any lunch added to the shift. A lunch is only added if the Maximum work time without lunch check box is selected and the added hours exceeds the given limit.
Select the Maximum work time without short break check box to add short breaks when the given limit is reached, and define the maximum work time without a short break. More than one short break can be added.
NOTE
- The maximum work time without short break validation requires that the Report as setting is set to Short break for the short break activity.
- When adding hours, the maximum work time without short break validation applies to both the block of time that the agent is currently adding and any previously scheduled work time which is adjacent to the new block. If a short break needs to be added, it is placed within the new block of time.
Enter the Short break duration. This is the duration of any short break added to the shift.
Select the Maximum contract time per day check box to limit the number of contract hours the agents can add, and enter the maximum contract hours per day.
Define the staffing threshold for adding hours. Enter a staffing percentage in the Staffing threshold field. If any of an agent's skills is below the threshold, the agent can add hours. If the threshold is exceeded for all skills, agents cannot add hours. The staffing threshold can be set to a negative number.
Enter for what percentage of the intervals the staffing that must be kept below the staffing threshold in the Intervals to keep below the threshold field.

This is useful if there are a few overstaffed intervals in a day, and you do not want those to block agents from adding hours to help with the understaffing at all the other intervals of the day.

EXAMPLE The settings are to keep at least 80% of the intervals below 5% overstaffing. The intervals are 15 minutes long. An agent tries to add 5 hours of work time, which is 20 intervals. If at least 16 of those intervals have staffing levels that are below 5% overstaffing, the hours are added to the agent's schedule.

NOTE If an agent adds enough hours for a lunch or short break to be added, the break is placed at the best possible time based on the staffing levels. The lunch or break intervals are counted as below the threshold in the staffing validation because they have no impact on the staffing.
Click Apply to save.