Set up basic workflow control set rules

Enable automatic write protection of agents' schedules when the schedules are older than the given number of days. The write protection of agent's schedules, as defined in the workflow control set, uses the agent's timezone to determine whether a particular schedule should be write-protected.

NOTE   Users with the Global functions > Modify write protected schedule permission can still modify the schedule.

1. Enter after how many days to Write protect schedules.

   Write protection can be added manually in Schedules. If you don't want to add write-protection automatically, leave this field empty.

2. Click Apply to save.

Set a schedule publishing date to define up until when schedules are visible to agents. This is an end date. Schedules later than this date is only visible to users with the Global Functions > View unpublished schedules permission. If there is no publish date set, no schedule is published.

NOTE   During the open period for preferences, all pre-scheduled days off, shifts, activities and absences which are in the default scenario and within the preference period are visible to the agents in MyTime. The purpose of showing this information to the agents is that they can use this information to adapt their preferences accordingly.

Publishing schedules can also be done in Schedules.

1. Define an end date to Publish schedules to.
2. Click Apply to save.

Define an availability period for which the agents enter when they are available to work. Then define the open period, which is when the agents can enter those availabilities. Hourly availability is mainly used for hourly employees but can also be used for flexible agents on fixed contracts.

EXAMPLE   The agents can enter their availabilities for the availability period in March during the open period in January.

1. Define an Availability period, with a start date and an end date. This is the period for which agents enter when they are available to work.
2. Define an Open period for availabilities, with a start date and an end date. This is the period when agents can enter their availability.
3. Click Apply to save.

The preference period is the period to add preferences for, and the open period is the period when those preferences can be entered.

EXAMPLE   The agents can enter their preferences for the preference period in June during the open period in April.

1. Define a Preference period, with a start date and an end date. This is the period for which agents enter how they prefer to work.
2. Define an Open period for preferences, with a start date and an end date. This is the period when agents can enter their preferences.
3. Click Apply to save.

NOTE   All pre-scheduled days off, shifts, activities and absences which are in the default scenario and within the preference period are visible to the agents in MyTime. This can be for example important meetings or training sessions, or shifts on extra important days, like New Year's Eve. The agents can then adapt their preferences based on this information. When the period for which the agents added preferences is later published, the agents can compare their preferences to the schedule.

There are often multiple days off, shift categories, and absences with different settings and to be used in different situations. Decide which ones agents can use in their preferences.

1. Select days off in the Not available field and use the arrows to move them to the Available field to make these Days off available for preferences.
2. Select shift categories in the Not available field and use the arrows to move them to the Available field to make these Shift categories available for preferences.

3. Select absences in the Not available field and use the arrows to move them to the Available field to make these Absences available for preferences.

   EXAMPLE   Enabling agents to enter preferences on absences can be used for vacation or holiday periods, where the normal process of requesting time away does not work. Use preferences to get all agents' input on when they would prefer to have their vacation. Resource planners can then schedule these absences to get a good overview of the distribution, validate it according to the forecasted need and adjust if necessary.

4. Click Apply to save.

Use this setting to define for which activity agents can enter preferences on start time, end time and length. This is often used to let agents influence when and for how long they have lunch.

NOTE   The agents need to have the MyTime > Extended preferences permission to enter preferences for a specific activity.

1. Select the activity agents can enter preferences for in the Activity available for extended preferences section.
2. Click Apply to save.

Select which absences agents can use to report that they cannot work using the absence reporting functionality. This is commonly used for agents to report that they are ill. Absence reporting is only available for today and tomorrow, and only for full-day absences.

NOTE   Do not use absence reporting for absence types for which the balance is tracked through personal accounts. When reporting absences, the personal account balance is not checked before adding the absence.

1. Select absences in the Not available field and use the arrows to move them to the Available field to make these Allowed absences for absence reporting.
2. Click Apply to save.

The fairness system is used to define how fairness is calculated when optimizing agent schedules based on fairness.

1. Select Fairness system to be used when optimizing schedules.

   • The Equal of each shift category option will work towards achieving a balance where all agents have the same number of shifts of the different shift category. This can be used for example to balance the number of late shifts.
   • The Seniority option will work towards giving preferred shift categories and workdays to agents with higher seniority. Preferred shift categories and workdays are defined in Options > Scheduling > Seniority.
2. Click Apply to save.

NOTE   Do not use fairness optimization in combination with agent preferences. When using preferences, use the preference fulfillment measure for follow-up.