Shift schedules

Created on 05 Dec 2025

Shift schedules allow you to define daily operating patterns and automatically generate multiple shifts at once, saving you from creating each shift manually.

How shift schedules work

A shift schedule is a template that defines:

• The date and operating hours for a day
• How long each shift should last
• How many volunteers are needed per shift
• Which team and role the shifts are for

When you save a schedule, the system automatically calculates and generates all the individual shifts based on your parameters.

Example

If you create a schedule with:

• Operating hours: 08:00 to 18:00 (10 hours)
• Shift duration: 2 hours
• People per shift: 3

The system will generate 5 shifts (10 ÷ 2 = 5), each requiring 3 volunteers:

• 08:00–10:00
• 10:00–12:00
• 12:00–14:00
• 14:00–16:00
• 16:00–18:00

Creating a schedule

1. Navigate to Volunteers → Shift schedules within your event
2. Click Create schedule
3. Fill in the schedule details (see below)
4. Ensure Generate shifts on save is checked
5. Click Save

Schedule details

Team assignment

Operating hours

Shift details

Understanding shift timing options

Shift overlap

Use overlap when you need volunteers to hand over to the next shift. For example:

• Shift duration: 4 hours
• Overlap: 15 minutes

This creates shifts like: 08:00–12:00, 11:45–15:45, 15:30–19:30

The 15-minute overlap ensures smooth transitions.

Break duration

Use breaks when volunteers need rest between shifts. For example:

• Shift duration: 4 hours
• Break: 30 minutes

This creates shifts like: 08:00–12:00, 12:30–16:30, 17:00–21:00

Managing schedules

Editing a schedule

Click the Edit button (pencil icon) to modify schedule details. If you change timing parameters and regenerate shifts:

• Existing shifts will be deleted
• New shifts will be created based on the updated parameters
• Warning: Any volunteer assignments to the old shifts will be lost

Copying a schedule

To create a similar schedule for another day or team:

1. Click the Copy button on an existing schedule
2. Modify the date, team, or other details as needed
3. Save to generate new shifts

Deleting a schedule

Click the Delete button to remove a schedule. You'll be asked whether to:

• Delete schedule only – Keeps the generated shifts
• Delete schedule and shifts – Removes everything

Import and export

Importing schedules

Import multiple schedules from a CSV file:

1. Click Create schedule → Import CSV
2. Upload your CSV file following the template format
3. Review and confirm the import

Download the template first to see the required format.

Exporting schedules

Export your schedules to Google Sheets via the Export dropdown.

Tips and best practices

• Plan your phases first – Create event phases before schedules so you can categorise shifts properly
• Use consistent shift durations – Standard durations (2, 4, 6 hours) make rostering easier
• Consider handover time – Add 15-minute overlaps for critical positions
• Copy schedules – If multiple days have similar patterns, copy and modify
• Check before regenerating – Regenerating shifts removes existing assignments
• Use roles sparingly – Only specify a role if the shift requires specific skills

Troubleshooting

"Teams not set up" message

You need to create at least one team before creating schedules. Go to Volunteers → Teams & roles first.

Shifts not generating

• Ensure Generate shifts on save is checked
• Check that operating hours span enough time for at least one shift
• Verify the schedule status is Active

Wrong number of shifts generated

Review your timing calculations: Total operating hours ÷ (shift duration + break - overlap) = number of shifts