RotaTiger checks a shift as soon as you add it, move it or copy it. Problems show on the shift itself, so you see them while you plan rather than after staff have been told.
Red: fix it before publishing
A shift with a red warning sign breaks a rule. RotaTiger still lets you put it there, because sometimes you need to see the shift in place while you work out what to move. It’s saved in red with the reason on it, and the week can’t be published until every red shift is fixed or removed. A banner above the grid tells you how many there are.
A shift is red when:
- It overlaps another shift for the same person.
- It’s longer than the longest shift their pattern allows.
- It takes their week over the weekly cap on their pattern, or the cap set for them personally. You can publish this one as overtime instead: see publishing.
- They’re on approved leave that day, for the whole day.
- They’re off sick that day.
- They can’t work that position, because they aren’t one of the people chosen for it.
Refused: it can’t go there at all
A few things RotaTiger won’t let you place, because the shift couldn’t ever be published. It tells you why and leaves the shift where it was:
- They aren’t on a rota or casual pattern, so their days come from their pattern instead.
- They haven’t signed in to RotaTiger yet. Everyone on a rota needs a login to see their shifts.
- They haven’t started yet, or have left by that date.
- The position has been removed.
Amber: worth knowing
An amber sign is a warning. You can publish with it, but check it first:
- Not enough rest between this shift and the one before or after, measured against the minimum rest on their pattern.
- Their average goes over the limit, such as 48 hours a week across 17 weeks.
- They have part of the day off, such as a morning booked as leave.
- They’ve asked for that day off and the request is waiting for approval.
- They’ve said they can’t work then, in their availability.
- They’re off sick with no return date yet.
- The day has passed. Changing it changes the hours on record.
Hover over a shift to see every warning on it.
Where the limits come from
The limits are part of each person’s working pattern. A rota pattern has a contracted weekly total, a weekly cap, the longest single shift, the minimum rest between shifts, and an average cap across a number of weeks. Set them once on the pattern, and every shift for everyone on it is checked against them. You can also give one person a lower weekly cap, for example a student who can only work 20 hours in term time.
Cover
If a group has minimum cover rules, its row across the top of the rota shows each day’s cover as you plan. Green is enough people, amber is only just enough, and red is short. The staffing needs row works the same way for each location.
Next: send the week for review.