Who this guide is for
System Administrators (Requires 'System Admin' role and 'Global rota setup' permission)
Overview
This guide provides steps to create night shift rota patterns, including shifts that span midnight, with fixed durations for precise scheduling.
How Night Shift Patterns Work
Night shift patterns use hours-based configuration to accurately represent shifts that cross midnight. They are designed to work with hour-based absence types for precise time tracking.
How to Set Up Night Shift Patterns
- Navigate to Admin > Calendar elements > Rota patterns
- Click + Add rota
- Enter a clear name for the night shift pattern (e.g., Night Shift 10pm–6am)
- Select the pattern type:
- Weekly Pattern for regular weekly rotations
- Daily Pattern for daily rotations
- Apply the number of weeks or days included in the pattern
- Set Calendar Day View to 24 hours
- Configure all shifts using the Hours option
- For overnight shifts:
- Day 1: Set start time (e.g., 22:00) to midnight
- Day 2: Set start time as continuation from midnight to the end (e.g., 06:00)
- For fixed duration shifts: Specify the exact shift length if required
- Repeat the process to add further shifts, including multiple shifts for one day if necessary
- Click Save at the top of the page to confirm the rota pattern
Using the Copy Hours Feature
Did you know you can use the Copy hours tool to make night shift setup faster and more efficient?
- Once you’ve configured the required time(s) and duration(s), click Copy hours
- Navigate to any other day that should have the same configuration and click Paste hours
- If you need to copy a different setup, or amend shifts, click Stop copying before creating the new configuration
Additional Information
- Key terminology:
- Night shift = Any shift spanning midnight
- Fixed duration = Predefined shift length not dependent on start and end times
- Copy hours = Tool to duplicate configured working hours across days in the same rota pattern
- Permissions required: 'System Admin' role and 'Global rota setup' permission
- Best practice: Use different colours for night shifts in calendar views to avoid confusion
- Tip: Use the search function within the platform to quickly find features or settings
- Reminder: Night shifts must use hour-based absence types
- Warning: Always test new patterns thoroughly before deployment