How to assign shifts to employees

After creating a shift schedule and adding employees, the next step is to assign shifts.

Day.io provides a weekly grid where you select days and employees, set start and end times, breaks and areas, move or copy shifts, and monitor weekly hours.

Key actions or configuration

1. Select the schedule and week
   • Go to the Shifts module and choose the desired schedule in the upper‑left drop‑down.
     
   • Use the arrows to change weeks or click the date picker to choose a period.
     
      
2. Create a shift
   • Click the cell corresponding to the employee (row) and day (column).
   • In the New shift window, fill out:
     • Date (pre‑filled).
     • Start time and End time; the duration is displayed.
     • Break(s): specify the duration in minutes, choose the break type and click “+” to add more.
     • Area the employee will work in; if a Main area is set, it will be suggested automatically.
     • Comment (optional) with additional instructions.
     • Replicate to other days by selecting additional days.
   • Click Add to save the shift.
     
     
3. Move or copy shifts
   • After adding a shift, click and hold the mouse button on it and drag to another cell.
   • Choose Move (replaces the original position) or Copy (duplicates the shift).
     
      
4. Edit or remove a shift
   • Click the shift you want to change; modify the fields and click Update to save.
     
   • To delete, click the trash icon and confirm. To delete all shifts in a week, click … > Delete entire week and confirm.
     
      
5. Use filters and the weekly hours counter
   • Apply Area and Team filters to view only the relevant employees.
     
   • The Weekly hours column at the end compares planned hours with the employee’s contracted weekly hours:
     • Grey: planned hours below contracted.
     • Red: planned hours above contracted; this generates an alert.
     • Green: planned hours equal to contracted.
       
        

Tips or troubleshooting

• Use the replicate option to quickly create similar shifts on multiple days.
• To quickly assign a shift to a different employee, use Copy instead of creating a new shift from scratch.
• If the weekly hours counter turns red, redistribute hours among employees or shorten shift durations.

Best practices

• Plan a full week before publishing; this helps avoid frequent edits and rework.
• Use area colours to easily visualise where each employee will work.
• Review the plan with area and team filters to ensure adequate coverage.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I copy a shift to another employee?
   Yes. Drag the shift and drop it on the Copy option in the target employee’s cell.
2. What happens if I clear the entire week?
   All shifts for that week will be removed; this action is irreversible, so be sure before confirming.
3. How do I adjust hours if the counter turns red?
   Reduce shift durations or redistribute hours among employees. If necessary, review the contracted weekly hours.