Assign Work Schedule

This guide explains the process to assign a work schedule to a staff record.

Contents

  1. What is a work schedule and when do I assign one?
  2. Assign a work schedule to an individual who will be rostered
  3. Assign a work schedule to an employee appointment
  4. Assign a work schedule to a casual/ variable hours appointment
  5. Recalculate balance

KEY REMINDERS

  1. After committing to an action, such as clicking SAVE, a green success message appears, wait for the dark green line to fill, before proceeding. 
  2. Ellipses = ‘three dots’, usually at the end of a row. 

ONLINE TRAINING

Details of our online training available and booking links can be found on the Workforce Management training webpage.

Note: This feature is currently limited to staff in participating departments which is being rolled out in stages throughout the University.  

A work schedule must be recorded for all staff types to enable them to use workforce management functionality, eg for requesting annual leave, recording absence, submitting online timesheets and being rostered.

The work schedule selected on a staff member's record states the number of hours and minutes they are contracted to work each day, it is then used to calculate the leave entitlement and ensures that the balance is correct when the individual books leave. 

For Leave and Absence, the system does not take start and finish times into account; these are required only for roster specific functionality.

It must be recorded for all new appointments eg, new starter, promotion, regrade etc.  As well as when someone changes their working pattern.  Refer to the Changing hours on same appointment guidance.

Navigation path: People Management > Employees > View > Employee Search > (Locate individual) > View.

  1. Select the correct appointment from the appointment drop-down selection at the top of the staff record.
  2. Select the Change Work Schedule tab.
  3. From the Actions menu, click Add.
  4. Select the correct Shift from the drop down menu.  Note: The most common/ standard shifts are the first few entries in the dropdown list.  

Identifying the correct shift

It is important to select the correct shift so that the leave calculation is accurate and the staff member books the correct amount of time off (according to their working pattern).  To identify or request new shifts types, follow one of the following options:

  1. Scenario A - Individual works the same number of hours, on the same days each week
  2. Scenario B - Individual has a rotating shift pattern
  3. Scenario C - Individual has a complex shift pattern, including term-time only

Scenario A - Individual works the same number of hours, on the same days each week

Note:

  • All full-time shift patterns are prefixed with ‘FT’. Entering 36.5 or 37.5 will narrow down the list of shifts. 
  • All part-time shift patterns are prefixed with ‘PT’. Entering the number of hours eg ‘18.75’ will narrow down the list of relevant shifts. 

If you can't locate the required shift:

  1. Open the Shift Code Generator Excel Spreadsheet.
  2. Enter the hours of the shift required (see example highlighted in orange below).
  3. Copy the Shift Ref (see example highlighted purple below).
shift code
  1. Navigate back to PeopleXD and paste the Shift Ref into the Shift field.  
    1. If Shift Ref exists in the Shift drop down list, select it (see example of a match below).
match on shift
  1. If Shift Ref does not exist in the Shift drop down, (see example below), request a new shift using the Service Request.  Abort the process and wait for the shift to be created.  Keep a note of the Shift Ref.
no match on shift

Scenario B - Individual has a rotating shift pattern

If the pattern has already been created by the HR Systems team, search for the individual's own unique shift, by searching by their post number or employee number.   

To request a new rotating shift, complete the Complex Shift Pattern spreadsheet and send to HR Systems Support.  Complete all fields and note the following:

  1. Select 'Rotating Pattern' as the 'Work Schedule Type'. 
  2. Record the total number of weeks in the individual's shift cycle in the 'No. of Week' cell.  For example, where someone works a nine-day fortnight enter '2'.
  3. The first 'Week Commencing' cell should match when this shift pattern will begin.  
  4. Complete the number of hours for each day the individual will work, for the cycle duration.  

Scenario C - Individual has a complex shift pattern, including term-time only

If the pattern has already been created by the HR Systems team, search for the individual's own unique shift, by searching by their post number or employee number.   

To request a new rotating shift, complete the Complex Shift Pattern spreadsheet and send to HR Systems Support.  Complete all fields and note the following:

  1. The first 'Week Commencing' cell should match when this shift pattern will begin.  
  2. Complete the number of hours for each day the individual will work, for the cycle duration.  
  1. Enter the Date Effective. For new appointments the date should match the appointment start date.  For staff changing their working pattern during their current appointment, the date should match when the new working hours were effective from.   
  2. Type must be Yes.
  3. Select the correct Cycle Start Seq based on the guidance below:
Scenario Guidance

Scenario A 

Individual works the same number of hours, on the same days each week

 Enter 1. 

Scenario B

Individual has a rotating shift pattern

For rotating shifts, extra care should be taken to check that the shift sequence number is correct for the first week (determined by the Date Effective field). 

For example, if someone works an eight week shift pattern and the week their appointment starts is week 3 of their working pattern, "3" would need to be need to be entered. 

Scenario C

Individual has a complex shift pattern, including term-time only

 Where you have requested a complex shift pattern and the start date of the appointment matches the start date entered on the spreadsheet, enter '1'. 

 

  1. For rotating and complex complex shift patterns, check the Cycle Start Seq number is correct, by selecting the View Shift Cycles from the ellipsis.
  2. Click Save. 

Next step: Re-calculate the Balance.

Navigation path: People Management > Employees > View > Employee Search > (Locate individual) > View.

  1. Select the correct appointment from the appointment drop-down selection at the top of the staff record.
  2. Select the Change Work Schedule tab.
  3. From the Actions menu, click Add.
  4. The Shift must be No Fixed hours.
  5. The Date Effective must match the appointment start date.
  6. Type must be Yes.
  7. Cycle Start Seq must be 1.
  8. Click Save.

Next step: Re-calculate the Balance.

This is only for staff who use the rostering functionality within PeopleXD.

Navigation path: People Management > Employees > View > Employee Search > (Locate individual) > View.

  1. Select the correct appointment from the appointment drop-down selection at the top of the staff record.
  2. Select the Change Work Schedule tab.
  3. From the Actions menu, click Add.
  4. Narrow down your search by typing "rost" to then select the correct Shift.

Note: If the relevant shift is not visible, a new one will need to be requested and you will will need to restart the process once it has been created.

Contact HR Systems Support for guidance.

  1. Enter the required Date Effective eg when they started working that shift.
  2. Type must be Yes.
  3. Select the correct Cycle Start Seq based on the guidance below:
Scenario Guidance
Staff working same hours each week Enter 1. 
Staff on rotating shifts

For rotating shifts, extra care should be taken to check that the shift sequence number is correct for the first week (determined by the Date Effective field). 

For example, if someone works a biweekly shift pattern and the week their appointment starts is week 2 of their working pattern, "2" would need to be need to be entered. 

 

  1. Click Save. 

When a new work schedule is assigned to an existing appointment (eg for a change in hours) the balance must be recalculated. 

Navigation path: People Management > Employees > View > Employee Search > (Locate individual) > View.

  1. Select the correct appointment from the appointment drop-down selection at the top of the staff record.
  2. Select the Balances tab.
  3. From ellipsis menu on the current balance, select Recalculate.
  4. Ensure the correct annual leave period is selected and click OK.

 

User guides

>System navigation, reporting and other

>Recruitment

>New appointments

>During employment

>Ending appointments

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