Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find replacement workers?
How do I subscribe to my calendar?
What are Scheduling Templates?
How do I create a Schedule using a template?
How do I approve and share the schedule with my employees?
How do I copy a schedule?
How do I print a schedule?
How do I setup a new employee?
Why isn't an employee in my list?
What are "Open Shifts"?
What email notifications does eSchedule send?
How do I find replacement workers?
Finding available replacements is fast and easy. If you are looking to find replacements for already approved shifts, open up the Scheduler (two-month calendar at the top) and click on the day in question. Click on the currently scheduled employees' name to start searching for a replacement. The results are sorted by most qualified, then by name. These employees are qualified and available to work this shift. If you were to release this shift as "Open", these are the employees who would be able to pick it up.
How do I subscribe to my calendar?
In order to subscribe to your eSchedule calendar, you'll need to have an application that supports the iCalendar format. Below is a partial list of 3rd party applications that support iCalendar subscriptions along with a brief description of how to manually subscribe to your eSchedule calendar.
If you have an iCalendar program already installed, you can simply click on the "Subscribe to My Schedule" link found bottom-right on the "My Schedule" tab. Clicking the link should launch the iCalendar program, such as Microsoft Outlook, where you can further configure your subscription. Please note that similar to the web-based "My Schedule" tab, the iCalendar subscription will only include "approved" and "accepted" shifts.
Apple iCal
To subscribe in Apple iCal:
- Click the iCal icon in the Dock (or in the Applications folder).
- Under Calendar on the menu bar, select Subscribe.
- Enter in the URL of the calendar (right-click on the "Subscribe to My Schedule" link and select Copy Link Location to get the URL)
- Enter a name for this calendar subscription (ie: My eSchedule).
- Click the Refresh check box.
- Select how frequently you wish to refresh the calendar in the drop-down box (ie: Everyday).
- Click OK
Your eSchedule calendar should now appear in the left hand list in iCal. Click the Month View.
Google Calendar
To subscribe in Google Calendar:
- Go to http://www.google.com/calendar and sign in.
- Click on the Settings link
- Click on the Calendars tab, then click Browse interesting calendars in the Other Calendars section.
- Click Add by URL under the More tools column on the right and enter the URL of the calendar (right-click on the "Subscribe to My Schedule" link and select Copy Link Location to get the URL)
Your eSchedule calendar should now appear and is accessible from the My Calendars menu located on the left hand side of the screen.
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
To subscribe in Outlook 2007:
- Click Tools on the menu bar, and select Account Settings
- Under the Internet Calendars tab, click on the New button.
- Enter the URL of the calendar (right-click on the "Subscribe to My Schedule" link and select Copy Link Location to get the URL)
- In the Folder Name field, enter a name for the calendar (ie: My eSchedule).
- Click OK
Your eSchedule calendar should now appear in the left hand list in Outlook. Click the Month View.
Mozilla Sunbird
To subscribe in Sunbird:
- Click File on the menu bar, and select Subscribe to Remote Calendar
- Click on the On the Network radio button, and click Continue
- Click the iCalendar (ICS) radio button.
- Enter the URL of the calendar (right-click on the "Subscribe to My Schedule" link and select Copy Link Location to get the URL)
- Enter a name of the calendar (ie: My eSchedule)
- Select a colour for the calendar, and click Continue
- Click Done
Your eSchedule calendar should appear in the left hand list in Sunbird. Click the Month View.
What are Scheduling Templates?
When logged into eSchedule, you may have access to scheduling templates that will speed up your scheduling process. By utilizing these templates, you can take full advantage of the powerful scheduling engine and automatically generate schedules.
An example template may be:
- Sunday: Sales: 10am – 4pm
- Sunday: Manager: 10am – 4pm
- Monday: Sales: 9am – 6pm
- Monday: Manager: 9am – 6pm
- Tuesday: Sales: 9am – 6pm
- Tuesday: Manager: 9am – 6pm
- Wednesday: Sales: 9am – 6pm
- Wednesday: Manager: 9am – 6pm
- Thursday: Sales: 9am – 6pm
- Thursday: Manager: 9am – 6pm
- Friday: Sales: 9am – 6pm
- Friday: Manager: 9am – 6pm
- Saturday: Sales: 9am – 5pm
You can create your own templates to model your ideal shift coverage.
Click here to watch a video tutorial.
How do I create a Schedule using a template?
Click on your “Schedules” tab then on your stores’ schedule to open up the Scheduler. Locate the “Advanced” button (on the right side of the screen about half way down) and click it. From the advanced scheduling options window select “Generate Schedule” as your action. Select which template to use, then enter the start and end dates you wish to schedule. When ready click the “Generate Schedule” button to start the Scheduler.
HINT: When viewing a schedule in the Scheduler, click the “Weekly” button (top right just under the Logout link) to get a weekly view of your schedule. When you are happy with the current week, use the advanced scheduling options to Copy the schedule into the following week(s).
Click here to watch a video tutorial.
How do I approve and share the schedule with my employees?
To share the schedule with your employees, you’ll need to “Approve” it. By approving one or more days of schedule, eSchedule will automatically send an email to all employees that were scheduled, letting them know they have new shifts. Employees can then login to eSchedule and accept or decline the shifts you have assigned them on their shift board.
To approve your schedule, you’ll need to view your schedule in the Scheduler (click on your “Schedules” tab then the schedule name). Click on the first day you want to approve from the 2-month calendar. Beneath the 2-month calendar your selected days’ schedule should appear. Under the shifts you’ll find an “Approve” button, click it. You might notice that this is the same advanced scheduling options window as before, with a few values pre-selected for you (Action = Update Status | Status = Approved). Enter the date-range you wish to “Approve” and click the “Update Status” button to approve your schedule.
Click here to watch a video tutorial.
How do I copy a schedule?
Copying schedules from one week to the next can really save time. When you copy a schedule, eSchedule copies all shifts defined in your source week, then tries to schedule the same people. If for some reason or another (vacation, already scheduled at another store) the employee who was scheduled in the source week is unavailable in the destination week, eSchedule will leave the shift as an “Open Shift”. You will need to manually fill this shift by clicking on “Open Shift” and selecting another qualified and available employee.
To copy your schedule you’ll need to find your way to the advanced scheduling options window (click the “Advanced” button on the Scheduler). Select “Copy Schedule” from the action drop-down and enter your from and to date ranges. Click the “Copy Schedule” button to start the eScheduler.
Click here to watch a video tutorial.
How do I print a schedule?
Printing schedules is also done from the advanced scheduling options window (Click the “Advanced” button on the eScheduler). Select “Export Schedule” from the action drop-down and “Printable” from the export drop-down. Enter your date range and click the “Print Schedule” button to launch a printable window.
How do I setup a new employee?
Only "District Managers" and "Executive" user types can add new employees to the system.
You'll need to ask your boss to add the new employee to eSchedule for you.
Click here to watch a video tutorial.
Why isn't an employee in my list?
If you are not able to find an employee in your employee list, it is likely due to one of two reasons:
- The employee has not been setup yet, or he/she has not been assigned to your store.
- The employee is not currently available to work the selected shift (their availability excludes them, or they are already working on another schedule).
Click here to watch a video tutorial.
What are "Open Shifts"?
An open shift is a shift that is approved, but hasn't been assigned to an employee yet. Store managers can purposely create and approve open shifts which gives employees the freedom to pickup the shifts they'd prefer on the eSchedule shift board. A shift can also become open when an employee declines a newly assigned shift.
Click here to watch a video tutorial.
What email notifications does eSchedule send?
eSchedule will automatically send email when:
- You approve new schedules
- You make changes to approved schedules
- You approve or deny vacation and trade requests