Automatic rotation cycles workers through the shifts of a saved group. Instead of manually assigning a shift on every date, an administrator defines an ordered sequence and a daily or weekly switching rule.
What is this feature used for?
This is useful for rotating teams that follow a repeatable schedule. It is different from Manual Planning, which is intended for date-by-date decisions in Planner.
Before you begin
- Create and save a shift group.
- Create at least two shifts in that group. The interface blocks enabling rotation without them.
- Ensure Manual Planning is disabled; the same group cannot use both modes at once.
Options and fields explained
- Rotating Group
- Master switch for automatic rotation.
- By Weeks
- Moves to the next shift at a selected weekday after an interval in weeks.
- By Days
- Moves to the next shift after a specified number of counted days.
- Rotation Cycle Start
- Optional date reference used to align the cycle.
- Shift Rotation Order
- Controls the sequence in which saved shifts are used.
Step-by-step procedure
- Open Shifts and Groups and choose an existing group with at least two shifts.
- Make sure Manual Planning is turned off.
- Enable Rotating Group.
- Select By Weeks or By Days.
- Configure the interval and any mode-specific options.
- Set Rotation Cycle Start if a particular anchor is needed.
- Review Shift Rotation Order and use the arrows to place shifts in sequence.
- Save the group and inspect the upcoming dates in Planner.
- Assign workers to the group and choose their Current Shift as the starting position.
What happens after saving?
The group now has automatic rotation settings. Eligible workers follow its shift sequence unless individually configured to Always Keep This Shift.
Important notes and common mistakes
- A group’s rotation day is not the same as a shift’s First Day of Week.
- Avoid using this mode for non-repeating schedules; Manual Planning is better suited to date-specific assignments.