Block those dates ahead of time and set how many people can be off. ShiftForce then applies the limit to every request automatically.
Do this before anyone asks. Blocking a date is easy. Taking back a time-off request you've already approved isn't.
Block a date
- Go to Request Time Off → Block Requests. [confirm menu location]
- Pick the date or date range you want to limit. [confirm: single date or range]
- Set the daily limit: how many people total can be off that day.
- Optional: narrow it by position. For example, allow two servers off but no cooks.
- Click Save.
[Screenshot: Block Requests screen]
How limits work
When someone requests time off on a blocked date, ShiftForce counts how many people are already approved off that day:
- Under the limit: the request goes to your approvers as usual.
- At the limit: the request is blocked, and the employee sees that the date isn't available. [confirm: blocked outright or flagged for the approver]
Position limits use each person's primary position, the one ranked 0 on their record. Someone whose primary job is Server counts against the server limit even if they sometimes work host shifts. That's why every person needs a primary position set.
Examples
| Date | Daily limit | By position |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | 2 total | 0 cooks |
| Mother's Day brunch | 0 total | None; no one off |
| Local festival weekend | 3 total | 1 server, 1 host, 1 bartender |
| Week of Christmas | 4 per day | 1 per position |
Tips
- Block the whole holiday season at once. Take five minutes in October to block Thanksgiving through New Year's.
- Tell your team. Let them know which dates are limited so they plan around them.
- Use a limit of 0 sparingly. It blocks every request, including real emergencies, so managers will have to handle those by hand.
- Check primary positions first. If ranking isn't set, position limits can't count correctly.
Common questions
What about requests approved before I blocked the date? Blocking a date doesn't undo requests that were already approved. [confirm] Check who's already off before you set the limit.
Can a manager approve someone over the limit? [confirm: whether an override exists]
Can I block a date for one location but not another? [confirm: set per location or per company]
Can I edit or remove a block later? Yes. Open Block Requests, change the limit or delete the block, and save. [confirm]
Limiting or Blocking RTO
- Go to the Board icon in the top menu
- Click the Request Time Off located in the yellow navigation bar
- Click the third tab Block Requests
- Pick a start and end time
- Enter number of employees allowed to request off during set time period. Use the ‘daily’ check box to limit number of employees allowed off by day, or in total during set time period.
- pick All or a single position
All employees with a Position Ranking of ZERO / ‘O’ will be affected by your block or limit rule.
Setting Employee Position Ranking
Position ranking allows you to block or limit the number of Requests for Time Off / RTO by positions. For example if you block all RTO for position X, all employees who have a Position Ranking of ‘0’ will NOT be allowed to make a RTO.
- Go to Schedules icon in the top menu
- Click Employees in the yellow navigation bar
- Click the second tab ‘Positions’
- Click the edit link next to the position and update
The number ZERO / O means primary position. An employee can have multiple primary positions.