WFM UK: Scheduling: Automatic Breaks by Department

Overview

There is a setting in the Scheduling module that, when enabled, allows automatic break rules to be configured at Department level. Departments within a Location may not always follow the same break rules/patterns as each other. This article shows how this can be done, and explains the different types of break rules that can be set up. At the end of the article, there is a short guidance on how to copy break rules from one Department to others.

Organisation Setting

The organisation setting Enable Breaks by Department will need to be applied by a system administrator. 

• From the Scheduling homepage, go to Settings > Organisations
• Select Edit against the required Organisation
• Tick the box against Enable Breaks by Department and then Save

Fig.1 - Enable Breaks by Department Organisation Setting

Once enabled, each Department will need to have its own break rules configured.

To configure break rules:

• From the Scheduling homepage, go to Settings > Admin Configuration > Automatic Breaks
• Select Create New

The 'Create Automatic Break' page will then display.

• Select a Rule Type
  • Minimum Break - the minimum number of break minutes that are applied if the shift exceeds the shift length in hours
  • Maximum Break - the maximum number of break minutes that can be applied when a shift exceeds the shift length in hours
• Shift Length (hours) - if the total shift length is exceeded then the break minutes are applied to the shift
• Automatic Break (minutes) - The break minutes which will be applied to the shift
• Allow Edit Below Minimum - If the Rule Type is Minimum Break and this field is enabled then the break minutes can be reduced below the automatic break minutes. If it is not enabled then the minimum break minutes can not be reduced
• Then Save

Fig.2 - Automatic Break Settings

A break will be created automatically once the shift reaches its length time. In the example below (Fig.3) the rule is: for a 4-hour shift, a 20 min break will be added. 

Fig.3 - Automatic break rules

The break will appear in the Break 1 field (see Fig.4) automatically once it's created.

Fig.4 - Shift creation 

Copy Break Rules from one Department to Others

A new admin page has been created to allow the admins to copy existing break rules from one department to another/others - see Fig.5.

Fig.5 - Copy break rules