WFM UK: Scheduling: Automatic Breaks

Overview

The Automatic Breaks functionality works by taking a set amount of minutes from the total hours for an employee depending on the hours worked each day, reducing the number of hours that they are paid for.

This article shows how Automatic Breaks are created and configured, including the use of break rules for young workers.

For a list of all Scheduling articles, please visit: WFM UK: Revenue-Based Scheduling: Getting Started

Organisation Settings

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

There are also additional settings (listed below) that can be applied.

• From the Scheduling homepage, go to Settings > Organisations and select Edit against the required organisation
• Scroll down to the 'Schedule' section and tick the box against Breaks Enabled?

Additional Settings

• Enable Breaks by Department - Allows break rules to be set against individual Departments within a Location
• Enable Dynamic Break Calculations - allows the dynamic update of the breaks on each shift edit, according to Automatic Breaks rules set at the Organisation or Department level
• Young Workers Break Rule - Young workers (above school-leaving age and under 18) are usually entitled to a 30-minute rest break if they work more than 4.5 hours (if possible this should be one continuous break)
  
• When all settings have been selected, Save the changes

Fig.1 - 'Breaks Enabled?' and optional other break settings

Creating Automatic Breaks

• With the Organisation settings applied, go to Settings > Admin Configuration > Automatic Breaks > Create New

Fig.2 - Creating a new Automatic Break

• Create the Automatic Break as required
• Rule Types
  • Minimum Break – this works alongside the Automatic Break 1/2(minutes) setting. For example, if a minimum break is set as 30 minutes and Allow Edit Below Minimum is not ticked, the break will not be able to be reduced below 30 minutes
  • Maximum Break - selecting this will allow the Automatic Break to be reduced or removed (if the shift length is reduced)
• • Shift Length (hours) - length of shift for the automatic break rule to be calculated
  • Automatic Break (minutes) - duration of the break to be applied to shift
  • Assign break rule to young workers only - only visible if the setting has been applied. Ticking this box will apply the break rule for young workers only
  • Allow Edit Below Minimum - ticking this box will allow a reduction of the automatic break duration below the minimum break value
• To finish, select Save

In the example below (Fig.3), any shift that exceeds 4 hours will be automatically assigned a 30-minute break.

Fig.3 Creating an Automatic Break

Fig.4 -  – 30-minute break applied to 4-hour shift

Figs. 5 & 6 – Minimum and Maximum break rules

In the example above (Figs 5&6) if the employee is scheduled for a 3-hour shift, a 0 minutes duration break will be added.  If the shift is then increased to 5 hours, a 30-minute break rule will be applied to the shift.

Likewise, if a 5-hour shift is scheduled, a 30-minute break rule will be applied. Then, if the shift is reduced to under 4.49 hours (under 4 hours and 30 minutes) the break will be automatically removed and set to 0.

Please note - when using the Maximum Break setting, if the shift is less than the configured maximum break shift length then the break cannot exceed the maximum break automatic duration.  

Fig.7 - Example – 5 hour  shift – 30 Minute break applied

Fig.8 - Example – 4hour 29minute shift – No break applied. Using the example provided, the Maximum Break rule is 0. This means that for a shift under 4hours 29minutes, a break will not be applied

Automatic Break - Allow Edit Below Minimum

Fig.9 – Allow Edit Below Minimum column

If an automatic break rule is configured and the 'Allow Edit Below Minimum' setting is 'True', the break duration will only be applied when the shift is created. If the shift is created and saved for 1 hour, but then is increased to 5 hours, the break rule will not be applied to the increased shift. 

Important Information

When using the Automatic Break Rules please consider the following stipulations:

•  
• If using the “Maximum Break” functionality, please note if a shift is less than the specified shift duration then the break can not exceed the Maximum Break value