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    Maria Polanco
    • Updated

    Q1 2026 (January - March), US Release Summary

    Overview

    This article contains a list and summary of every US release note published by Fourth during Q1 of 2026 (1st January to 31st March).

    Release notes are listed under the following headers (select one to go straight to that part of the article):

    Select the name of the release note to view it in full. They will open in a new browser tab.

     

    HotSchedules Labor Main

     

    New Release | Labor Main: Minimum Wage in ASC, Schedule Score Enhancements & Improved Login Experience | January 8th, 2026

    • Minimum Wage Assignments in ASC
      You can now manage and assign minimum wage rules directly in ASC.
      This update gives you greater visibility and control over how minimum wage rules are applied, helping ensure pay accuracy while simplifying ongoing maintenance, all without additional setup or support assistance.
    • Schedule Score: Updated Learn More Link
      The Learn More link in Schedule Score has been updated to ensure easy access to helpful guidance.
      You can now open supporting information directly from the tooltip without interruption.
    • Schedule Score: Schedule vs. Forecast Enhancements
      You can now fine-tune Schedule Score results by excluding specific jobs and filtering out minor schedule variances.
      These enhancements help ensure Schedule Score focuses on the roles and differences that matter most, making recommendations more relevant and actionable.
    • Federated SSO: Improved First-Time Login Experience
      Federated SSO users now land directly in HS Labor after completing their initial account setup.
      This update streamlines the first-time login experience, helping users get to the tools they need more quickly.

     

    New Release | Main: Skill Level Assignment by Labor Position | Jan. 29th, 2026

     

    • Skill Level Assignment by Labor Position
      Skill Level Assignment by Labor Position allows you to schedule employees based on the specific stations or work areas they are trained to perform (such as Grill, Cashier, Fry, or Drive-Thru), instead of relying only on broad job roles. By tying skill levels directly to labor positions, you can ensure schedules are built with appropriately trained staff in each workstation.

     

    New Release | Labor Main: WebClock Survey Report, Schedule Score, and Standard Export | Jan. 29, 2026

     

    • WebClock Survey Report | Improved Date Filtering
      Survey reports now include only responses submitted within the selected date range, making it easier to review accurate and relevant feedback.
    • Standard Exports | Support for Historical “Weeks Back” Date Ranges
      Standard Exports now support historical “weeks back” date ranges, allowing you to retrieve past schedule data when corrections or updates are needed—without requiring support assistance.
    • Schedule Score | Clearer and More Actionable Recommendations
      Minor Rules: Recommendations are now displayed in a clearer, more scannable format, helping managers quickly identify and address potential compliance issues.

      • Minimum Shift, Spread of Hours, and Split Shift: Recommendations now use consistent formatting and clearer time displays, making scheduling issues easier to understand and resolve.

      • Thresholds: Threshold recommendations are now grouped and presented more clearly, making it easier to identify and correct scheduling threshold issues.

      • Right to Rest: Recommendations are shown in a clear, scannable format, helping managers quickly spot gaps and make informed scheduling adjustments.

     

    New Release | Labor Main: Schedule Score and VIsual Improvements | Feb 12, 2026

    • Improved Validation for Paid Time Off Type Creation
      Paid Time Off (PTO) type setup in ASC now includes clearer validation messaging, helping ensure information is entered correctly and saved successfully.
    • Business Day Boundary Settings – Updated Example Text in ASC
      Example text in the Business Day Boundary settings has been clarified to better distinguish sample values from company-specific configurations.
    •  Schedule Score | Enhanced Recommendations 

      • Availability conflicts are now displayed more clearly in Schedule Score, making it easier for managers to review and address scheduling issues.

      • Overtime indicators in Schedule Score have been enhanced to provide clearer visibility into overtime impact, helping managers take action to better manage labor costs.

    New Release | WebClock HR ID, Forecast & Reporting Enhancements | February 26, 2026

    • Improved Forecast Sync Between Forecast Manager and HotSchedules
      Forecast updates made in Forecast Manager now appear in HotSchedules almost immediately, giving managers near real-time visibility to support timely staffing decisions.

    • Punch Record Report – Updated Interface
      The Punch Record Report has been refreshed with updated form controls, providing a more consistent user experience and improved filtering accuracy.

    • HS Mobile – Improved Shift Pickup Status Updates
      Shift pickups completed through direct release in HS Mobile now update trade status accurately, ensuring shift changes are properly reflected in the schedule.

    • Improved Estimated Earnings for Partial Shift Releases
      Estimated earnings for partial shift releases now exclude unpaid meals and breaks, providing more accurate labor cost estimates.

    • WebClock – Clock-In with HR ID
      Employees can now clock in using their HR-assigned ID, including alphanumeric and non-numeric formats, providing greater flexibility at login.

    • HR ID Validation Update
      Company-level HR ID validation has been removed to provide greater flexibility and help ensure smooth payroll processing.

    • ASC Report – Company All Employee Data Export Enhancements
      The Company All Employee Data export now includes additional fields to support consolidated employee identification and improved job and location validation across stores.

    • CUP – Expanded Profile Assignment Data
      CUP profile assignment now includes all job codes, titles, and locations associated with an employee, providing more complete and accurate profile mapping.

     

    New Release | Overtime Rule Assignment at Employee Level | March 3, 2026

     

    • Overtime Rule Assignment at Employee Level
      Overtime rules can now be assigned at both the location and individual employee level, providing greater flexibility to support complex payroll and compliance requirements. This enhancement is particularly valuable for organizations managing union agreements or employee-specific overtime terms.

     

    New Release | Schedule Audit Report in ASC, Minor Status Enhancement | March 12, 2026

    • Schedule Audit Report in ASC
      Schedule Audit data is now available through ASC Data Exports, allowing administrators to review scheduling activity across locations from a single place.
       
    • Minor Rules Emancipated Minor
      Managers can now assign additional Minor Status options to employees, providing greater flexibility to support compliance with minor labor regulations and ensure accurate scheduling.
       
    • Meal Break Waiver Report
      A new Meal Waiver Status Change Report provides visibility into employee and manager updates to meal waiver status, helping support operational oversight and compliance tracking.

     

    New Release | Extend Minor Rules to 18-year-olds in HighSchool and New SOAP Endpoints | March 26, 2026

    • Update to Employee Personal Page
      The IVR PIN field (HotSchedules Automated Phone System) has been removed from the Employee Personal Page as this feature is being retired. This update streamlines the experience by focusing on current tools and functionality.
       
    • New getVolumeCountsV2 Endpoint Supports Dynamic Labor Drivers
      This update is automatically available and applies to customers using forecast data APIs. A new getVolumeCountsV2 endpoint is now available, supporting dynamic labor drivers to provide more flexible and accurate forecasting data.
       

    • New getDriversByIntervalV2 Endpoint Supports Dynamic Labor Drivers
      This update is automatically available and applies to customers using forecast data APIs. A new getDriversByIntervalV2 endpoint is now available, enabling access to dynamic labor drivers using name-based retrieval. This ensures consistency with other APIs and supports integration of complete forecast data, including custom drivers, into external systems. No changes are required for existing integrations using standard drivers.

       

    • Improved Welcome Email Access
      Updates have been made to improve how welcome email links are handled when opened through Microsoft Outlook SafeLinks. This ensures new employees can reliably access their onboarding link and complete profile setup without issues.

       

    • Minor Rules: Support for 18-Year-Old High School Students
      Minor rules can now be applied to 18-year-old employees who are still in high school through a new Minor Status classification. This update helps customers comply with state labor laws that extend minor protections beyond age 17.

     

    New Release | Punch Edit Heirarchy | March 26, 2026

    • Punch Edit Heirarchy
      HotSchedules now supports a configurable punch edit hierarchy, giving organizations greater control over who can add or edit employee punches. This enhancement helps improve punch accuracy and supports compliance by enabling a permission-based structure for punch edits.

    Macromatix

    Q1 2026

     

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