Employee Scheduling Software FAQ: Your Questions Answered

Employee scheduling software helps managers create, publish, and manage work schedules. It replaces paper schedules and group texts with automated tools.

Core features:

• Drag-and-drop scheduling: Visual calendar for assigning shifts
• Employee availability: Track when employees can and can't work
• Shift templates: Save recurring schedules (e.g., "Monday lunch shift")
• Mobile app: Employees view schedules, request time off, swap shifts
• Time-off management: PTO requests and approval workflows
• Shift reminders: Automatic text/email notifications before shift starts
• Labor cost forecasting: See projected payroll costs before publishing schedule
• Overtime alerts: Warnings when scheduling conflicts or OT occur

Popular platforms: When I Work, Deputy, 7shifts, Homebase, Connecteam, Shiftboard

Employee scheduling software typically costs $2-8 per user per month, though some platforms charge flat rates:

Budget options:

• Homebase: Free for basic scheduling (up to 20 employees), $20/month for time tracking
• When I Work: $2.50/user/month (scheduling + messaging)
• Connecteam: Free for up to 10 users, $29/month for 30 users

Mid-range options:

• Deputy: $4.50/user/month (scheduling + time tracking + compliance)
• 7shifts: $29.99-69.99/month flat rate (unlimited users, restaurant-focused)
• Sling: $1.70-4.40/user/month

Advanced options:

• Shiftboard: Custom pricing (enterprise workforce management)
• HotSchedules (Fourth): Custom pricing (restaurant/hospitality)

What affects pricing: Number of employees, time tracking features, integrations (POS, payroll), advanced reporting, multi-location support

You probably need scheduling software if:

• You have shift workers (retail, restaurants, healthcare, hospitality)
• Schedules change frequently (not the same every week)
• Multiple employees per shift need coordination
• You're spending 5+ hours per week making schedules
• Last-minute call-outs cause scrambling to find coverage
• Employees frequently ask "when do I work next week?"
• You need to track labor costs and prevent overtime
• You operate 24/7 or have complex shift rotations

You can probably skip it if:

• All employees work standard 9-5 schedules
• You have fewer than 10 employees with fixed schedules
• Your current system (Excel, paper) works fine

ROI estimate: Scheduling software typically saves managers 2-5 hours per week and reduces labor costs by 2-5% (better coverage, less overtime).

They're related but serve different purposes:

Scheduling software:

• Before work happens: Creates shift assignments for upcoming week(s)
• Goal: Ensure adequate coverage and control labor costs
• Features: Drag-and-drop shifts, availability tracking, shift swaps
• Examples: When I Work, 7shifts, Homebase

Time tracking software:

• During/after work: Records actual hours worked
• Goal: Accurate payroll and billing
• Features: Clock in/out, timesheets, GPS tracking, payroll integration
• Examples: TSheets, Toggl Track, Clockify

Many platforms do both: Deputy, Homebase, and When I Work combine scheduling + time tracking in one platform. This is ideal for shift workers who need both.

Best practice: Use integrated scheduling + time tracking to compare scheduled vs. actual hours and identify attendance issues.

Yes—most scheduling platforms allow employees to request shift swaps via mobile app:

How it works:

• Employee A can't work their Thursday shift
• Opens app and selects "Find Coverage" or "Offer Shift"
• Other employees receive notifications about available shift
• Employee B accepts the shift swap
• Manager receives approval request
• Manager approves or denies the swap
• Schedule updates automatically; both employees notified

Manager controls:

• Require manager approval for all swaps (recommended)
• Allow auto-approval if both employees are qualified
• Set deadlines (e.g., swaps must be requested 24 hours in advance)
• Restrict swaps between certain roles or locations

Benefits: Reduces manager workload, gives employees flexibility, improves shift coverage, prevents no-shows

Availability tracking lets employees set recurring and one-time availability, so you never schedule someone when they can't work:

Types of availability:

• General availability: "I can work Mon/Wed/Fri 9am-5pm every week"
• Preferred hours: "I prefer not to work before 10am"
• Unavailable dates: "I'm out of town March 15-20"
• Blackout dates: "I can never work Sundays"

How managers use it:

• Scheduling software highlights conflicts (red warning: "Employee unavailable!")
• Filter by who's available for a specific shift
• Reduce scheduling errors and last-minute call-outs

Best practice: Have employees update availability monthly (e.g., "submit next month's availability by the 25th")

Yes—scheduling software lets you save shift templates and copy schedules week-to-week:

Shift templates:

• Save frequently used shifts (e.g., "Morning Server Shift: 8am-2pm, Restaurant Floor")
• Drag template onto calendar instead of manually creating each shift
• Update template once; changes apply to all future uses

Copy previous week:

• Copy last week's schedule to next week with one click
• Make minor adjustments (swap employees, adjust hours)
• Publish schedule in minutes instead of hours

Recurring schedules:

• Set up rotating schedules (e.g., 2 weeks on days, 2 weeks on nights)
• Assign employees to recurring shifts that auto-populate
• Great for hospitals, 24/7 operations, call centers

Time saved: Templates reduce scheduling time by 50-70% for businesses with consistent shifts.

Shift reminders automatically send notifications before shifts start to reduce no-shows:

Notification types:

• Schedule published: "Your schedule for next week is ready!"
• Shift reminder: "You have a shift today at 3pm"
• Shift change: "Your Tuesday shift moved to 2pm (was 3pm)"
• Shift swap approved: "Your shift swap was approved"
• Time-off request: "Your PTO request for Friday was approved"

Delivery methods:

• Push notifications (mobile app)
• SMS text messages
• Email

Timing customization:

• Send reminders X hours before shift (e.g., 2 hours, 24 hours)
• Set different reminders for different roles or shifts
• Allow employees to customize their own reminder preferences

Result: Shift reminders reduce no-shows by 15-30%.

Yes—most scheduling platforms support multi-location businesses:

Features:

• Location-specific schedules: View/manage schedules per location
• Cross-location scheduling: Assign employees to shifts at different locations
• Location permissions: Managers only see their own location(s)
• Labor cost by location: Track payroll costs separately per site
• Transfer employees: Move staff between locations as needed

Use cases:

• Retail chains: Store managers schedule their own teams
• Restaurants: District managers oversee multiple locations
• Healthcare: Nurses work at multiple clinics

Best for multi-location: Deputy (unlimited locations), When I Work (great for retail chains), 7shifts (restaurant-focused)

Labor cost forecasting shows projected payroll costs as you build schedules, helping you stay on budget:

How it works:

• Software knows each employee's hourly rate
• As you add shifts, it calculates total labor cost
• Displays cost per day, per week, per location, per department
• Compares against budget or sales forecast
• Alerts when you're over budget

Key metrics:

• Labor cost %: Payroll costs as % of revenue (target varies by industry)
• Labor per hour: Payroll cost per operating hour
• Sales per labor hour: Revenue generated per labor dollar

Industry benchmarks:

• Restaurants: 25-35% labor cost
• Retail: 10-20% labor cost
• Healthcare: 40-60% labor cost

Best for labor forecasting: Deputy (detailed analytics), 7shifts (restaurant-specific), HotSchedules (enterprise)

Yes—scheduling software tracks complex labor laws and alerts you to violations before publishing schedules:

Federal laws (FLSA):

• Overtime alerts: Warn when scheduling employees over 40 hours/week
• Minor work restrictions: Enforce limits on hours for workers under 18 (e.g., no late-night shifts for minors)
• Meal and rest breaks: Ensure required breaks are scheduled

State-specific rules:

• California: Daily overtime (8+ hours), meal break after 5 hours, rest breaks every 4 hours
• Oregon: Predictive scheduling (7-day advance notice required)
• New York: Spread-of-hours pay (extra pay if shift spans 10+ hours)

Predictive scheduling laws:

• Cities/states require advance notice of schedules (7-14 days)
• Software tracks when schedules were published
• Alerts if making changes too close to shift start
• Affected locations: San Francisco, Seattle, Oregon, New York City, Philadelphia

Best for compliance: Deputy (built-in rules), 7shifts (restaurant laws), Shiftboard (healthcare regulations)

Yes—scheduling platforms provide real-time overtime warnings as you build schedules:

How it works:

• Software tracks total scheduled hours per employee
• When you add a shift that pushes employee over 40 hours, alert appears
• Shows exact overtime amount (e.g., "2.5 OT hours")
• Suggests alternative employees who are under 40 hours

Overtime controls:

• Hard stop: Block manager from scheduling OT (requires manager override)
• Soft warning: Alert but allow scheduling (manager acknowledges)
• Budget-based: Allow OT up to X% of total hours
• Role-based: Different rules for different positions

Overtime monitoring:

• Dashboard shows OT hours by employee, department, location
• Compare scheduled OT vs. actual OT (from time clock data)
• Identify chronic overtime issues (understaffing, poor scheduling)

Cost savings: Overtime prevention typically saves 2-5% of labor costs.

Scheduling software enforces child labor laws by restricting hours and times for employees under 18:

Federal restrictions (FLSA):

• Age 14-15: Max 3 hours/day on school days, 8 hours on non-school days, no work before 7am or after 7pm (9pm in summer)
• Age 16-17: No federal hour limits, but some states restrict night shifts

How software enforces:

• Set employee age/birthdate in profile
• System automatically blocks late-night or early-morning shifts for minors
• Alerts when scheduling too many hours on school days
• Tracks total weekly hours to prevent violations

State-specific rules: Some states (California, New York) have stricter limits—good scheduling software knows state rules and applies them automatically.

Certificates: Some platforms store work permits/certificates for minors (required in many states).

Predictive scheduling laws (also called "fair workweek" laws) require employers to provide advance notice of schedules and compensate employees for last-minute changes.

Common requirements:

• Advance notice: Publish schedules 7-14 days in advance
• Change penalties: Pay extra if you change schedule within X days of shift
• Right to decline: Employees can refuse shifts added at last minute
• Minimum hours: Guarantee minimum hours per shift (e.g., 4-hour minimum)
• Rest between shifts: Minimum 10-11 hours between closing and opening

Where these laws exist:

• San Francisco: 2 weeks advance notice
• Seattle: 2 weeks advance notice (retail/food service)
• Oregon: 7 days advance notice (statewide)
• New York City: 2 weeks advance notice (fast food only)
• Philadelphia: 2 weeks advance notice (retail/hospitality)

How scheduling software helps:

• Tracks when schedules were published
• Alerts if making changes too close to shift start
• Calculates penalty pay owed for last-minute changes
• Sends automatic notifications to employees when schedule changes

Yes—all modern scheduling platforms have mobile apps (iOS and Android) for employees and managers:

Employee mobile features:

• View current and upcoming schedules
• Request time off
• Offer shifts or pick up available shifts
• Swap shifts with coworkers
• Clock in/out with GPS verification
• Receive shift reminders and schedule updates
• Message coworkers and managers

Manager mobile features:

• Create and edit schedules on the go
• Approve time-off requests and shift swaps
• View labor costs and attendance reports
• Send broadcast messages to team
• Fill open shifts quickly

Why mobile matters: Shift workers are often on their phones, not computers. Mobile-first design improves engagement and reduces "I didn't see the schedule" excuses.

Yes—most scheduling platforms include team messaging features:

Communication features:

• Broadcast messages: Send announcements to entire team ("We're closed for snow day")
• Direct messages: 1-on-1 chat with employees
• Group chats: Department or shift-specific channels
• Shift-specific messaging: Message everyone working a particular shift
• Urgent alerts: "Need someone to cover 2pm shift NOW"

Benefits vs. group texts:

• Don't need employees' personal phone numbers
• Employees can mute notifications when off-duty
• Searchable message history
• Managers can see who read messages
• Professional boundary between work and personal

Best for team communication: When I Work (robust chat), Connecteam (includes file sharing), Homebase (simple messaging)

Yes—scheduling platforms with time tracking integrate with payroll systems:

How it works:

• Employees clock in/out using scheduling app
• Hours tracked and approved by manager
• Time data syncs automatically to payroll
• Payroll processes without manual timesheet entry

Popular integrations:

• Deputy: Integrates with Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks
• When I Work: Integrates with Gusto, QuickBooks, Paychex
• Homebase: Integrates with Gusto, QuickBooks, Square Payroll
• 7shifts: Integrates with Gusto, ADP, Toast Payroll

What syncs: Hours worked, overtime, PTO used, tips (for restaurants), job codes/departments

Yes—restaurant and retail scheduling platforms integrate with POS systems to forecast labor needs based on sales:

How it works:

• POS system tracks sales by hour/day
• Scheduling software pulls sales data
• Compares labor hours vs. revenue (labor cost %)
• Suggests optimal staffing levels for forecasted sales

Popular integrations:

• 7shifts: Integrates with Square, Toast, Lightspeed, Clover
• HotSchedules: Integrates with most major restaurant POS systems
• Deputy: Integrates with Square, Shopify (retail)
• Homebase: Integrates with Square, Clover

Benefits:

• Schedule more staff during busy hours, less during slow times
• Reduce labor costs while maintaining service levels
• Track labor cost % in real-time

Choose based on your industry, team size, and must-have features:

By industry:

• Restaurants: 7shifts (built for restaurants, POS integration, tip pooling)
• Retail: When I Work (affordable, great mobile app)
• Healthcare: Shiftboard (handles complex rotations, compliance)
• Hospitality: HotSchedules (enterprise hotel/casino scheduling)
• Small businesses (any industry): Homebase (free tier, simple UI)

By team size:

• 1-20 employees: Homebase (free), Connecteam (affordable)
• 20-100 employees: Deputy, When I Work, 7shifts
• 100+ employees: Shiftboard, HotSchedules, Deputy (enterprise)

Key questions to ask:

• Do I need time tracking or just scheduling?
• Do I have multiple locations?
• What payroll system do I use? (check integration)
• Do I need POS integration for labor forecasting?
• Am I subject to predictive scheduling laws?

Start with free trial: Test with real employees for 2-4 weeks before committing.

Yes—most scheduling platforms offer free trials:

Free trial periods:

• When I Work: 14-day free trial
• Deputy: 31-day free trial
• 7shifts: 14-day free trial
• Homebase: Free forever (basic plan), no trial needed
• Connecteam: Free for up to 10 users, unlimited time

How to test effectively:

• Add all employees to platform (not just a test group)
• Create 2-3 weeks of real schedules
• Have employees use mobile app for at least 1 week
• Test shift swaps, time-off requests, and messaging
• Run reports (labor costs, attendance)

Compare 2-3 platforms side-by-side to see which feels best for your team.