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Schedule Publishing

Schedule Publishing Workflow

Master the schedule publishing process: understand draft vs published status, configure publish approval workflow, control employee notifications, and learn best practices for releasing schedules to your team.

Draft Schedules
Publish Workflow
Notifications

Draft vs Published Status

Understanding the two schedule states and when to use each

What Are Draft Schedules?

Draft schedules are shifts that exist in your system but are NOT visible to employees yet.
 
Key Characteristics:
- Only managers can see draft shifts
- Employees do NOT see them in their schedule
- No notifications sent to employees
- Can be edited freely without employee impact
- Perfect for planning and review before release
 
Why Use Draft Status:
- Review schedules before employees see them
- Make changes without confusing staff
- Wait until all shifts are fully staffed
- Get approval from senior management first
- Avoid premature notifications
 
When Shifts Start as Draft:
- If "Require Publish Approval" setting is ON (default)
- All new shifts start as DRAFT automatically
- You must manually publish when ready

What Are Published Schedules?

Published schedules are shifts that are finalized and visible to assigned employees.
 
Key Characteristics:
- Employees can see them in their schedule
- Assigned employees receive notifications (if enabled)
- Shifts appear in employee dashboard and calendar
- Employees can request trades or time off around them
- Still editable by managers (changes notify employees)
 
When Shifts Are Published:
- After you click "Publish Schedule" button
- Only fully-staffed shifts get published
- Partially-staffed shifts remain draft
 
What Happens When Published:
1. Status changes from DRAFT → PUBLISHED
2. Employees see shifts in their calendar
3. Email notifications sent (if enabled)
4. Shifts locked from accidental deletion

Draft vs Published: Side-by-Side

Comparison Table:
 
Visibility:
Draft: Only managers see them
Published: Managers AND assigned employees see them
 
Notifications:
Draft: No notifications sent
Published: Employees notified when assigned
 
Editing:
Draft: Edit freely without employee impact
Published: Edits trigger "schedule changed" notifications
 
Employee Actions:
Draft: Employees cannot interact (don't see them)
Published: Employees can trade, drop, clock in/out
 
Purpose:
Draft: Planning, review, approval workflow
Published: Final schedule for employees to work
 
Best For:
Draft: Next week's schedule you're still building
Published: This week's schedule that's finalized

Publish Approval Workflow

How the publish approval setting controls schedule visibility

Require Publish Approval Setting

This setting controls whether new shifts start as DRAFT or PUBLISHED.
 
Location: Settings → Advanced Settings → Schedule Publishing
 
Setting: "Require Publish Approval Before Schedules Are Visible"
 
When ENABLED (Default - Recommended):
- All new shifts start as DRAFT
- You must manually click "Publish Schedule"
- Gives you control over when employees see shifts
- Allows review and approval workflow
- Prevents premature visibility
 
When DISABLED (Auto-Publish):
- All new shifts are PUBLISHED immediately
- Employees see shifts as soon as you create them
- No draft stage or review process
- Faster but less control
- Good for small teams or urgent scheduling
 
Automatic Behavior When Turning OFF:
- All existing fully-staffed DRAFT shifts publish automatically
- Employees immediately see all ready shifts
- Notifications sent to all newly-visible assignments

Recommended Workflow (Approval ON)

Step 1: Create Your Schedule
- Add all shifts for the week/period
- All shifts start as DRAFT
- Assign employees to shifts
- Use AI Copilot or manual creation
 
Step 2: Review the Schedule
- Check all shifts are fully staffed
- Verify no scheduling conflicts
- Ensure coverage meets requirements
- Look for gaps or overstaffing
- Confirm employees are properly assigned
 
Step 3: Get Approval (If Needed)
- Senior manager reviews draft
- Check budget/overtime implications
- Verify shift distribution is fair
- Make any necessary adjustments
 
Step 4: Publish the Schedule
- Click "Publish Schedule" button
- System publishes only fully-staffed shifts
- Employees receive notifications
- Schedule becomes visible to team
 
Step 5: Handle Remaining Drafts
- Partially-staffed shifts stay draft
- Finish staffing those shifts
- Publish again when ready

Alternative Workflow (Auto-Publish)

When to Use Auto-Publish (Approval OFF):
- Small teams where you trust all shifts
- Simple schedules without complex requirements
- Need immediate visibility (urgent scheduling)
- Single manager who creates perfect schedules first try
- Last-minute shift creation that must be visible now
 
How It Works:
1. Turn OFF "Require Publish Approval" in settings
2. Create a shift
3. Shift is immediately PUBLISHED
4. Assigned employee sees it right away
5. Notification sent immediately (if enabled)
 
Pros:
- Faster - no publish step
- One less thing to remember
- Employees see schedules immediately
 
Cons:
- No review period before visibility
- Can't make draft changes invisible to staff
- More notifications (every shift creation)
- Less control over when employees see changes

How to Publish Schedules

Step-by-step guide to publishing draft schedules

Publishing Process Step-by-Step

Step 1: Navigate to Schedule Page
- Go to your organization dashboard
- Click "Schedule" in left sidebar
- You'll see calendar with all shifts
 
Step 2: Identify Draft Shifts
- Draft shifts appear in GRAY color
- Published shifts appear in BLUE color
- Look at the top of the page for draft count
- Example: "5 draft shifts ready to publish"
 
Step 3: Review Draft Shifts
- Click through draft shifts to verify staffing
- Check that required count matches assigned count
- Example: Shift needs 3 people, has 3 assigned ✓
- Note: Only fully-staffed shifts can be published
 
Step 4: Click "Publish Schedule" Button
- Located at top-right of schedule page
- Or in the draft shifts notification banner
- Button only appears if draft shifts exist
 
Step 5: Confirm Publishing
- System processes all draft shifts
- Publishes only fully-staffed ones
- Shows success message with counts
- Example: "5 shifts published, 2 remain draft"
 
Step 6: Verify Results
- Published shifts turn from gray → blue
- Remaining drafts stay gray (need more staff)
- Assigned employees receive notifications
- Check employee dashboards if needed

What Gets Published and What Doesn't

Fully-Staffed Shifts (GET PUBLISHED):
- Required count: 3, Assigned: 3 ✓ Published
- Required count: 1, Assigned: 1 ✓ Published
- Required count: 5, Assigned: 5 ✓ Published
 
Partially-Staffed Shifts (STAY DRAFT):
- Required count: 3, Assigned: 2 ✗ Stays draft
- Required count: 5, Assigned: 0 ✗ Stays draft
- Required count: 2, Assigned: 1 ✗ Stays draft
 
Why Only Fully-Staffed Shifts Publish:
- Prevents showing employees incomplete shifts
- Gives you time to finish staffing
- Avoids confusion about coverage
- You can publish again when fully staffed
 
Example Scenario:
You have 10 draft shifts:
- 7 are fully staffed (all positions filled)
- 3 are partially staffed (missing people)
 
Click "Publish Schedule":
- The 7 fully-staffed shifts → PUBLISHED (blue)
- The 3 partially-staffed shifts → STAY DRAFT (gray)
- Message: "7 shifts published, 3 remain draft"
 
Next Steps:
- Assign employees to the 3 remaining shifts
- Click "Publish Schedule" again
- Those 3 will now publish

Bulk Publishing vs Individual Publishing

Bulk Publishing (Recommended):
- Click "Publish Schedule" button once
- Publishes ALL fully-staffed draft shifts
- Fast and efficient
- Sends one batch of notifications
- Best for weekly schedule releases
 
Individual Publishing:
- Not directly supported
- All fully-staffed drafts publish together
- Can't pick and choose specific shifts
 
Workaround for Selective Publishing:
1. Leave shifts you don't want published as partially-staffed
2. Publish (only fully-staffed ones go out)
3. Later, finish staffing the held-back shifts
4. Publish again when ready
 
Example: Staggered Release
- Want to publish Monday-Wednesday now, Thursday-Friday later
 
Strategy:
1. Fully staff Monday-Wednesday shifts
2. Leave Thursday-Friday shifts with 1 less person than needed
3. Click "Publish Schedule" (only Mon-Wed publish)
4. Later: Assign final person to Thu-Fri shifts
5. Click "Publish Schedule" again (Thu-Fri now publish)

Employee Notifications

How and when employees get notified about published schedules

Schedule Published Notifications

When Employees Get Notified:
- As soon as you click "Publish Schedule"
- Only for shifts where they're assigned
- If notification setting is enabled (default: ON)
 
Notification Content:
- Email: "New schedule published"
- Shows their assigned shift details
- Date, time, location
- Link to view full schedule
 
Who Gets Notified:
- Every employee assigned to a newly-published shift
- Example: 10 shifts published with 25 total assignments = 25 notifications
 
Controlling Notifications:
- Settings → Notifications → "Schedule Published"
- Toggle ON (employees get emails) or OFF (no emails)
- Applies org-wide to all employees
 
Employee Personal Settings:
- Employees can turn off their own notifications
- Employee Dashboard → Settings → Notifications
- They control their own email preferences

Other Publishing-Related Notifications

1. Shift Assigned (Separate Setting):
- Sent when you assign employee to any shift
- Works for both draft AND published shifts
- If shift is draft: "You've been assigned (pending publish)"
- If shift is published: "You've been assigned"
 
2. Schedule Changed (After Publishing):
- If you edit a PUBLISHED shift
- Employees get "Schedule changed" notification
- Shows what changed (time, location, etc.)
 
3. Recurring Shift Published:
- When recurring shifts are created and published
- Employee gets one notification per shift
- Or summary notification for series
 
Best Practice:
- Keep "Schedule Published" notifications ON
- Ensures employees know when to check schedule
- Prevents "I didn't know I was scheduled" issues
- Turn off only if you communicate schedules another way

Notification Timing Best Practices

Recommended Publishing Schedule:
- Publish weekly schedules every [Day] by [Time]
- Example: "Every Friday by 5 PM for the next week"
- Consistency helps employees plan
 
Advance Notice:
- Give employees enough time to see schedule
- Many states require 7-14 days advance notice
- Publish at least 3-7 days before shifts start
 
Avoid Publishing:
- Late at night (employees may miss it)
- On employee days off (less likely to check)
- Too close to shift start time (no time to plan)
 
Communication Tip:
- Tell employees: "Schedules published every Friday"
- They know when to expect notification
- Reduces "when's the schedule ready?" questions
 
Last-Minute Changes:
- If you must publish urgently:
1. Publish the schedule
2. Also text/call affected employees
3. Don't rely only on email notification

Best Practices & Tips

Professional strategies for effective schedule publishing

Weekly Publishing Workflow

Monday-Thursday: Schedule Creation Phase
- Build next week's schedule in draft
- Use AI Copilot or manual creation
- Assign employees to shifts
- All shifts stay draft (employees don't see yet)
 
Thursday-Friday: Review & Approval Phase
- Review all draft shifts
- Check for conflicts and gaps
- Get senior manager approval if needed
- Make final adjustments
- Ensure all shifts fully staffed
 
Friday Afternoon: Publish
- Click "Publish Schedule"
- All fully-staffed shifts go live
- Employees receive notifications
- Weekend schedule is visible
 
Friday Evening / Saturday: Handle Exceptions
- Review any remaining draft shifts
- Finish staffing partially-filled shifts
- Publish again if needed
- Respond to employee trade requests
 
Why This Works:
- Consistent schedule (employees know Friday = schedule day)
- Time for review before publish
- Advance notice for weekend
- Buffer for last-minute adjustments

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Publishing Too Early
- Problem: Publishing incomplete schedules with gaps
- Result: Employees see holes, ask questions, get confused
- Solution: Only publish when 100% of critical shifts are staffed
 
Mistake 2: Publishing Too Late
- Problem: Releasing schedule day before shifts start
- Result: Employees can't plan, may miss shifts, unhappy staff
- Solution: Publish at least 3-7 days in advance
 
Mistake 3: Multiple Small Publishes
- Problem: Publishing shifts one-by-one as you create them
- Result: 50 separate notifications, employee notification fatigue
- Solution: Build full schedule in draft, publish all at once
 
Mistake 4: Not Communicating Schedule Day
- Problem: Employees don't know when to expect schedule
- Result: Constant "when's the schedule?" questions
- Solution: Establish "Schedule published every Friday" policy
 
Mistake 5: Forgetting Partially-Staffed Shifts
- Problem: Publish schedule, don't notice 3 shifts stayed draft
- Result: Week starts with uncovered shifts, scramble to fill
- Solution: Always check "X remain draft" message after publishing
 
Mistake 6: Publishing Without Review
- Problem: Publish immediately after AI generation or bulk import
- Result: Conflicts, errors, overstaffing go live to employees
- Solution: Always review drafts before publishing

Advanced Tips

Tip 1: Use Draft Mode for Tentative Schedules
- Build "what-if" schedules in draft
- Test different staffing patterns
- Share with senior management for feedback
- Don't publish until approved
 
Tip 2: Gradual Rollout for Multi-Week Schedules
- Create 2-3 weeks of schedules in draft
- Publish Week 1 immediately
- Publish Week 2 few days later
- Publish Week 3 when ready
- Gives flexibility to adjust future weeks
 
Tip 3: Draft Shifts for Employee Requests
- Employee requests specific shift
- Create as draft first
- Verify no conflicts
- Publish after confirmation
 
Tip 4: Emergency Publishing
- Need shift visible NOW (call-out replacement)
- Create shift
- Assign employee
- Publish immediately
- Also call/text the employee (don't rely on email)
 
Tip 5: Track Publishing Metrics
- Note what time you publish each week
- Track how many shifts stay draft
- Measure employee complaints or confusion
- Adjust process based on results

Troubleshooting

Issue: "Publish Schedule" Button Not Showing
 
Cause: No draft shifts exist
- All shifts are already published
- Or no shifts created yet
 
Solution: Create some shifts first, they'll be draft
 
 
Issue: No Shifts Published After Clicking Button
 
Cause: All draft shifts are partially staffed
- Example: All shifts need 3 people but only have 2
 
Solution: Assign employees to fill remaining positions
 
 
Issue: Employees Say They Didn't Get Notification
 
Possible Causes:
1. Notification setting is OFF (Settings → Notifications)
2. Employee turned off their personal notifications
3. Email went to spam folder
4. Wrong email address on employee profile
 
Solutions:
1. Check org notification settings
2. Ask employee to check their notification preferences
3. Tell employees to whitelist your domain
4. Update employee email address
 
 
Issue: Published Wrong Schedule By Accident
 
Can't Undo: Once published, can't unpublish
 
Solutions:
1. Edit the published shifts to correct them
2. Delete unwanted shifts (employees will be notified)
3. Communicate with employees about changes
4. Be more careful with review before publishing next time

Related Guides

Schedule Creation

Learn how to create and manage schedules before publishing

Organization Settings

Configure publish approval and notification settings

Employee Assignment

Master assigning employees to shifts for full staffing

AI Schedule Generation

Generate schedules automatically that start as drafts

Schedule Publishing Workflow - Draft vs Published Schedules | XShift AI