Life Cycle of a Request to Work

The Request to Work feature allows employees to search for schedule openings they are qualified to work. The following summarizes the life cycle of a request to work.

1. Employees submit requests to work through the Employee record>Employee Actions>Request to Work.
   • Employees enter date parameters to search for available schedules. These dates must fall within the Request to Work Period.

     The Request To Work Period is rolling time frame defined as all days on or after the Request to Work Minimum Date and on or before the Request to Work Maximum Date. These values are set up on the Staffing Configuration screen of the organization unit of the schedule.

     • The value of the Request to Work Begin Days associated with the staffing configuration of the employees current effective Primary Home Labor Distribution is added to the current day to determine the Request to Work Minimum Date.
     • The value of the Request to Work End Days associated with the staffing configuration of the employees current effective Primary Home Labor Distribution is added to the current day to determine the Request to Work Maximum Date.

     For more information, see the Configuration section>Scheduling card>Staffing Configuration screen>Requests to Work tab.

2. The search results display the list of available schedules for the employees, based on their position permissions or on required job class and/or license qualifications, if organization unit indicator configuration permits.

   Profile permissions means that an employee has a position in their employee Labor Distribution record that matches one of the positions authorized to work the profile. Profile permissions is used in scheduling and also with the schedule assistant call off/call in wizard.

   For more information, see the Configuration section>Labor Distribution card>Profile.

3. The activity code options displayed are authorized for Requests to Work:
   • In the Configuration section>Scheduling card>Activity Code screen>Indicators tab, Activity Code Indicator Schedule Standard 7 is set to Yes.

     Activity Code Indicator Schedule Standard 7 is used to determine which activity codes can be used for schedule options for the Request to Work feature. This indicator is found in the Configuration section>Scheduling card>Activity Codes card>Indicators tab>Schedule Process card.

     Valid Indicator Options:

     N	This activity code CANNOT be submitted for Request to Work.	Schedules including this activity code are NOT included in the results list.
     Y	This activity code CAN be submitted for Request to Work.	Schedules including this activity code ARE included in the results list.

     Note: Activity Codes can also be activated for requests to work in the Configuration section>Labor Distributions card>Profiles screen>Activities section by setting the Request to Work field to Yes.

   • In the Configuration section>Labor Distribution card>Profile screen>Activities section, the Requests to Work field is set to allow this feature.
4. Employees check the box to the left of one or more records to select them, and then click on the Save button to create a Request to Work. A comment can be added to the request.

   Free-form text field for entering any information on this request.

5. The submission of the request causes the schedule processing to run and validate the selected rules, based on the assigned Request to Work Selection Style. Depending on the employees' authorization role, they may be able to override validation messages returned. More About Overriding Schedule Validations

   Depending on Roles assigned to users, they may be able to override validation messages and continue to add, edit, or approve a schedule. If users do not have the authorization to override the exception, there is no option to continue and save the transaction.

   Override access is determined by:

   • The Maximum Severity Level override allowed by the user's role
   • The Severity Level of the exception message

   Maximum Severity Level Override Allowed by the User's Role

   Depending on the role assigned to users, they may be able to override the exception message generated when a scheduling rule is violated by adding, editing, or approving a request for a schedule.

   The roles are found in the Configuration section>System card>Roles screen.

   In the Maximum Severity Level field, indicate the severity level of the validation exception that can be overridden. Severity levels (in order of severity) are Critical, Warning, and Informational. All exceptions with that severity level or below can be overridden for assigned users. For example, if this value is set to Warning, this user can override validation exceptions of Warning and Informational, but cannot override exceptions with a severity level of Critical. If no value is entered in this field, the user cannot override ANY level of exception message.

   Severity Level of the Exception

   Severity levels for a validation rule are set up on the Configuration section>System card>Exception Value screen, in the Severity Level field. Severity levels (in order of severity) are Critical, Warning, Informational, or None.

   Note: The severity level displayed in the warning message may not match the value set up on this screen. If the user is able to override the error, then the level is displayed as Warning regardless of the actual exception definition severity level. If the user is not able to override the error then the level is displayed as Critical regardless of the exception definition.

   Determines the selection style to be used when validating whether an employee is allowed to work requested schedules.

   For example, the selection style may validate that adding the new schedule will not cause the employee to go into overtime, will maintain a minimum rest interval, etc. The rules included in each selection style are previously set up on the Selection Styles configuration screen with the Type of Edit Validation.

   • The submission of the Request to Work causes a record to be created in the My Requests to Work screen on the employee's Home page and on the Requests card in the Employee record>TCS screen. Employees can monitor the status of the request from any of these screens.

     The Requests card is visible in the TCS screen of the employee record. Click on the card arrow on a record to open it and view the details.

     Note: In order for this card to be visible in the employee's TCS screen, it must be selected to display. For more information on selecting cards to display, see the documentation on the Preferences section>My Preferences card>Time Card Screen.

   • The submission of the Request to Work also causes a notification to the manager of the organization where the schedule is to be worked that a Request has been created.

     Employees can sign up to receive a notification when certain events occur. The notification to receive are selected by the employee through the Preferences screen>My Preferences card>Event Subscriptions.

     Notifications can be received via email, or as a message (in the employee's My Unread Messages screen on the Home page, in the Messages screen in the Actions section>Employee card), or both.

     The Messages action option opens a screen to view new or existing messages, or to create a new message using the wizard. Messages that have been read can be marked as Read and saved, or they can be deleted.

     • Messages are displayed in a list format. The list can be sorted by any of the columns by clicking on the column label name. An arrow appears to the left of the column to indicate whether the list is being sorted in ascending or descending order. Click on the heading label again to change the sort direction.
     • Click the card arrow on a record to open the record and view the details. If there is more than one page of messages, the message must be closed (by clicking on the card arrow) before scrolling to another page of messages.
     • For information on creating and sending a new message, see Steps for Adding a New Message.

       Note: Messages can also be viewed on the employees' Home page under the Messages notifications heading by selecting the View Messages button. The wizard can be accessed by clicking on the Add Message button from this section as well.

     The My Unread Messages card displays any messages sent to the employee which are not marked as Read. The screen displays an icon for High or Low priority messages, shows the severity of the message, indicates if there is an attachment, shows who sent the message, displays the subject of the message, and shows the date and time the message was sent.

     To open and read a message, click the folder icon to the left of the message. Once a message is opened, it is marked as Read, and is automatically removed from the My Unread Messages card because it is no longer unread.

     To bring a read message back to the My Unread Messages screen, click on the View Messages button open the Actions section>Employee card>Messages screen. Check the box to the left of the record and click on the Mark as Unread button.

     • Messages that have been read are still available in the Actions section>Employee card>Messages screen. To permanently remove the message, check the box to the left of the record and click on the Delete Selected button.

     

     The following fields are displayed on this card:

     Folder

     Click on the folder icon to open the record and view the details. This will take the user to the Actions section>Employee card>Messages screen so the user can open and view all messages.

     Priority

     The priority icons can be assigned by the user sending the message to indicate the importance of the message. When the Normal priority is selected, no icon is displayed.

     	High Priority	Indicates that this message was sent with a high priority.
     	Low Priority	Indicates that this message was sent with a low priority.

     Severity

     This field shows the severity level of system-generated notifications. The severity level icon displayed is determined by the severity level assigned to the notification. Messages sent by other users have a severity level of Informational.

     	Critical	Indicates that this message has a status of Critical. Depending on settings, the employee may be locked out from badging into the system with a critical message relating to Licenses or Education Requirements. Note: Contact your supervisor if you are locked out due to a Critical message.
     	Warning	Indicates this message has a status of Warning. The employee may have to complete an action. If not completed by a certain date a related Critical message may be issued (for example, renew a license or education requirement.)
     	Informational	Indicates that this message is used to relay information to the employee. An action may need to be taken by a certain date or a related Warning message may be used.

     Status

     Unread

     Indicates that this message has a status of unread. Once a message has been opened, the status is automatically reset to Read and this icon is no longer displayed.

     Attachment

     Attachment

     Indicates this message has an attachment. Click on the icon to open the Attachment page, and a link to the attached document.

     From

     Indicates the user who sent the message. If the message is generated by the system as a result of a Notification Subscription, this field displays System Account.

     Subject

     The heading that describes the message.

     Date

     The date and time this message was sent.

     More About Date Value Fields

     When a date field is highlighted, the Date Selector is displayed in the right pane to search for the date. Use the arrows in the heading bar to scroll to the Previous or Next month's calendar. Double-click on a date to enter it into the field. Alternatively, dates can be typed into the field.

     More About Time Value Fields

     When a field requires a Time Value, the value must be formatted in 24-hour time. This means after noon, the hour value entered should have 12 added to the hour value shown on the clock. For example, if the time is 3:00 pm, the correct value in 24-hour format is 15:00 (12+3 = 15).

     • The system automatically formats entered values to hh:mm (two-digit hour value, two-digit minute value separated by a colon).
       • Enter 1500 and the system automatically adds the colon between the hour and minute values to convert this to 15:00.
       • Enter 900 and the system adds the leading zeros and colon to convert this to 09:00.
       • The system adds leading zeros to any value less than 4 digits. For example, if 9 is entered, the system converts this to 00:09 (nine minutes after midnight).
       • If the last two digits of the entered value is larger than 59, this cannot be converted to a valid time and an error message is generated.
       • If the first two digits of a four-digit value is larger than 23, this cannot be converted to a valid time and an error message is generated.
       • Enter midnight as 00:00; enter noon as 12:00.
     • If a "p" or "pm" is entered after the hour value, the system automatically converts the time to the corresponding afternoon value in 24-hour time. For example:
       • Enter 300p or 300pm and the system converts this to 15:00 and adds the colon.

     Action Buttons

     The following actions are available at the bottom of the grid:

     Add Message

     Click on the Add Message button to open a wizard to create and send a new message.

     For more information on creating a new message, see Steps for Adding a New Message.

     View Messages

     Click on the View Message button to open the Actions section>Employee card>Messages screen. From this screen, the user can view messages that were previously marked as Read, can update the status of a message to Read or Unread, can permanently Delete a message or create a New Message.

     The following actions are available in the left pane when the View Messages button is enabled:

     Delete Selected

     The Delete button is used to remove one or more records from a screen.

     To delete a record, complete the following steps:

     1. Click on the selection box to the left of each record to be deleted.

        A check mark is displayed

     2. Click the Delete button.
     3. If a single record is open, select the Delete button (there are no boxes to select the record).
     4. A message is displayed verifying the record should be deleted. Click on Yes to continue.

     Mark as Read

     To indicate that a message has been read, check the box to the left of the message and then click on the Mark as Read button. The message no longer appears on the My Unread Messages card on the Home page.

     To change the status of a Read message back to Unread, check the box to the left of the message and then click on the Mark as Unread button. The message now appears again on the My Unread Messages card on the Home page.

     Mark as Unread

     To change the status of a Read message back to Unread, check the box to the left of the message and then click on the Mark as Unread button. The message now appears again on the My Unread Messages card on the Home page.

     New Message

     Click on the New Message button to open a wizard to create and send a new message.

     For more information on creating a new message, see Steps for Adding a New Message.

6. The manager can review the request through the Actions section>Approval card>Requests to Work screen, or through the Actions section>Scheduling card>Schedule>Schedule Tools>Review Requests screen. All requests for the same schedule opening are displayed together.
7. The manager can change the status of the request from either of these screens.

   The following Request Status Code options are available:

   Approved	The request has been reviewed and is allowed (approved) by the supervisor.
   Denied	The request has been reviewed and is rejected (denied) by the supervisor.
   Canceled	The request has been withdrawn (canceled) by the supervisor or employee.
   Requested	The request has not yet been reviewed by the supervisor.

8. Approval causes the schedule process to run again, to verify that any changes since the submission and the approval do not violate the selected rules. Depending on the manager’s permissions they may be able to override the validation messages returned. If validation messages are returned and the manager cannot override them, the Request to Work is not approved. More About Overriding Schedule Validations

   Depending on Roles assigned to users, they may be able to override validation messages and continue to add, edit, or approve a schedule. If users do not have the authorization to override the exception, there is no option to continue and save the transaction.

   Override access is determined by:

   • The Maximum Severity Level override allowed by the user's role
   • The Severity Level of the exception message

   Maximum Severity Level Override Allowed by the User's Role

   Depending on the role assigned to users, they may be able to override the exception message generated when a scheduling rule is violated by adding, editing, or approving a request for a schedule.

   The roles are found in the Configuration section>System card>Roles screen.

   In the Maximum Severity Level field, indicate the severity level of the validation exception that can be overridden. Severity levels (in order of severity) are Critical, Warning, and Informational. All exceptions with that severity level or below can be overridden for assigned users. For example, if this value is set to Warning, this user can override validation exceptions of Warning and Informational, but cannot override exceptions with a severity level of Critical. If no value is entered in this field, the user cannot override ANY level of exception message.

   Severity Level of the Exception

   Severity levels for a validation rule are set up on the Configuration section>System card>Exception Value screen, in the Severity Level field. Severity levels (in order of severity) are Critical, Warning, Informational, or None.

   Note: The severity level displayed in the warning message may not match the value set up on this screen. If the user is able to override the error, then the level is displayed as Warning regardless of the actual exception definition severity level. If the user is not able to override the error then the level is displayed as Critical regardless of the exception definition.

   • When successfully approved, a published schedule entry is created and is visible on the organization Schedule screen.
   • Changing the status of the Request to Work causes a notification to be sent to the employee and any other users with data access to the employee (such as the employee's Home supervisors or managers).

     Employees can sign up to receive a notification when certain events occur. The notification to receive are selected by the employee through the Preferences screen>My Preferences card>Event Subscriptions.

     Notifications can be received via email, or as a message (in the employee's My Unread Messages screen on the Home page, in the Messages screen in the Actions section>Employee card), or both.

     The Messages action option opens a screen to view new or existing messages, or to create a new message using the wizard. Messages that have been read can be marked as Read and saved, or they can be deleted.

     • Messages are displayed in a list format. The list can be sorted by any of the columns by clicking on the column label name. An arrow appears to the left of the column to indicate whether the list is being sorted in ascending or descending order. Click on the heading label again to change the sort direction.
     • Click the card arrow on a record to open the record and view the details. If there is more than one page of messages, the message must be closed (by clicking on the card arrow) before scrolling to another page of messages.
     • For information on creating and sending a new message, see Steps for Adding a New Message.

       Note: Messages can also be viewed on the employees' Home page under the Messages notifications heading by selecting the View Messages button. The wizard can be accessed by clicking on the Add Message button from this section as well.

     The My Unread Messages card displays any messages sent to the employee which are not marked as Read. The screen displays an icon for High or Low priority messages, shows the severity of the message, indicates if there is an attachment, shows who sent the message, displays the subject of the message, and shows the date and time the message was sent.

     To open and read a message, click the folder icon to the left of the message. Once a message is opened, it is marked as Read, and is automatically removed from the My Unread Messages card because it is no longer unread.

     To bring a read message back to the My Unread Messages screen, click on the View Messages button open the Actions section>Employee card>Messages screen. Check the box to the left of the record and click on the Mark as Unread button.

     • Messages that have been read are still available in the Actions section>Employee card>Messages screen. To permanently remove the message, check the box to the left of the record and click on the Delete Selected button.

     

     The following fields are displayed on this card:

     Folder

     Click on the folder icon to open the record and view the details. This will take the user to the Actions section>Employee card>Messages screen so the user can open and view all messages.

     Priority

     The priority icons can be assigned by the user sending the message to indicate the importance of the message. When the Normal priority is selected, no icon is displayed.

     	High Priority	Indicates that this message was sent with a high priority.
     	Low Priority	Indicates that this message was sent with a low priority.

     Severity

     This field shows the severity level of system-generated notifications. The severity level icon displayed is determined by the severity level assigned to the notification. Messages sent by other users have a severity level of Informational.

     	Critical	Indicates that this message has a status of Critical. Depending on settings, the employee may be locked out from badging into the system with a critical message relating to Licenses or Education Requirements. Note: Contact your supervisor if you are locked out due to a Critical message.
     	Warning	Indicates this message has a status of Warning. The employee may have to complete an action. If not completed by a certain date a related Critical message may be issued (for example, renew a license or education requirement.)
     	Informational	Indicates that this message is used to relay information to the employee. An action may need to be taken by a certain date or a related Warning message may be used.

     Status

     Unread

     Indicates that this message has a status of unread. Once a message has been opened, the status is automatically reset to Read and this icon is no longer displayed.

     Attachment

     Attachment

     Indicates this message has an attachment. Click on the icon to open the Attachment page, and a link to the attached document.

     From

     Indicates the user who sent the message. If the message is generated by the system as a result of a Notification Subscription, this field displays System Account.

     Subject

     The heading that describes the message.

     Date

     The date and time this message was sent.

     More About Date Value Fields

     When a date field is highlighted, the Date Selector is displayed in the right pane to search for the date. Use the arrows in the heading bar to scroll to the Previous or Next month's calendar. Double-click on a date to enter it into the field. Alternatively, dates can be typed into the field.

     More About Time Value Fields

     When a field requires a Time Value, the value must be formatted in 24-hour time. This means after noon, the hour value entered should have 12 added to the hour value shown on the clock. For example, if the time is 3:00 pm, the correct value in 24-hour format is 15:00 (12+3 = 15).

     • The system automatically formats entered values to hh:mm (two-digit hour value, two-digit minute value separated by a colon).
       • Enter 1500 and the system automatically adds the colon between the hour and minute values to convert this to 15:00.
       • Enter 900 and the system adds the leading zeros and colon to convert this to 09:00.
       • The system adds leading zeros to any value less than 4 digits. For example, if 9 is entered, the system converts this to 00:09 (nine minutes after midnight).
       • If the last two digits of the entered value is larger than 59, this cannot be converted to a valid time and an error message is generated.
       • If the first two digits of a four-digit value is larger than 23, this cannot be converted to a valid time and an error message is generated.
       • Enter midnight as 00:00; enter noon as 12:00.
     • If a "p" or "pm" is entered after the hour value, the system automatically converts the time to the corresponding afternoon value in 24-hour time. For example:
       • Enter 300p or 300pm and the system converts this to 15:00 and adds the colon.

     Action Buttons

     The following actions are available at the bottom of the grid:

     Add Message

     Click on the Add Message button to open a wizard to create and send a new message.

     For more information on creating a new message, see Steps for Adding a New Message.

     View Messages

     Click on the View Message button to open the Actions section>Employee card>Messages screen. From this screen, the user can view messages that were previously marked as Read, can update the status of a message to Read or Unread, can permanently Delete a message or create a New Message.

     The following actions are available in the left pane when the View Messages button is enabled:

     Delete Selected

     The Delete button is used to remove one or more records from a screen.

     To delete a record, complete the following steps:

     1. Click on the selection box to the left of each record to be deleted.

        A check mark is displayed

     2. Click the Delete button.
     3. If a single record is open, select the Delete button (there are no boxes to select the record).
     4. A message is displayed verifying the record should be deleted. Click on Yes to continue.

     Mark as Read

     To indicate that a message has been read, check the box to the left of the message and then click on the Mark as Read button. The message no longer appears on the My Unread Messages card on the Home page.

     To change the status of a Read message back to Unread, check the box to the left of the message and then click on the Mark as Unread button. The message now appears again on the My Unread Messages card on the Home page.

     Mark as Unread

     To change the status of a Read message back to Unread, check the box to the left of the message and then click on the Mark as Unread button. The message now appears again on the My Unread Messages card on the Home page.

     New Message

     Click on the New Message button to open a wizard to create and send a new message.

     For more information on creating a new message, see Steps for Adding a New Message.

   • The request status is also updated on the employee's My Requests to Work screen.