Create a Shift Leveling Bid

To create a shift leveling bid:

• Click the Shift Leveling tab.
• Click the Create New Shift Leveling Bid link 
  

• RosterApps brings you to the Create New Shift Leveling Bid page. Complete the sections on this page with information about the shift leveling bid. Below is a list of the sections on this page with descriptions.
  

  • Name: Enter the name of the shift leveling bid.

  • Shift Leveling Type: Select the shift leveling bid type in the drop-down menu. There are two types of shift leveling bids:

    • Exchanging for an Open Shift: In this bid type, employees bid on open shifts they are willing to work and select shifts on their schedule they are willing to give up in exchange, in order of preference. RosterApps then uses your minimum staffing plan to calculate which open shifts to award (these would be open shifts in understaffed time periods) and which currently scheduled shifts to exchange (these would be shifts in overstaffed time periods). This type of shift leveling bid requires having a minimum staffing plan in place—if you do not have a minimum staffing plan, please consult your Location Admin, as they are the ones that set them up.

    • Open Shift Bidding: In this bid type, employees bid on open shifts they are willing to work in order of preference. RosterApps then awards these open shifts to employees based on seniority order and preferences.

  • Bid Process Type: Select the method that RosterApps should use in awarding bid items in the drop-down menu. There are three options:

    • First Come First Serve: Select this option to have RosterApps award bid items on a first come, first served basis. This means that the first employee to select a bid item will be awarded that bid item (provided it fits with the minimum staffing plan).

    • Round Robin: If you select this election method, RosterApps goes through bid preferences in seniority order, but conducts the bid in rounds. The most senior employee would get their top preference, then the next senior employee would get their top preference (as long as it wasn’t taken by the most senior employee), and so on until all employees that have bid have been awarded one preference, if any of their available preferences fit with the minimum staffing plan. Then the second round begins, and RosterApps awards the most senior employee their top preference that’s still available, then the next senior employee their top preference that’s still available, etc. This is a more equitable way to distribute vacation weeks than strict seniority.

    • Strict Seniority: Select this option to have RosterApps conduct the bid with strict seniority. This means RosterApps would award the most senior employee as many of their top preferences as they are allowed, then award the second most senior employee as many of their top preferences (that are still available) as they are allowed, etc.

  • Seniority Rank Rule: Select the method RosterApps should use to determine seniority for the awarding process in the drop-down menu.

  • Default Max Award Possible Per Employee: Enter the maximum number of bid items an employee can be awarded from this bid.

  • Min Time Before Shift Start to Finalize (Hrs): Enter the minimum number of hours before a shift begins that the award can be finalized.

  • Bid Window Open: Select the date and time that the bid window opens.

  • Bid Window Close: Select the date and time that the bid window closes.

  • Date Range of Shifts To Exchange: This section only appears if you select the bid type ‘Exchanging for an Open Shift.’ Select the date range of currently scheduled shifts that employees can exchange for open shifts.

  • Duration Must Be Same: This section only appears if you select the bid type ‘Exchanging for an Open Shift.’ Check this box to require that shifts employees exchange are the same length as the open shifts they are awarded.

  • Skill Must Be Same: This section only appears if you select the bid type ‘Exchanging for an Open Shift.’ Check this box to require that shifts employees exchange have the same skill as the open shifts they are awarded.

  • Must Be In Same Week: This section only appears if you select the bid type ‘Exchanging for an Open Shift.’ Check this box to require that shifts employees exchange occur in the same week as the open shifts they are awarded.

  • Click the Create button to continue.

  • RosterApps asks if you would like to continue creation of the bid by adding bid items. Click Yes to do so or click No to add bid items later. See the next section of this user guide for information on adding bid items.