Learn Mokapen

Shifts Guide

The Shifts area is Mokapen's HR module for planning who works where and when: locations, people, time slots, and days. It is not a meeting calendar (that is Appointments) nor a record of hours worked (that is Presences): Shifts say «this team member is assigned to this location, in these time slots, on these dates».

Access it from the Human Resources → Shifts menu. The default view is the Calendar grid; you can switch to List. The module requires the Shifts app active, the correct permissions, and a suitable Premium plan (Shifts are part of the HR package). Check availability on your plan and in your organization's Applications.

Two levels: organizational shifts and assignments

To use Shifts well, it helps to understand the difference between the two objects right away:

• Organizational shifts (presets) — time-slot templates by day of the week (e.g. «Morning Mon–Fri 09:00–13:00», «Weekend 10:00–18:00»). An owner (or someone with access to settings) creates and manages them in Organization settings → Human Resources → Shifts. Without at least one preset, the grid may show an empty state: «configure organizational shifts first».
• Shift assignments (user shift) — the concrete record: person + location + date (or range) + time slots (+ optional preset) + notes. These are the cards you see in the calendar and list, which you can create, drag, clone, plan, archive, or delete.

The preset speeds things up: choosing it when creating pre-fills the time slots. You can still define custom slots on each assignment. There is no link to Sales catalog Services: Shifts work on organization locations and users.

User permissions: who sees and who edits

Shifts do not have an «approval» flow (confirm/reject). Three permission levels matter:

1. App and plan

Without the Shifts app active (and a suitable Premium plan) you cannot enter the module or Shifts reports. The owner activates the app from Settings → Applications.

2. Shift editors

In Settings → Human Resources → Shifts, the owner configures who can create and edit assignments for the whole organization (individual users or «all»). Anyone on this list is a shift editor: they see the creation UI, can assign shifts to any person, use plan/clone/archive/delete in bulk, drag cards, and perform bulk edit in the list.

Note: if a user is already a Presences editor, Mokapen also treats them as a Shifts editor — so whoever manages hours can align planning without double configuration.

3. Non-editor user (restricted visibility)

Non-editors typically see only their own shifts and those of their reportees — i.e. members of teams they manage. They do not see (nor edit) the full schedule of the whole organization. Creating new assignments for others remains for editors.

4. Owner and presets

Creating/editing/deleting organizational shifts (presets) and saving the editor list typically remain with the owner (organization settings). A member editor can manage day-to-day assignments, but weekly templates are defined by whoever administers the org.

In summary:

• Owner — activates app, locations, presets, who is editor.
• Editor — plans shifts for everyone (or for those selected in multi-create).
• Non-editor — views (and follows) their own shifts and those of people who report to them; does not manage the global schedule.

Shifts page — toolbar and views

At the top you switch between Calendar and List. On the calendar you also find:

• Rows mode (default) — full month: each row is a day; columns depend on grouping (locations or users). Month-by-month navigation.
• Columns mode — horizontal window of about yesterday → +7 days, with sub-columns tied to the day's preset time slots. Useful for the «short» operational week; it is not a dedicated ISO calendar named «Week».
• Group by — Location → User (default) or User → Location. Changes how cards read: in one case you see people within the location; in the other, locations within the person.
• Advanced filters — with a base Premium plan (where provided) narrow by people, locations, periods; otherwise an upgrade prompt may appear.
• New shift / actions — assignment creation (if editor); from here or the actions menu also Plan, archive, etc. according to permissions.

In List you see assignments in a table (person, dates, location, time slots, notes…). With editor permissions you can select multiple rows and use bulk actions (edit, duplicate, archive, delete, plan according to available items).

Grid cards and assignment card

In the grid each assignment is a colored card (user color in the organization). Depending on grouping it shows avatar/name + time slots, or location + slot. Click opens the assignment card.

Typical card fields

• Person, Location (required), Date, Time (one or more slots), Preset shift (optional), Notes.
• Archived badge if the assignment is outside active views.
• If the Presences app is active: shift vs presence comparison (planned vs recorded hours, possible overtime), list of linked clock-ins/outs and shortcuts to record or edit a presence on the same day/location.

Options menu

• Clone — duplicates the assignment (useful to repeat the same pattern on other dates).
• Archive / Restore — removes or brings back to active calendar/list without losing history.
• Delete — removes the assignment (and unlinks any presences that pointed to that shift). Prefer archiving if you need a trace.

On the calendar, if you are an editor, you can also drag cards between cells (change date/location/user/slot according to the grid). Mokapen flags overlaps of time slots on the same user/day and warnings on organization closure days.

Creating a shift assignment

1. Verify that locations exist (general org settings) and at least one organizational preset (recommended).
2. HR → Shifts → New shift (if you see the button you are typically an editor).
3. Choose person (or multiple people, if editor), location, optional preset.
4. Type Single (one date) or Multiple (date range).
5. Set time slots (pre-filled from preset or custom) and notes.
6. Save: cards appear in the grid and list.

Planning shifts (copy period → month)

The Plan function copies assignments from a source period to a target month, trying to keep the day of the week and «position» in the month (useful to repeat recurring patterns without recreating everything manually). You can narrow by users and locations according to modal options. If there are no shifts to copy, Mokapen reports it. Use Plan after consolidating a «template» month.

Edit, clone, archive, delete

• Edit — open the card and update fields; in the list, bulk edit if available. Or drag in the grid.
• Clone / Duplicate — from card or multi-selection; then correct dates on the new record.
• Archive — completed or no longer relevant shifts leave operational views but remain recoverable.
• Delete — for errors and tests; watch the link with presences.

Shifts settings

Path: Organization settings → Human Resources → Shifts card (or HR hub).

• Users who can create and edit shifts — editor list (users or whole org). This is the main operational permissions lever.
• Organizational shifts (presets) — title + days of the week with one or more HH:MM–HH:MM slots. Create the patterns you will use every week (morning/afternoon, weekend, evening shifts…).
• Locations — managed in general organization settings (locations); without locations you cannot assign useful shifts.
• Closures / holidays — in general settings: on closure days you may receive warnings or blocks on creation.

Shifts and Presences together

With both apps active, the typical flow is: plan with Shifts → record actual hours with Presences (also from the shift card). The assignment card can show how much the presence deviates from what was planned. A presence can automatically link to a shift for the same user/location/day. Details in the Presences guide.

Shifts reports

From the Reports → Shifts menu you analyze planned hours (derived from time slots of non-archived assignments): hours by location, hours by user, user hours × day of week, plus an analytical list. Advanced filters often require a base Premium plan. Use reports for location workload and week coverage; for worked hours use Presences reports (and cross-data where available).

Use cases

• Retail / multi-location: morning/afternoon presets; Location→User grid; editor = store manager; Plan every month.
• Studio / clinic: columns by preset slots; assign professionals to locations; compare with Presences.
• Team with manager: non-editors see only themselves and reportees; HQ editor sees everything.
• Closures: org holidays → avoid ghost shifts on closed days.

Recommended processes

• First create locations and presets, then assign people — not the other way around.
• Limit editors to those who actually plan (HR, store manager); avoid «all» if the org is large.
• Use Plan after a stable template month.
• Archive old months instead of deleting them if you need historical reports.
• Align Shifts and Presences: same location and same time slots reduce deviations and «surprise» overtime.

Frequently asked questions

Q: I don't see the New shift button. Why?

A: Usually you are not among the shift editors (nor a presences editor). Ask the owner to add you in Settings → Human Resources → Shifts.

Q: The grid is empty / asks for organizational shifts.

A: Organizational preset configuration is missing. An owner must create them in Shifts settings.

Q: I only see my shifts, not colleagues'.

A: Expected behavior if you are not an editor: you see yourself and your reportees. The full schedule requires being an editor.

Q: Is there shift approval?

A: No. There is no confirm/reject flow like on bookings. The operational status is planning → (optional presence) → archive.

Q: Difference between Shifts and Appointments?

A: Shifts = HR planning (location + time slots + person). Appointments = meetings/calls with CRM participants. See the Appointments guide.

Q: Do Shifts depend on Services?

A: No. They depend on organization locations, users, and time presets.