Manage and approve availability

Ongoing availability

An employee's ongoing availability is their main availability type, as it tells you their regular available hours. Once set, ongoing availability recurs indefinitely until it's updated again. 

This type of availability does not require manager approval before it can be applied. 

Ongoing availability is generally used to update in the following circumstances:

• New university or TAFE class schedule
• New childcare or parenting arrangements
• School holidays
• VISA status change

Let's look at one of these use cases in a bit more detail.

Once off availability

Applying for once off availability is similar to requesting leave. Employees can use this type of availability when they need to request a specific span of days off. 

Unlike the other type of availability, with once off availability, they will submit a request that requires the manager's approval. 

When submitting a once off availability request, they can request a single, partial, or multiple days off. 

Common use cases when a request may be submitted include: 

• Special events (weddings, anniversaries, etc)
• Weekends away 
• Upcoming medical appointments 
• School events

Let's look at one of these use cases in more detail.

Before employees begin setting and submitting their availability, it’s important to review your availability settings and configure your business preferences. These settings apply across the entire platform, so taking the time to set them up correctly from the start will help ensure a consistent experience for everyone.

We strongly recommend discussing these options with relevant stakeholders, as availability settings affect all employees using this feature and cannot be customised by operation, tag, or employee group.

When configuring availability, there are 2 key settings to review:

• Communications – Choose who receives notifications when an employee updates their availability. Notifications can be sent to the Employee’s Manager, the Operation's Manager, or both.
• Notice periods – Specify the number of days’ notice required before an availability update can take effect. This can be set separately for each availability type. When a notice period is applied, dates within that period are blocked, meaning employees can only select a start date after the notice period has passed.
  
  As shown in the image below, a 14-day notice period has been set. This means all dates from the 18th (the current day) to the 30th are greyed out. The employee can only select dates from the 31st onwards. 

  Please note: If availability is not visible in your platform, the feature has most likely been disabled. Refer to this article for steps on how to enable availability.
 

To customise your settings: 

1. From the quick menu, navigate to Time and Attendance > Time Off > Availability.
2. On the right-hand side, select Availability Settings.
3. Set up your notice periods by specifying a date for the following:
   • 'Number of days notice required for making changes to ongoing availability'
   • 'Number of days notice required to submit an availability request'
4. Next, manage your notifications by choosing from the following for the 'When employees create, update availability, notify' setting:
   • No one - No notifications are sent
   • Employee's Manager - The admin assigned to the employee's profile is notified
   • Operation's Manager - If an operation has an admin assigned, they are notified
   • Employee's Manager & Operations Manager - Both the admin assigned to the employee's profile and operations are notified (this can be the same person; they will receive 2 notifications)
     
       Please note: The Operation's Manager only receives notifications for permanent and salaried employees who update availability, as casuals are not assigned to an operation in their positions. 
5. To save your updates, select Save Settings.

One of the key benefits of using availability is the ability to set block out days or partial block out days, as well as highlight preferred periods for submitting availability. This can be useful for preventing updates during busy or peak periods, such as Christmas and Easter, or for encouraging time off during quieter periods.

As with other Availability settings, block out days apply to all employees using availability and cannot be customised by operation, tag, or employee group.

Once a block out day is configured, employees will be unable to submit availability for those dates. If an employee attempts to submit an application that includes blocked days, the request will result in an error and cannot be submitted, as shown below.

For admins, if you attempt to add or edit an application that was submitted before a block out day was created, a warning will display to advise that the date is blocked. Admins are not prevented from approving these availability requests.

  Please note: Block out days are exclusive to the availability feature and cannot be applied to Leave. Leave applications require review and can only be declined for a reasonable reason.

Set your block out day preferences

The Set Time Off Preferences tab within Availability allows you to set block out days and define periods where time off is preferred. These preferences apply across all employees using Availability and help control when availability can be submitted.
 

To update time off periods:

1. In the quick menu, navigate to Time & Attendance > Time off > Availability and select the Set Time Off Preferences tab.
2. From this tab, you will have a calendar view of the month to see the current preferences. To update you can either: 
   • Block out a single date - Select the specific date on the calendar.
   • Block out a string of days  - Select +Update Time Off Periods. With this option, you will need to:
     • Specify your date range 

     • Select the days of the week it applies to (eg. If it applies to every day or just Thursdays)

       

3. Enter your preference details:
   • Availability - Set your preference from one of the following options: 
     • Ideal on this/ these days
     • Time off is unavailable
   • + Add Times - If a partial day, add the timeframe it applies to
   • Reason - Add a comment as to why the days are blocked/ preferred
4. To update, select Save.

As shown in the example below, we have blocked out the 1st and 26th of January to prevent availability updates and set the 27th onwards as preferred time off dates. 

Reset your Time Off calendar preferences

You may need to remove an availability preference when business needs change, such as when staffing requirements shift or peak periods end. Removing a blocked or preferred time-off period gives employees flexibility to update their availability in line with current operational needs.
 

Removing your preferences can either be done:

• Per day - By hovering over the day required and select the bin icon
• Entire month -  Select Reset month, and choose the month to reset

  Please note: If you choose to use the Reset month method, the entire month will be undone, and the change is permanent.

Once employees submit a once off availability request through the Employee App, their assigned manager will receive an email notification about a pending request, and the application becomes immediately visible in your admin portal.

Admins should manage employee availability requests in Time & attendance > Time Off> Availability before the application date arrives. Below, we will discuss how to:

• View, approve, or edit pending once off availability requests 
• Manage the requests in bulk
• Declining pending requests

  Please note: Only once off availability requests require approval. Ongoing availability updates do not require approval and will not be shown on the Time Off page. 
 

Approve or decline availability requests 

Regularly reviewing and approving availability requests ensures your rosters reflect when employees can genuinely work. Keeping availability up to date helps reduce scheduling conflicts, supports fair rostering, and gives you greater confidence when scheduling employees.
 

To approve or decline availability requests:

1. From the quick menu, navigate to Time & attendance > Time Off > Availability. 
2. To locate the required availability requests applications. When opening this page, it will default to show 'Pending' applications. 
   • Use the search bar to the right, or use the filters to locate a specific employee. Search for their name
   • Filter availability requests that start after a selected date using the Show Results From field

   • Each application state can be selected via status badges. They are broken down into Show All, Pending, Approved, or Declined states

     

3. Availability requests in a Pending state will require action. You have the following options:
   • Approve - Select the green tick to Approve the application
   • Decline - Select the red cross to Decline the application
   • Edit - Select the blue pencil and then edit the application
4. Once approved, the employee's unavailability will appear on the roster, and any newly added or edited shift will show a warning. Existing shifts will remain unchanged. 

 The GIF below shows a straightforward approval of an employee's availability request. We then navigate to Approved applications to see that it has been successfully managed.

Editing availability requests

Sometimes, you or an employee may need to make changes to a pending or approved availability request. When doing so, it’s important to keep a few key points in mind:

• For Admins

  • You can edit Approved, Pending, or Declined requests

  • Be mindful of other requests your employees may have submitted—availability requests cannot overlap (e.g., requests for the same days)

  • Requests must be submitted in chronological order, so any future approved requests may need to be declined before updates can be made

• For Employees

  • Employees can edit Approved, Pending, or Declined requests

  • Editing an approved request automatically reverts it to Pending, requiring admin reapproval

To edit an availability request:

1. Locate the required availability request, select the edit pencil icon. 
2. The availability request details will be displayed, and you can apply the relevant changes. The information below can be edited:
   • The start or end date of the request
   • The relevant days the request applies
   • The update type:
     • Unavailable - This will mark the selected days as unavailable
     • Available - This updates the selected days to mark the employee as available
     • Partial - This option requires a time span to be added for the selected days to specify when the employee is unavailable
       • Multiple time spans can be added by selecting + Add another time span and entering the details
   • The reason for the request.
3. Once your changes have been made, select either Save Changes or Save Changes & Approve. 

The availability requests will be successfully updated, and if approved, will flow through to the Approved section of Time Off. 
 

Managing availability requests in bulk

If you’ve reviewed a number of applications and want to speed things up, you can approve them in bulk. This lets you process multiple requests at once, keeping approvals consistent and saving you time.

To approve or decline requests in bulk:

1. Apply any relevant filters, such as date, page size and Office Code. (Optional)

2. From the list, select the availability requests you want to approve or decline either:

   • Individually - Select the checkbox next to each employee’s name

   • All requests - Select the Select All checkbox to select all requests on the page. You can expand your page size to select additional requests

3. From the action bar at the bottom of your screen, select either Approve Multiple or Decline Multiple.
   
      Please note: You can only approve or decline requests in bulk; editing will need to be done individually for each request. 

After approving or declining availability requests

• The employee will receive an email notification of the request's status (declined or approved).
• Approved availability will be visible on your rosters. Ensure the 'Leave and unavailability' toggle is turned on in your roster display settings.
• New shifts added or edited for unavailable days will display with a warning on the roster.

Keeping employee availability up to date is best managed by the employees themselves, as this ensures accuracy and helps employees take responsibility for their own availability. However, there are times when an admin may need to make updates on their behalf. 

Below, we’ll guide you through updating both ongoing and once off employee availability.

  For the full instructions on how employees can update their own availablity please refer to our employee guide here. 
 

Once off availability

Sometimes employees need a one-off day off, like for a uni exam or appointment. If an employee is within their notice period and can’t update their availability for the required date, you can submit it on their behalf.

These requests are automatically approved, making the process quick and hassle-free.
 

To submit a request:

1. Navigate to Time and Attendance > Time Off > Availability and select the +Create button.
2. Complete the following details for the once off request:
   
     Hot tip: Additonal fields will become available once the previous field has been completed. 
   • Choose the relevant Employee
   • Specify the date range for the request
     
       Hot tip: When submitting multiple availability updates, they must be submitted in chronological order, i.e., January's requests before February's. 
      
   • Select the relevant days the request applies.
   • Confirm the update type:
     • Unavailable - This will mark the selected days as unavailable
     • Available - This updates the selected days to mark the employee as available
     • Partial - This option requires a time span to be added for the selected days to specify when the employee is unavailable
       • Multiple time spans can be added by selecting + Add another time span and entering the details
   • Provide a reason for the request (optional).
3. To save and submit the request, select 'Create Approved Availability Request'. This request is automatically approved.

Ongoing availability

Ongoing availability is designed to be managed by employees themselves, so changes requested through an admin are generally not possible. 

However, admins with the right permissions can update an employee’s ongoing availability by impersonating them; when updating this way, you are essentially making the changes as if you were the employee, so notice periods and block out dates still apply. If this is the case, you will be unable to select those dates. 

  Permission Reminder: To access employees' profiles and log in as them will require the 'Access Approved People', 'View Employee Pay Rates' and 'Impersonate Employee' permissions.
 

To update ongoing availability:

1. Locate and navigate to the employee's profile and select Login as Xx. Once in the employee's portal, navigate to Time Off > Availability.
2. To create an update, select Change Availability, then select Ongoing.
3. Complete the following details:
   
     Hot tip:  Additonal fields will become available once the previous field has been completed. 
   • Specify the start date for the availability.
     
       Hot tip: When submitting multiple availability updates, they must be submitted in chronological order, i.e., January's requests before February's. 
      
   • Select the relevant days for the update. 
   • Confirm the update type:
     • Unavailable - This will mark the selected days as unavailable
     • Available - This updates the selected days to mark the employee as available
     • Partial - This option requires a time span to be added for the selected days to specify when the employee is unavailable
       • Multiple time spans can be added by selecting + Add another time span and entering the details
4. Set different availability preferences by selecting + Set other days, then entering the details. 
   
   For example, specify days when employees are completely unavailable and others with only partial availability. 
5. Review your update, then select Update Ongoing Availability to apply it.       

Once an employee sets their availability or a request is approved, these updates are reflected across key areas of the platform to ensure visibility for your team. This helps managers stay informed when rostering, filling shifts, and communicating with employees.

Below, we’ll walk through where managers can view this information.
 

Roster

Knowing when employees are available to work is critical when building a roster, as it helps ensure shifts are assigned correctly and reduces the risk of rostering issues. Viewing availability directly on the roster is a key way to streamline the rostering process and support informed decision-making.

There are 2 ways you can choose to display availability on the roster:

• For all employees on the roster – Enable 'Leave and unavailability' toggle in your roster display settings.

  

• For a single employee – Select the ellipsis next to the employee’s name and enable the 'Leave and unavailability' toggle. 

  

Once enabled, any hours an employee has marked as unavailable will appear highlighted in grey on the relevant day. 

If a shift is rostered during this time, a warning will display to notify the manager that the shift conflicts with the employee’s availability; however, this warning will not prevent the shift from being published.

Employee Profile

An employee’s profile displays their current fortnightly availability, providing visibility for HR and People managers when managing employee records or contacting employees directly. This is particularly useful for administrators who need access to availability information but do not have rostering permissions.

  Permission Reminder: Admins must have the 'Access Approved People' permission enabled to view an employee’s profile.

Availability is shown directly on the Overview page of the employee’s profile, in the Work Calendar drop-down menu. 

This calendar will show 3 availability statuses:

• Green - The employee is available all day

• Orange - The employee is partially available for that day

• Red - The employee is unavailable for that day

The calendar displays availability only and does not show any approved leave. This view is display-only and cannot be edited; to update an employee’s availability, refer to the Submit availability on behalf of an employee section above.

  An employee's availability can also be used as their working status for other areas of the platform, such as Approved People and People working today. To learn more, refer to our article Viewing People statuses in your platform.

When managing employee availability, communications can be sent to both employees and admins via email and/or SMS to inform them of updates. You can enable, disable, or customise these messages to suit your needs.

Below you will find the actions that trigger the communication, the communication content ID, and an overview of the communication's default purpose. 

The communications can be edited by navigating to Communication > Communication Content. You can read more about customising communications here. 
 

• Employee submits an availability request

• Admin approves or declines a submitted availability request

• Employee updates their ongoing availability

If you’re looking to maintain an on-hand record of your employees’ availability, exporting availability can be a useful way to support planning, auditing, or internal reporting. 

Having this information readily available can help with:

• Rostering decisions
• Reviewing availability patterns
• Sharing details with relevant stakeholders outside the platform

The process for exporting availability depends on the type of availability you’re looking to capture, as different types are managed in different areas of your platform. This determines where you’ll need to navigate to complete the export.

  For a full, step-by-step guide to exporting employee availability, please refer to our article Exporting employee availability.

Why do some availability requests require approval and others don't?

The 2 types of availability are made for different purposes:

• Ongoing availability - This allows people with second jobs or university study to set a pattern that remains in place for a longer period of time. It saves admins time not having to approve this time after time. 
• Once off availability - This is used for ad-hoc days off, due to its continuously changing nature, we have given admins the ability to approve or decline it.

My employee is attempting to submit a new availability request, but can't select certain days because they're greyed out. What causes this?

When an employee submits an availability request or update, the days can be greyed out for 2 main causes:

• Your availability settings are preventing the days from being selected. This can be because:
  • You have set up notice periods and the day the employee is tryting to select does not have enough notice. 
  • The selected days have been blocked out. 

Refer to the Availability settings and Block out days sections above for further details on these settings. 

• The employee is submitting multiple availability updates or requests. Days can be greyed out as a result of:
  • The employee already has an existing availability request for those days. 
  • The employee has a future-dated availability request, as such all days before that request's dates have been greyed out (e.g a previous request has been submitted for March, and the current request is for January).

To resolve this the employee can delete or edit the existing application via their Employee app. 

How do I prevent my employees from requesting days off within the same week? When will availability take effect?

By using your Availability settings and adjusting the 'days of notice' periods, you can prevent your employees from applying for days off or changing their ongoing pattern of availability on short notice. 

Once off requests take effect on the roster once approved by an admin and ongoing changes will be immediate on your roster once inputted by an employee.

Can I stop/block my staff from putting in (ongoing) unavailability requests?

No, but you can however adjust the days off period to be much longer to give you more notice. Keep in mind you can also still choose to use these employees if they are showing on your roster as unavailable.

Does unavailability prevent me from rostering staff?

No, unavailability will give you a soft warning so that you consider not rostering them but it won't stop you. An orange shift on the roster will remind you that this employee is unavailable and you may want to consult the employee before proceeding.

For a newly onboarded employee, does their availability flow into the roster and set it immediately when they start?

Yes, if you have an Availaibility component in your onboarder capturing the employee's ongoing availaibility at the time of hiring - this will flow to the roster once you add that employee.

Is there a way that employees can enter an ongoing fortnightly rotation request?

If an employee's Availability changes on a fortnightly pattern, the employee can manage this by altering their pattern at the end of each week. This way you will always have the most up to date availability for them.

Can different operations/sites have different availability settings?

As availability settings such as 'days off required for requesting a once off day off' are set in the same menu in your platform, these settings will apply to all operations and sites. Please consider this before making changes.

What is the best way to put in a series of partial unavailable days?

Employees can use the + Add another time span and + Set other days buttons to submit all of their partial availability in one submission.

My roster manager needs to know which employees are available to work. Is there a way they can see this on the roster?

Yes!

You can enable the Leave and unavailability display option to show the hours an employee has marked as unavailable. These periods will appear highlighted in grey on the roster, while approved leave will be highlighted in purple.

This visibility helps managers avoid shift warnings and supports smoother, more accurate rostering.

For more information, refer to the Viewing employee availability section above.

Is there a way to disable the availability feature if it's not needed for our business?

Yes. If your business does not require the use of availability, you can disable it via main menu > Platform Settings > Time & Attendance Settings. 

Once disabled, availability will no longer be accessible to any employees or admins across the platform.