Ensure break compliance for employee self-service requests

Depending on how schedule rule sets, work rules, and self-service request subtypes are configured, employees might be prevented from seeing some shifts when submitting Open, Swap, Cover, and Self-Schedule self-service requests. This can occur when the break length of those shifts differs from the break length specified in the employee’s work rules, even when the request subtype is configured to adjust breaks automatically upon approval.

The Break Length Threshold schedule rule set parameter for the Shifts conform to Break Rules shift rule allows the system to make eligible those shifts whose break lengths are less than or greater than the break definition specified in the employee’s work rules. The Break Length Threshold can be useful in organizations in which say, work rules specify different break lengths for full-time and part-time employees, which might limit employees’ ability to submit requests for certain shifts.

Configure UKG Pro Workforce Management™ to ensure break compliance for employee self-service requests

To configure UKG Pro WFM to ensure break compliance for employee self-service requests while allowing flexibility in determining eligible shifts for those requests:

  1. Create a schedule rule set with the shift rule Shifts conform to Break Rules:

    1. In Severity, specify the severity you want to associate with this rule.

    2. In Break Length Threshold, specify the amount of time you want a shift’s break to be able to differ from the break length specified in the employee’s work rule and still be eligible for a self-service request. For example, if you wanted to allow shifts with breaks that were either 20 minutes longer or shorter than the employee's normal break, you would enter 00:20 (the default format of this field is hh:mm).

    3. Note: The Break Length Threshold parameter is displayed only if the Enable Break Length Threshold rule parameter feature switch is enabled. See Feature Switch for more information.

  2. See Configure schedule rule sets for more information.

  3. Assign the schedule rule set to the employee in the Scheduling section of the employee's People Information record.

  4. See Configure Data Access Profiles for Scheduler for more information.

  5. Create a work rule that defines the break length and automated break placement for the employee’s shifts, and associate that work rule with a pay rule.

  6. See Work Rules for more information.

  7. Assign the pay rule to the employee in the Timekeeping section of the employee's People Information record.

  8. See Timekeeping for more information.

  9. Configure these settings for the appropriate employee self-service request subtypes (Open, Swap, Cover, and Self-Scheduling):

    1. Minimum Rule Severity to Validate – The system uses this value to validate the request for violation of any rules configured in the employee schedule rule set that meet the specified minimum severity.

    2. Adjust Breaks Automatically – Determines whether breaks are automatically adjusted when the request is approved:

      • If enabled, the system does not use the Shifts conform to Break Rules employee schedule rule to validate the shift. Breaks in the selected shift are automatically adjusted to match the Automated Break Placement settings in the employee’s work rule.

      • If disabled, the system uses the Shifts conform to Break Rules employee schedule rule Break Length Threshold parameter to validate the shift. It filters out shifts whose breaks are outside the limits established by the Break Length Threshold.

  10. See Configure Request Subtypes for more information.

When shifts are evaluated by the schedule rule Shifts conform to Break Rules, the system will not filter out from selection shifts whose breaks differ from those specified in the employee’s default work rule:

  • If the request subtype is set to Adjust Breaks Automatically, or
  • If the break’s difference falls within the allowable variation specified by the Break Length Threshold

Example

This example illustrates the role the Adjust Breaks Automatically request subtype setting and schedule rules play in shift break compliance behavior.

In this organization:

  • Employee A has Work Rule A, which contains Break Rule A with normal length of 60 minutes
  • Employee B has Work Rule B, which contains Break Rule B with normal length of 30 minutes
  • Break placement settings in Work Rules are identical
  • Both have employee schedule rule sets with Shift Conforms to Break Rules set to a severity that matches the Minimum Rule Severity to Validate setting in the request subtype configuration
  • The Break Length Threshold in the Shift Conforms to Break Rules rule is set to 20 minutes

Employee A has a shift that is scheduled from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, with a meal break from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM (60 minutes). They make the shift available in the Shift Market.

Employee B meets all other criteria that qualify eligible employees except that their breaks are set to different normal lengths in their default work rule. They look in the Shift Market for a shift to take.

If Adjust Breaks Automatically is enabled, the shift is displayed to Employee B. Breaks in the selected shift are automatically adjusted to match the Automated Break Placement settings in the employee’s assigned work rule when the request is approved to bring the new shift into compliance with Employee B’s work rules. The system does not use the Shifts conform to Break Rules employee schedule rule to validate the shift.

If Adjust Breaks Automatically is disabled, the shift is not displayed to Employee B. The system uses the Shifts conform to Break Rules employee schedule rule to validate the shift. Because the threshold is set to 20 minutes, and because the breaks are not automatically adjusted, the shift placed in the Shift Market by Employee A is not displayed to Employee B.