Scheduling

Coordinating a team across dozens of properties requires clear schedules. This guide covers how to create shifts, build recurring schedules, manage time-off requests, and keep track of your team's availability.

Overview

The scheduling system in Argonautas lets you assign staff members to shifts at specific properties, set up recurring patterns for regular work, and handle time-off requests through an approval workflow. The calendar view gives property managers a unified picture of who is working where and when -- essential for ensuring every property is covered, especially during high-season turnovers.

Shift Types

Shifts represent blocks of time when a staff member is scheduled to work at a property. The system supports several shift types to match different operational needs:

Shift Type	Description	Example
Morning	First half of the day, typically 7:00 AM -- 12:00 PM.	Housekeeping turnover cleans for same-day check-ins.
Afternoon	Second half of the day, typically 12:00 PM -- 5:00 PM.	Pool maintenance, restocking, pre-arrival inspections.
Full Day	Covers the entire working day.	Deep cleans, large property turnovers, maintenance projects.
Custom	User-defined start and end times.	Evening chef prep (4:00 PM -- 9:00 PM), early airport run (5:00 AM -- 7:00 AM).

Each shift is assigned to one staff member and one property. This keeps the schedule precise -- you always know who is at which villa and when.

[Screenshot: Weekly calendar view showing shifts color-coded by staff member across multiple properties]

Creating a Shift

To schedule a staff member:

1. Navigate to Scheduling from the main sidebar.
2. Click on a day in the calendar, or click Add Shift.
3. Fill in the shift details:

Field	Description
Staff Member	The person being scheduled.
Property	The property where the work takes place.
Shift Type	Morning, Afternoon, Full Day, or Custom.
Date	The day of the shift.
Start / End Time	Auto-filled for standard types; editable for Custom shifts.
Notes	Optional instructions -- e.g., "Focus on outdoor furniture and deck."

4. Click Save.

The shift appears on the calendar and is visible to the assigned staff member in their portal.

[Screenshot: Add shift form with staff, property, type, and time fields]

Recurring Schedules

For work that happens on a regular pattern -- weekly pool service, biweekly deep cleans, daily housekeeping during peak season -- you can set up recurring schedules instead of creating individual shifts.

Setting Up a Recurring Schedule

1. When creating a shift, enable the Recurring toggle.
2. Choose the recurrence pattern:
   • Daily -- Every day or every N days.
   • Weekly -- Select specific days of the week (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday).
   • Biweekly -- Every two weeks on selected days.
   • Monthly -- On a specific date or day of the month.
3. Set the end date or choose No end date for indefinite recurrence.
4. Save.

The system generates individual shift instances for each occurrence. You can edit or cancel a single instance without affecting the rest of the series.

Modifying a Recurring Series

When you edit a shift that belongs to a recurring series, the system asks whether you want to change:

• This shift only -- Modify just the selected instance.
• This and following shifts -- Apply changes from this date forward.
• All shifts in the series -- Update every instance, past and future.

This flexibility lets you handle one-off changes (a staff member swapping a single Tuesday) without disrupting the broader schedule.

Time-Off Requests

The system supports two paths for managing time off: staff members submit requests that property managers approve or deny, and property managers can directly block dates for a staff member without a request.

How Staff Members Request Time Off

1. In the staff portal, navigate to My Schedule and scroll to the My Time Off section.
2. Click Request Time Off.
3. Select the start and end dates (full days only), provide a reason (optional), and submit.

The request appears as "Pending" in the staff member's list. Property managers see it in the Time Off tab on the Scheduling page.

Reviewing and Approving Requests

1. Navigate to Scheduling and open the Time Off tab. A badge on the tab shows the number of pending requests.
2. Pending requests are listed with the staff member's name, position, requested dates, reason, and day count.
3. If the requested dates overlap existing shifts, a conflict warning appears on the card showing how many shifts are affected.
4. Click Approve or Deny. When denying, you can add a note explaining why.

Approving a request does not automatically cancel conflicting shifts -- it warns you about them, and you handle reassignment separately on the Schedule tab. This lets you approve the time off now and figure out coverage on your own timeline.

When a request is approved, denied, or a previously approved request is cancelled, the staff member is notified via their preferred channel (WhatsApp, SMS, or email).

[Screenshot: Time-off request list showing pending requests with approve and deny actions]

Manager Blocks

Property managers can block time off directly without waiting for a request from the staff member. This is useful for planned training days, company holidays, or scheduling decisions made on behalf of the team.

1. On the Time Off tab, click Block Time Off.
2. Select the staff member, date range, and optional reason.
3. The block is immediately approved -- no review step needed.

Manager blocks appear alongside staff requests in the list, distinguished by a "PM Block" badge.

Cancelling Time Off

• Staff members can cancel their own pending requests from the My Time Off section in the staff portal.
• Property managers can cancel any pending or approved request from the Time Off tab. If a previously approved request is cancelled, the staff member is notified.

Time-Off Calendar View

The scheduling calendar shows approved time off as hatched overlay blocks across the staff member's row on affected days. An "Off" label appears in each cell. Shifts that fall on time-off days are shown with reduced opacity and strikethrough, making conflicts visible at a glance.

Overlap Protection

The system prevents overlapping time-off periods for the same staff member:

• At request time -- a new request that overlaps an existing approved or pending request is rejected.
• At approval time -- if two pending requests overlap and one is approved first, the second cannot be approved.

Cancelled and denied requests do not block new requests for the same dates.

Key Concepts

• Shift = person + property + time -- Every shift ties a specific staff member to a specific property during a defined window. This ensures accountability and prevents ambiguity.
• Two paths for time off -- Staff can request, managers can block. Both result in the same calendar visibility and conflict detection.
• Approval workflow -- Staff-initiated requests go through a review process so managers can ensure coverage before granting days off. Manager blocks skip the review.
• Warn, don't block -- Approving time off with conflicting shifts warns you but does not prevent approval. You handle shift reassignment separately.

Common Questions

Can a staff member see shifts for other team members? No. Staff members see only their own schedule in the staff portal. Property managers and admins see the full team calendar.

What if I need two people at the same property at the same time? Create separate shifts for each person at the same property and time -- this is common for large turnovers or event preparation.

Can staff members swap shifts with each other? Not directly through the system. A property manager needs to reassign the shifts manually. The staff members can coordinate informally and the manager makes the change.

How far in advance can I schedule? There is no limit. You can create shifts as far into the future as needed.

Do shifts automatically create tasks? No. Shifts and tasks are separate concepts. Shifts define when and where someone works; tasks define what specific work needs to be done. You can create tasks and link them to the same property and date as a shift for a complete picture.

What happens to shifts when a staff member is deactivated? Future shifts for a deactivated staff member are flagged for reassignment. They are not automatically deleted, so you can review and redistribute the work.

Can I request half days or specific hours off? Not currently. Time off is full-day only -- select a start date and end date. For partial-day changes, adjust shifts directly on the Schedule tab.

What happens to shifts on approved time-off days? They remain on the calendar but are visually marked as conflicting (strikethrough). The property manager decides whether to reassign or cancel them.

Related

• Staff Management -- Adding team members, roles, and invitations.
• Task Management -- Creating and assigning specific work items.
• Staff Reports -- Performance metrics and workload distribution.
• Staff Portal Guide -- How staff members interact with their schedules.