How to Create Shifts and Assign Rosters in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature — no add-on required. In the Payroll and HR edition, Attendance & Shift is a step in the edition's Getting Started checklist.
Availability: All editions. Core feature — no add-on required. In the Payroll and HR edition, Attendance & Shift is a step in the edition's Getting Started checklist.
What's New NEW
R26.10 · Oct 2026Shifts now come in three types: strict (fixed start and end), flexible (work any hours that add up to a required daily total, with an optional clock-in window and auto-clock-out) and split (two or more work windows in one day, with the gap between them left out of paid time). Clock-in, clock-out and overtime take the shift type into account.
Overview
A shift defines the working hours an employee is expected to work. A roster is the per-user schedule that says which shift each person works on which days. CrmLeaf uses the shift attached to an attendance record to decide whether a clock-in is on time or late, and the shift length is the basis for the fractional deduction used by hourly leave. Getting shifts right therefore affects attendance accuracy, leave and payroll.
How It Works
You define the shifts your organisation runs, assign them to people as schedules, and confirm the result on the shift calendar.
Define shifts → Set a default shift → Assign schedules → Bulk-assign → Review the shift calendar
- A shift definition holds the working hours the shift represents, and has one of three types. A strict shift has a fixed start and end. A flexible shift sets a required daily total, and the employee can work those hours at any time of day, optionally within a clock-in window and with an automatic clock-out. A split shift has two or more work windows in a day, such as a morning and an evening, and the gap between them is excluded from paid time.
- Clock-in, clock-out and overtime are shift-type aware, so a flexible or split shift is measured the way it is defined and not against a single fixed window.
- A per-user schedule links an employee to a shift for the relevant days. Together these schedules are the roster.
- Bulk assignment applies a shift to many employees in one action instead of editing each person.
- The shift calendar shows who is on which shift over a period, so gaps and clashes are visible before the period starts.
- A default shift applies where no specific schedule has been assigned, so new employees are still measured against working hours.
- Shift data is used by attendance (late and half-day flags), by hourly leave (shift length), and by Resource Utilization views where that add-on is enabled.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Create and edit shift definitions.
- Assign shifts to individual employees and in bulk.
- Set the default shift for the company.
- Review the shift calendar and correct the roster.
This functionality is available only to Administrators. Employees see the shift they are assigned and can request a change, which is covered in How to Request and Approve Shift Changes.
Prerequisites
- Employee records exist for the people you will roster.
- You know the working hours each shift represents.
- Company holidays and weekly offs are configured, so the roster does not contradict non-working days.
For Administrators
Step 1: Create the shift definitions
What to do: Select Add and create a shift for each distinct pattern of working hours you run. Enter the shift name, choose the shift type (strict, flexible or split), and enter the hours that type needs: a start and end for a strict shift, the required daily total for a flexible shift, or each work window for a split shift. Select Save.
What to verify: Each shift appears in the shift list with the type and hours you entered.
Step 2: Set the default shift
What to do: Select the shift that should apply when no specific schedule has been assigned to a person. Select Save.
What to verify: The default shift is saved, and a newly added employee is measured against it.
Step 3: Assign a shift to an employee
What to do: Select the employee and assign the shift for the relevant dates. Select Save.
What to verify: The employee's schedule shows the assigned shift for those dates.
Step 4: Assign a shift to many employees at once
What to do: Use the bulk assignment action. Select the employees, select the shift and the date range, then confirm. Use this when a whole team moves onto one pattern.
What to verify: Every selected employee shows the shift for the whole range.
Step 5: Review the shift calendar
What to do: Open the shift calendar and check the period ahead. Look for days where a person has no shift, and for people rostered on a company holiday or weekly off.
What to verify: Every working day in the period has the intended coverage.
Field and Option Reference
| Field / Option | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Shift name | The name used to identify the shift when assigning it. | Yes |
| Shift type | Strict (fixed start and end), flexible (any hours totalling the required figure) or split (two or more work windows in a day). | Yes |
| Working hours | The hours the shift represents: a start and end for a strict shift, a required daily total for a flexible shift, or the work windows for a split shift. Used for late and half-day flags and for hourly-leave proportions. | Yes |
| Clock-in window / auto-clock-out | Optional settings on a flexible shift: the period in which the employee may clock in, and an automatic clock-out. | No |
| Employee | The person the schedule applies to. | Yes |
| Date range | The dates the assignment covers. | Yes |
| Default shift | The shift applied where no specific schedule exists. Set in attendance settings. | No |
Expected Result
The shifts exist, the selected employees have shift schedules for the chosen dates, and the shift calendar shows the roster. Attendance clock-ins are measured against the assigned shift.
Service Organisation Context
Shifts define the working hours a person is expected to be available for, and in a services firm that expectation is the denominator behind every capacity conversation. Where the Resource Utilization add-on module is enabled, its Availability and Capacity lenses draw on shifts alongside logged time, estimates, leave and holidays, so a roster that does not reflect how people actually work quietly distorts what those views show. Shift length also drives the fractional deduction used by hourly leave, which matters where consultants take short absences from billable days. The same roster serves support cover, site crews and production shifts in any edition.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- Assign shifts before the period begins. Attendance is evaluated against the shift in force at the time of the clock-in.
- Shift length drives the hourly-leave deduction. Changing a shift's hours changes how much balance an hourly leave consumes.
- For a repeating pattern that should rotate automatically, use shift rotations instead of reassigning the roster each cycle.
Common Scenarios
Example: a flexible-hours team. A design team may start any time between early morning and mid-morning as long as each person works eight hours. Create a flexible shift with an eight-hour daily total, bulk-assign the team, and attendance measures the hours worked rather than a fixed start time.
Example: a split shift for a clinic. Staff work a morning window and an evening window with a long break between. Create a split shift with both windows, and the gap between them is not counted as paid time.
Example: two fixed shifts for a support team. Create a morning shift and an evening shift, bulk-assign each half of the team for the month, then confirm on the shift calendar that every day has both shifts covered.
Example: a single-shift office. Create one shift and set it as the default shift. Every employee, including new joiners, is then measured against those hours without individual assignment.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| An employee is marked late when they were on time. | The wrong shift is assigned for that date, or the default shift applied instead of the intended one. | Check the employee's schedule for the date and correct the assignment. |
| An employee has no shift on the calendar. | No schedule covers that date. | Assign the shift for the missing dates, or set a default shift. |
| Bulk assignment did not cover everyone. | Some employees were not selected, or their record is not active. | Repeat the bulk assignment for the remaining employees. |
| An hourly leave deducted more balance than expected. | The assigned shift is shorter than assumed, so the proportion of the day is larger. | Check the shift's working hours for that employee. |
| A flexible-shift employee is not marked late, or hours look wrong. | A flexible shift is measured against the required daily total and any clock-in window, not a fixed start time. | Check the shift type, required total and clock-in window on the shift definition. |
| Time between the two windows of a split shift is counted as worked. | The shift was created as a strict or flexible shift rather than a split shift. | Edit the shift to the split type and enter each window. |
| People are rostered on a company holiday. | The holiday or weekly off was configured after the roster was built. | Review the holiday configuration and adjust the roster. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if an employee has no shift assigned?
The default shift set in attendance settings applies.
Can I move a whole team to a new shift in one action?
Yes. Bulk assignment applies a shift to many employees over a date range.
What is the difference between strict, flexible and split shifts?
A strict shift has a fixed start and end. A flexible shift requires a daily total of hours worked at any time. A split shift has two or more work windows in a day, with the gap excluded from paid time.
Does the shift affect leave?
Yes. Hourly leave deducts a fraction of a day proportional to the employee's shift length, so shift hours affect the balance consumed.
Can employees change their own shift?
No. Employees can raise a shift-change request, which a manager approves or declines.
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