Sling by Toast: Create a Schedule

In this Article:

• Create a Shift
• Use Shift Templates
• Use Schedule Templates
• Use Time Blocks and Day Parts
• Use Open-Ended Shifts
• Add Shift Notes
• Use Tags
• Use Day Notes
• Use Recurring and Copy Functions
• Optimize Staffing With Unassigned Shifts
• Use Auto-Assign
• Bulk Edit Shifts
• Publish and Unpublish Shifts
• View Shift Applications
  • For Employees
  • For Admins and Managers
• Use Shift Acceptance
• Use Roster
• Customize Shift Appearance
• Print the Schedule
• Export the Schedule

Create a Shift

You must have the Admin or Manager system role to create shifts.

From the web:

1. Select Create shift or select a blank space in the calendar.
2. Enter shift details such as start and end time, location, and position.
3. Optionally add recurrence, breaks, tags, tasks, or notes.
4. Choose whether to save as published or unpublished.

 
Shifts save automatically when added to the calendar.
 
Unpublished shifts are visible only to admins and managers. Published shifts are visible to employees.
 
From the mobile app:

1. Go to the Shifts tab.
2. Select the 3-dot option in the upper right corner and choose Create shift.
3. Enter shift details and select Save.

Back to top

Use Shift Templates

Shift templates allow you to reuse commonly scheduled shifts.
 
To create a template:

1. Select the 3-dot option in the upper right corner of the schedule.
2. Select View shift templates.
3. Select + Create shift template.
4. Enter the details and select Save.

 You can:

• Select a template when creating a shift
• Drag and drop templates into the schedule
• Copy and paste templates

Back to top

 
Use Schedule Templates

Schedule templates allow you to save and reuse a full schedule.
 
To create a template:

1. Build your schedule.
2. Select the 3-dot option in the upper right corner of the schedule.
3. Select Save schedule to template.
4. Name the template
5. Choose whether or not to ignore assignees.
6. Choose whether or not to ignore unpublished shifts.
7. Select Save.

To apply a template:

1. Select a date range.
2. Select Load schedule from template.
3. Select a template and select Apply.

Templates apply as unpublished shifts, so you can edit before publishing.

 
Back to top

 
Use Time Blocks and Day Parts

Time blocks allow you to apply preset shift times quickly.
 
To create a time block:

1. Select the 3-dot option in the upper right corner of the schedule.
2. Select Edit time blocks and day parts.
3. Select + Create time block.
4. Enter the details and select Add.

Day parts allow you to group and filter shifts by time of day.
 
To create a time block:

1. Select the 3-dot option in the upper right corner of the schedule.
2. Select Edit time blocks and day parts.
3. Select the Day Parts tab.
4. Select + Create day part.  
5. Enter the details and select Add.

Back to top

Use Open-Ended Shifts

You can hide a shift’s end time so employees do not see a defined end time.
 
To enable this option, select the End field in a shift and enable Hide end time.

Back to top

 
Add Shift Notes

Admins and managers can add notes to shifts for additional details.
 
To add notes, open a shift and enter details in the Notes field.

Back to top

 
Use Tags

Tags add custom labels to shifts for better organization.
 
They can be used to specify information such as:

• A shift's name or title
• A server's section or zone
• A vehicle type or ID for a delivery driver
• A work site or project
• A workstation or specific duty
• A stipend or bonus for that shift
• An event happening during that shift

Back to top

 
Use Day Notes

 Day notes allow admins and managers to mark days as closed or add important reminders to the schedule.
 
From the web:

1. Select the Day or Week view on the schedule page.
2. Select the + icon near Today in the day view. Select the + icon near the day of the week in the week view.
3. Enter the details and select Save.

 
From the mobile app:

1. Go to the Shifts tab.
2. Select the date, then select Day options.
3. Enter the details and select Save. 

Back to top

 
Use Recurring and Copy Functions

You can create recurring shifts or copy existing shifts across dates. Recurring shifts can repeat for up to one year. 
 
To create a recurring shift, select the Repeat option when creating or editing a shift, then select the days of the week and end date.
 
Copy options include:

• Full schedule copy
• Selected shifts copy
• Drag-and-drop duplication

To copy the full schedule: 

1. Select the Copy icon near the top right of the schedule.
2. Choose the dates you want to copy from and the dates you want to copy to.
3. Select whether or not to revert all the shifts to unassigned shifts, to copy unpublished shifts, and to skip conflicts and labor cost checks.
4. Select Copy.

To copy selected shifts:

1. Select the checkboxes within shifts for the shifts you want to copy.
2. Select the Copy icon that appears near the top left corner of the schedule.
3. Choose which week to copy the shifts to.
4. Select whether or not to ignore employees.
5. Select whether or not to skip all conflict and labor checks.
6. Select Copy.

Back to top

Optimize Staffing With Unassigned Shifts

Unassigned shifts help define staffing needs before assigning employees.
 
You can:

• Create shifts in the unassigned section
• Set slots to indicate staffing needs
• Assign employees later

 
Back to top

Use Auto-Assign

Auto-assign helps distribute unassigned shifts automatically based on employee availability, positions, and locations.
 
To use auto-assign:

1. Select a date range.
2. Select Auto.
3. Select Auto-assign unassigned shifts. You also have the option to make unassigned shifts available if you’d rather have your employees apply for available shifts than assign them to employees.

Shifts remain unpublished until you choose to publish them.

Back to top
 

Bulk Edit Shifts

Bulk editing allows you to update multiple shifts at once. 

To bulk edit shifts:

1. Select the shifts you want to edit.
2. Select the Edit icon that appears near the top left corner of the schedule.
3. Select what to edit.
4. Select Save.

 
You can bulk edit:

• Start time
• End time
• Break
• Location
• Position
• Assignee
• Tags
• Availability (when applicable)
• Slots (when applicable)
• Notes
• Publish status

Back to top

Publish and Unpublish Shifts

You can publish shifts individually or in bulk. Unpublished shifts remain hidden from employees.
 
To publish a single shift:

1. Select the shift.
2. Select Edit shift.
3. Enable Publish shift.

 
To publish multiple shifts:

1. Select a date range.
2. Select Publish in the upper right corner of the schedule. 

To unpublish a single shift:

1. Select the shift.
2. Select Edit shift.
3. Disable Publish shift. 

To unpublish multiple shifts:

1. Select shifts.
2. Select the Edit icon that appears near the top left corner of the schedule.
3. Select Publish status, then select Unpublish all. 

 Back to top

View Shift Applications

For Employees

When you apply for an available shift, the shift indicates that you have applied, but it remains in the Available Shift section of the schedule until a manager or admin decides who it will be assigned to.
 
There is not a summary page for shifts you have applied for, but you can find them in the Available section of your Schedule in both the web and mobile versions of Sling until they have been assigned.
 
After you apply, the shift no longer displays the available icon. In the web version, your initials appear on the shift instead.
 
When you open the shift details, you will see a note about your application.
 
In the mobile app, the shift also no longer displays the available icon, and you can view the note from the shift details there as well.
 
If you do not see these changes after applying, refresh the app so the details display properly.

Back to top

 
For Admins and Managers

Admins and managers can view shifts that have been applied for in the Schedule tab of the web version of Sling under Pending approval.
 
Use this tab to review any shift applications that are still awaiting a response.
 
Select the shift to view its details and respond to applications.
 
Back to top

Use Shift Acceptance

Shift acceptance is available with the Business subscription and provides an automatic way to confirm that employees have seen and acknowledged newly published shifts.
 
The feature sends an automatic notification whenever shifts are published and asks the employee to respond. Management is then notified whether the shifts have been accepted or denied.
 
Note: Users with the Manager or Admin system role also receive shift acceptance notifications.
 
To enable shift acceptance:

1. Access the web version of Sling.
2. Navigate to Settings.
3. Select the Schedule tab.
4. Enable Shift acceptance.

 After you create and publish shifts, a small white area with a [?] appears at the top right corner of the shift. The shift details also indicate that the shift is waiting for a response from the employee.
 
On the employee side, a notification appears for the new shift. Employees can accept the shift from their Dashboard. Employees can also select the notification to open the full shift details and choose to deny the shift.
 
Recurring shifts are handled differently with shift acceptance. If the employee responds from the recurring shift notification, all shifts in the recurrence are affected. If the employee wants to respond to shifts individually, they can go to the Schedule page and respond to each shift one at a time.
 
When an employee accepts a shift, it changes to a confirmed status and the [?] disappears. When an employee denies a shift, they can send a note to their managers explaining why they are denying it. If an employee denies a shift, it remains assigned to them, and the top corner changes to [!]. A pop-up also explains that the shift is still theirs until further notice.
 
Managers and admins see Dashboard updates for denied shifts. Accepted shifts simply become finalized, and the [?] is removed. Denied shifts also display the [!] icon in the Schedule for managers and admins. Managers can then decide what to do with the shift, such as reassigning it, offering it, making it available, or making small adjustments.
 
If the shift is edited, the employee receives a new notification for the updated version and can accept or deny it again. If the shift is made available or offered, it remains assigned to the employee and continues to show the [!] status until someone else picks it up.
 
An employee's response to a new shift cannot be changed once submitted. If an employee denies a shift and later decides they can work it, a manager or admin must edit and republish the shift so it can be accepted. If an employee accepts a shift and later cannot work it, they must make it available or offer it. The shift remains their responsibility until someone else takes it.
 
Back to top

Use Roster

Sling's roster feature gives you an overview of the current date, allowing you to see a quick snapshot of your day's scheduled shifts. It can help you understand staffing levels and identify conflicts or gaps.
 
From the web:

1. Access the Dashboard.
2. Select Roster next to the Notifications tab.
3. Use the forward and backward arrows to review different dates.

Premium and Business subscribers can also see employee time clock statuses, allowing managers and admins to keep track of who is running late, clocked in, on break, or done for the day.
 
There are also options to edit timesheets or mark sick call-outs and no-shows directly from the roster.
 
You can sort the list by employee name, position, or location. You may also have additional options, such as groups, if they are set up on the account.
 
You can further sort the information using the icons next to each column header. For example, you can sort your roster by position and see employees listed by start time so earlier shifts appear first.
 
You can also adjust the columns that display depending on which details are most important to review at a glance.
 
You can export or print your roster for easy sharing.
 
From the mobile app:

1. Access the Dashboard tab.
2. Select Today's roster.

This opens a list of all shifts scheduled for the current date.
 
Note: You can select a different date in Roster only from the web version of Sling.
 
You can recognize shift statuses by their color coding:

• Red: Running late
• Green: Clocked in
• Yellow: On break
• Grey: Clocked out, marked as a no-show or sick call-out, or scheduled for later

You can also apply filters in the mobile app to focus on certain shifts. Current filters include locations, positions, and tags.
 
To view more details about a shift on the roster, select it. From the details screen, you can select the 3-dot option in the upper right corner to edit the timesheet, mark the shift as a sick call-out or no-show, or delete the shift from the schedule.
 
Back to top

Customize Shift Appearance

Paid subscriptions allow you to customize how shifts appear on the web calendar. These settings do not affect the mobile app and apply only to the user making the changes.
 
To customize shift appearance: 

1. Access the web version of Sling.
2. Navigate to Dashboard > Settings > Preferences and find the section labeled Shift appearance on calendar.
3. The labels on the left are the pieces of information you can add, remove, or rearrange by dragging and dropping them.
4. The purple area shows how the information appears within a shift on your calendar.
5. Select Save. 

Different options are available for the different views, and you can customize the Day, Week, and Month views separately by selecting each one.
 
If you want to restore the default view, select the round arrow icon.

Back to top

Print the Schedule 

Sling makes it easy for employees to see their schedules online and in the app, but sometimes you may still need a printed copy or PDF.
 
To print the schedule:

1. Access the web version of Sling.
2. Use the filters to remove any information you do not want included in the printout or PDF. You may want to hide wages, sales projections, or empty rows.
3. Make sure you are in the Day, Week, or Month view you want to print
4. Select the Print button in the upper right corner.
5. A new window will open with several options.
   1. You can choose whether the schedule appears in color or black and white, your preferred page size, page orientation, whether you want to hide scheduled end times for shifts with hidden end times, and whether you want to scale the PDF to fit more data on one page.
6. Select Download PDF to generate the file.

 
Once the download is complete, you can open the file to view and print it, or access it in your downloads folder to attach it to an email or post it online.
 
Even with scaling, the file uses as many pages as needed. For more flexibility with the downloaded schedule data, try exporting it as CSV or XLS instead.
 
Back to top

Export the Schedule 

Shift data is included in the same cell when using the schedule export option, so start times, end times, locations, and positions do not appear in separate columns. If you need data in separate columns, export timesheets instead.
 
To export the schedule:

1. Access the web version of Sling
2. Set the range and dates you want to export.
   1. The schedule can be exported by day, week, or month, including calendar and horizontal month views.
   2. Premium and Business subscribers can also export custom ranges of up to 124 days at a time.
3. Adjust the filters so only the information you want appears in the export.
   1. You may want to exclude unassigned shifts, available shifts, unavailability, or empty rows.
4. When the schedule appears as desired, select the export button in the upper right corner and choose either CSV or XLS.
5. Choose whether to include shift notes and whether to show end times. Make your selections and
6. Select Export.

The file downloads immediately and should appear in your downloads folder.
 
When you first open the file, some information may appear to be missing because the cells are condensed. Auto-resizing the columns and rows makes all the information visible.
 
Back to top