Purpose Statement

• Guide Scheduling Admins on how to initiate a Mandatory Fill from the Shift Board to ensure critical shifts are staffed when voluntary responses are insufficient.

• Supports compliance with minimum staffing requirements and operational readiness.

Background Information

• Mandatory Fill is used when open shifts remain unfilled after voluntary call shifts or when policy requires immediate assignment to qualified personnel.

• This process enables admins to select personnel based on department rules such as inverse seniority or other fair distribution policies.

• 👥 Common use cases include:

  • ✅ Unfilled critical shifts for the upcoming day

  • ✅ Last-minute sick calls or no-shows

  • ✅ Ensuring specialized positions are covered when voluntary coverage is unavailable

Required Permissions 🔑

• Access Scheduling – to view and manage schedules

• Access Shift Board – to initiate fills directly from the board

• Access Call Shifts – to manage call shift requests and fills

• Add/Edit Personnel into Shift Board – to assign personnel directly

• Initiate Call Shifts – to create mandatory fill requests

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Click on Scheduling >Shift Board.

2. Click on the vacancy that you need to fill.

3. If your department is using Single day by default, you can hover over Fill Vacancy and click on Mandatory Fill.

NOTE: If your department is using On Rotation by Default, you will need to switch to Single Day by clicking Single Day at the bottom.

4. The Start Date and Time, as well as the End Date and Time, will be prefilled. You are unable to change these. Below that is the number of positions, as well as the qualifier needed. 

• You can change the qualifier to match what the need is. It will prefill with the qualifier that the vacancy requires. 

5. You can also filter down by Groups, Ranks, and Rotations based on the operational needs. 

6. The On Duty Toggle will limit the list to those who are reaching their end time when the mandatory is supposed to start. 

An example is filling a vacancy at the start of shift. With the On Duty toggle enabled, the system will limit the Mandatory List to those who would be getting off from work.

7. Click on Generate List.

8. You will land in the Mandatory Details View. 

• The list defaults to seniority-based, but can be changed by clicking the column header. 
• The action buttons allow you to:
  • Force by Clicking the Checkmark. 
  • Move Without Force by clicking the down arrow.

9. When a user is forced, FORCED will appear next to their name.

10. On the Shift Board, they will have a gavel next to their name indicating they were mandated for the position. 

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Best Practices ⭐

• ✅ Do:

  • ✔️ Review voluntary responses first before initiating a mandatory fill.

  • ✔️ Follow fair labor distribution policies when selecting personnel.

• ❌ Don’t:

  • ✖️ Initiate mandatory fills without confirming qualification requirements.

  • ✖️ Delay mandatory fills for critical positions, as this may impact operations and compliance.

• ⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  • Accidentally selecting the wrong personnel due to filtered lists

  • Overusing mandatory fills when voluntary options remain available

Troubleshooting & FAQs 🛠️

• ❓ Why can’t I initiate a mandatory fill?
  ➡️ Check that you have Initiate Call Shifts permission enabled and that the position is configured to allow mandatory fills.

• ❓ What happens if personnel refuse a mandatory fill?
  ➡️ Refer to department policy. Typically, refusal of mandatory fills may require administrative follow-up or progressive discipline per labor agreements.

• ❓ Can I cancel a mandatory fill after assignment?
  ➡️ Yes. Navigate to the Shift Board, select the assigned mandatory fill, and remove or edit the assignment as needed, notifying personnel accordingly.