Purpose Statement

The Scheduling System Settings in First Due allow administrators to establish foundational parameters that govern how scheduling functions across the entire department. These settings control critical elements including the start of day for roster counts and FLSA calculations, time display formats, shift granularity, and consecutive work hour limits. By properly configuring these settings, administrators ensure consistent scheduling operations, compliance with labor regulations, and appropriate work-life balance protections for personnel.

Background Information

Scheduling System Settings serve as the backbone of First Due's scheduling module, establishing department-wide defaults that affect multiple scheduling functions. The Start of Day setting is particularly important as it determines when the system counts personnel for roster purposes and calculates Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime thresholds. Clock Settings control how time appears throughout the system and the precision level for time entries, which impacts everything from shift assignments to availability tracking. The Maximum Consecutive Hours feature provides built-in safeguards against scheduling personnel beyond safe operational limits, helping departments maintain compliance with labor agreements and safety protocols while preventing employee fatigue.

These settings are typically configured during initial system setup but can be modified as departmental needs evolve or regulations change. Understanding the downstream impacts of each setting is crucial, as changes can affect existing schedules, time-off calculations, and FLSA compliance reporting.

Required Permissions

To configure Scheduling System Settings, users must have:

• Access Scheduling 
  
• Access Setup
  

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Step-by-Step Guide

1. Access Scheduling Setup

Navigate to Scheduling > Setup from the main navigation menu.

2. Locate General Settings Section

In the upper left corner of the Setup page, you will see the General Settings panel containing System Settings and Clock Settings.

3. Configure Start of Day

Under System Settings, locate the Start of Day field. This setting controls:

• The default time for roster count calculations
• FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) calculations and overtime thresholds
• Default start and end times when creating new rotations
• Default times for availability entries in My Shifts
• Default times for unassigned personnel on the scheduling deputy
  
• Default times for Assignments Without Times

Select the appropriate time that represents when your operational day officially begins (commonly set to midnight, 6:00 AM, or 7:00 AM depending on departmental protocols).

4. Set Time Format

Under Clock Settings, configure the Time Format to determine how time displays throughout the system:

• Standard: 12-hour format with AM/PM (e.g., 3:00 PM)
• 24 Hour: 24-hour format without military notation (e.g., 15:00)
• 24 Hour Military: 24-hour military format (e.g., 1500)

Choose the format most familiar to your personnel and consistent with existing departmental documentation.

5. Configure Time Granularity

Set the Time Granularity to control the precision level for time selection throughout the scheduling system:

• Available options range from 1-minute to 30-minute intervals
• This setting applies whenever time is added or modified for any user
• Consider your department's shift structure when selecting granularity (departments with standard shift times may prefer 15 or 30-minute intervals, while those with variable schedules may need 1 or 5-minute precision)
  

6. Establish Maximum Consecutive Hours

Configure the Max Consecutive Hours settings to prevent scheduling personnel beyond safe operational limits:

Maximum Hours Field: Enter the maximum number of hours an employee can work consecutively before requiring a break.

Minimum Break Hours Field: Enter the minimum number of rest hours required after reaching the maximum consecutive work threshold.

Applicable Work Types: Select which work types these limits apply to (e.g., regular shifts, overtime, callback, training). This allows you to enforce limits on operational shifts while potentially exempting administrative or training assignments.

7. Save Configuration

Once all settings are configured according to your department's needs, click the Save button to apply changes system-wide.

Best Practices

Start of Day Configuration:

• Align Start of Day with your department's official operational day for consistency with other systems (CAD, payroll, etc.)
• Consider FLSA implications carefully—changing this setting affects overtime calculations
• Document your Start of Day setting in departmental policies to ensure consistent application

Time Format Selection:

• Choose the format most commonly used in your existing documentation and communications
• Consider whether your CAD system uses a specific format and match it for consistency
• Train personnel on the selected format during onboarding to avoid confusion

Time Granularity Considerations:

• Balance precision with usability—overly precise settings (1-minute intervals) can make scheduling cumbersome
• 15-minute granularity works well for most departments with standard shift structures
• Consider using 5-minute or 1-minute granularity if your department frequently handles partial-hour adjustments for training, callbacks, or administrative time

Maximum Consecutive Hours:

• Base limits on union agreements, departmental policies, and NFPA guidelines
• Common configurations include 24-hour maximums with 8-12 hour minimum breaks
• Apply limits to operational work types but consider exempting certain administrative or training assignments
• Regularly review these settings to ensure they reflect current labor agreements and safety standards

Avoiding Common Mistakes:

• Don't change Start of Day mid-cycle without reviewing impact on existing schedules and FLSA calculations
• Avoid setting Time Granularity too fine (1-minute) unless absolutely necessary, as it complicates scheduling
• Don't forget to apply Max Consecutive Hours to all relevant work types—leaving operational categories unchecked defeats the safety purpose
• Test setting changes in a non-production environment if possible before implementing department-wide

Troubleshooting & FAQs

1. Q: What happens to existing schedules if I change the Start of Day setting? 
   
1. A: Changing Start of Day affects how the system calculates roster counts and FLSA periods going forward. Existing schedules remain unchanged, but future roster reports and overtime calculations will reflect the new Start of Day. Review any schedules spanning the change date carefully to ensure accurate FLSA calculations.
   
2. Q: Can I use different Max Consecutive Hours limits for different stations or shifts? 
   
1. A: The Max Consecutive Hours settings apply department-wide. However, you can control which work types are affected, allowing you to create differentiated policies based on assignment type rather than location. For station-specific rules, consider using scheduling deputy notifications or manual oversight.
   
3. Q: Why can't I select certain times when creating shifts after changing Time Granularity? 
   
1. A: Time Granularity restricts available time selections to intervals matching your setting. If you set 30-minute granularity, you can only select times in 30-minute increments (e.g., 8:00, 8:30, 9:00). If you need more precise control for specific situations, reduce the granularity setting.
   
4. Q: Do Clock Settings affect how time appears in reports? 
   
1. A: Yes, the Time Format setting applies throughout First Due, including all reports, exports, and scheduling views. Changing this setting will immediately affect how time displays across the entire platform.
   
5. Q: What happens if someone is already scheduled beyond the Max Consecutive Hours limit when I implement this setting? 
   
1. A: Existing schedules are not automatically modified when you configure Max Consecutive Hours. The system will prevent future schedules from violating the limit and may display warnings for existing violations, but you must manually adjust any problematic existing schedules.
   
6. Q: Can I temporarily override the Max Consecutive Hours for emergency situations? 
   
1. A: The Max Consecutive Hours setting establishes system-level guardrails. For emergency staffing situations, administrators with appropriate permissions can manually override these limits when creating or modifying schedules, but the system will typically display a warning to ensure the override is intentional.