Purpose Statement

Time Off Rules allow administrators to establish automated controls that limit the number of employees who can be off duty simultaneously. This feature helps maintain minimum staffing requirements, ensures operational readiness, and streamlines the time off approval process by setting clear parameters for automatic approvals and manual review thresholds.

Background Information

Fire and EMS departments must maintain minimum staffing levels to ensure safe and effective emergency response. Time Off Rules provide a systematic approach to managing leave requests by setting department-wide or qualification-specific limits on simultaneous absences. This feature is particularly valuable for:

• Staffing Compliance: Ensuring minimum crew requirements are met across all shifts
• Workload Distribution: Preventing staffing shortages that could impact service delivery
• Administrative Efficiency: Automating approvals for requests within safe parameters while flagging those requiring review
• Fairness and Transparency: Creating consistent, rule-based decision criteria for all personnel

The Time Off Rules system integrates with your department's scheduling configuration and can be customized based on qualifications (e.g., paramedics, apparatus operators), time off types (vacation, sick leave, training), and automatic approval thresholds.

Required Permissions

To configure Time Off Rules, users must have:

• Access Scheduling 
• Access Setup 

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Accessing Time Off Settings

1. Navigate to Scheduling in the main navigation menu
2. Click on Setup from the Scheduling submenu
3. Select Time Off Settings from the available configuration options
4. Click on Time Off Rules to access the rules management interface
   

Understanding Total Users Limit

5. Review the Total Users setting, which establishes the absolute maximum number of individuals who can be off duty on any given day, regardless of other rule parameters you configure. This serves as your department's baseline staffing protection.
   

Creating a New Time Off Rule

6. Click the Add Rule button to begin creating a new rule configuration
   

6. Configure the rule parameters:

   • Time Off Types: Select which leave categories this rule applies to (e.g., Vacation, Personal Time, Comp Time, Sick Leave)
   • Qualifiers: Choose specific certifications or roles this rule should govern (e.g., Paramedic, Engineer, Captain, EMT-Basic)

7. Enter the Maximum Allowed Employees Off Per Day value based on your department's minimum staffing requirements and operational needs
   

Configuring Auto-Approval Settings

9. If you want to enable automatic approval for requests within safe parameters, check the Auto approve checkbox. This allows qualifying requests to be approved immediately without administrator intervention.

10. Enter the Number of Individuals That Can Be Automatically Approved

    • Important: This number must be less than the total maximum allowed off
    • Example: If max allowed is 5, you might set auto-approve to 3, requiring manual review for the 4th and 5th requests
      

9. Click Save to store the individual rule configuration
   

Finalizing Your Changes

12. Review all configured rules to ensure they align with your staffing requirements

13. Click Save in the upper right-hand corner to apply all Time Off Rules to your scheduling system
    

Best Practices

Rule Configuration Recommendations

Do:

• Set conservative auto-approval thresholds (typically 50-60% of maximum allowed) to maintain administrative oversight
• Create separate rules for different qualification types to ensure balanced coverage across specialties
• Consider seasonal staffing needs and adjust rules accordingly
• Document your department's rationale for specific limits in your SOPs
• Test rules with sample scenarios before fully implementing
• Review and adjust rules quarterly based on operational experience

Don't:

• Set auto-approval limits equal to maximum limits (this eliminates administrative oversight)
• Create overly complex rule combinations that become difficult to manage
• Forget to communicate rule changes to personnel before implementation
• Configure rules without considering shift rotation patterns
• Ignore the impact of rules on employee morale and work-life balance

Staffing Strategy Considerations

• Minimum Staffing Calculations: Factor in apparatus requirements, call volume patterns, and mutual aid agreements when setting limits
• Qualification-Based Rules: Prioritize rules for critical certifications (paramedics, driver/operators) over general firefighter positions
• Cascade Effects: Remember that denying time off requests can create scheduling challenges later, so balance operational needs with personnel well-being
• Transparency: Share rule parameters with personnel so they understand approval criteria

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: What happens when a request exceeds the maximum allowed but is below the auto-approval threshold?

A: The request will be held for manual review by an administrator. The requesting employee will see a "pending" status until an administrator approves or denies the request.

Q: Can I set different rules for different shifts or battalions?

A: Time Off Rules apply department-wide. If you need shift-specific controls, consider using qualifiers creatively (e.g., creating qualification categories for different shifts) or implementing additional scheduling controls through shift boards.

Q: What if I need to make an exception to a rule for a specific situation?

A: Administrators can manually override rules by approving requests that would normally be blocked. The rule system sets automatic parameters but doesn't prevent manual administrative action.

Q: Do Time Off Rules apply retroactively to existing approved requests?

A: No. Rules only apply to new requests submitted after the rules are saved. Existing approved time off is not affected by rule changes.

Q: An employee's request was auto-denied even though we haven't reached the limit. Why?

A: Check if multiple rules are conflicting (e.g., a general department rule and a qualification-specific rule both applying to the same user). The most restrictive rule will take precedence. Also verify that the employee's qualifications are correctly assigned in their personnel record.

Q: Can employees see why their request was denied?

A: The system indicates when a request is denied due to staffing rules. For specific details, employees should contact their supervisor or scheduling administrator.

Q: How do Time Off Rules interact with mandatory staffing minimums in the shift board?

A: Time Off Rules work in conjunction with shift board minimums. Both systems help maintain staffing, but Time Off Rules specifically govern leave requests while shift board minimums control daily scheduling assignments.