Nobody likes scheduling all the time. Even if you’re just sending out a few emails and making a few phone calls, it takes up your precious time. So why not automate it?
There are lots of apps that do this for you, and we’ve collected some of the most popular. Read on to find out which one is right for you!
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Work Schedule
Scheduling, leave management and attendance tracking are essential regardless of whether your employees work a fixed number of hours every day or enjoy flexible work arrangements.
For this purpose, it is possible to use such old-fashioned tools like Excel and Word or integrate scheduling modules and calendars into your HR and payroll systems. However, there are better ways to keep track of employee attendance and absence. Here’s our selection of scheduling tools for different areas of application.
1. actiPLANS
actiPLANS is a perfect tool for employee scheduling – it supports the planning of time off and on duty both in the short and long term.
In the desktop version of actiPLANS, one may track their current and future PTO balance and then use this information to select and mark any period as vacation or another relevant type of leave. Besides, the mobile version lets users notify colleagues that they’re running late or leaving early and overview who is absent at the moment and why. This is great for staying in the know of current employee availability, both within regular and flexible work arrangements.
One more valuable feature of actiPLANS is the automatic leave request approval. It helps make the absence management process more streamlined, which not only saves a ton of time for managers but also contributes to higher employee satisfaction by giving team members more control over personal work schedules.
2. ShiftNote
ShiftNote is an employee scheduling software and manager log book for any shift based industry like restaurants, retail stores and hotels. Its features include an easy-to-use scheduler, time off management, daily communication and KPI tracking via the manager log book, forecaster, checklist system, messaging and more.
ShiftNote allows managers to create schedules faster while also saving on labor costs by reducing overtime and improving communication by utilizing the log book every shift. It also includes free training and onboarding setup!
3. Hot Schedules
Hot Schedules is an online scheduler for teams that work on a shift basis. By automating the scheduling process, it saves managers’ and regular employees’ time. Clients report that with Hot schedules, it is not only faster to create, communicate and manage work schedules, but also easier to save on labor costs and forecast future capabilities. What’s more, the tool helps control labor costs and budgets.
4. Humanity
One of the most popular solutions, Humanity offers scheduling, time clock and staff management features. It helps organize shifts and communicate schedule information to the employees quickly and easily, and also includes payroll and HR features. Humanity has mobile apps for viewing and managing team’s schedules from anywhere.
5. Snap Schedule
“Excel-like with more power,” as the authors call it. In fact, the interfaces of this tool are similar to the Excel’s, but it offers special features for schedule planning and publishing. It enables users to create and assign shifts, plan workloads and control overtime. Snap Schedule also allows to schedule breaks and define tasks to be performed during each shift. The app helps build up a mindful shift management process, reduce labor costs, prevent unexpected overtime and easily collect payroll data.
6. Sling
Sling combines schedule planning and absence management features, so it helps manage shift work and avoid conflicts with the team’s absence schedule. The tool allows you to copy shifts and schedules between days and weeks and create recurring shifts to eliminate repeated entries. A mobile app is provided so that you can stay on top of things and communicate with your colleagues from anywhere. What’s more, the app has a “social space” feature that allows to share updates and files, set up newsfeeds and interact with coworkers.
7. Calamari
Calamari contains two modules: leave management and clock-in and –out. Its leave management module offers an automated time off processing from request to approval and leave balance calculations. In it, you can create various leave types, see requests history and attach related documents to your requests.
8. Ximble Schedule Maker
Ximble offers a schedule planner that helps create shifts for teams of any size. In this app you can create schedules for teams, manage absence requests, control labor costs, communicate with colleagues and more. The tool allows to manage schedules for teams located in different offices: it supports multiple calendars for different locations and protects from double-booking of work time by a person who works at two locations.
Ximble Schedule Maker helps managers understand their employees’ availability for future workloads and sort them by job roles, if team’s capacity for specific work type needs to be checked.
9. Shiftboard
Shiftboard is a scheduling tool for medium and large teams. It offers a complex approach to scheduling, attendance tracking, as well as performance and capacity analytics. Its scheduling features allow a simple setup process, avoiding schedule conflicts and unwanted overtime, and automating schedule creation. Managers can benefit from built-in reports and analytics that help in planning work ahead.
The tool includes a startup procedure for new employees that simplifies the onboarding process and ensures that all employees have taken necessary startup and training steps. For hiring managers, it also streamlines candidate data collection and organizes the entire hiring process.
10. Homebase
According to the developers of this app, a thoughtful scheduling procedure can save up to five working hours each week. This is what the app offers: scheduling, shift management and labor cost control. Managers can create schedules and communicate them to the employees both from the desktop account and the mobile app easily and quickly. By automating work time calculation, Homebase also helps managers forecast labor costs and compare them to the planned budget figures.
As the developer emphasizes, using spreadsheets for leave management costs more than you expect. Up to 14000 minutes a year are spent on requesting leaves and getting them approved in a team of 200 employees, and this is the amount of time that can be used more efficiently with a special leave management tool.
best free work schedule app
1. Homebase Free Version
BOTTOM LINE
Homebase offers an amazing array of features that are simple to navigate. As long as you operate from one location, you won’t find a better free product on the market. This is more than just a free schedule maker; Homebase also helps you stay compliant with local labor regulations. Since it integrates with major POS and payroll systems, other parts of your business will run more smoothly once you start using this software. If you want to upgrade to a paid version, you won’t pay per user, but per additional location. This makes Homebase’s paid plan extremely affordable for business owners with a robust workforce.
- ⦿Open shifts, shift trades, and covers
- ⦿Labor cost forecasts and reports
- ⦿Scheduling compliance alerts
PRICE STARTS AT$0/monthNUMBER OF EMPLOYEESUnlimitedNUMBER OF LOCATIONS1MOBILE APPFree for all employeesTIME CLOCKIncludedTIMESHEETSIncludedFREE SIGN UPBest for Long-Term Scheduling
2. Sling Free Version
BOTTOM LINE
Sling delivers a feature-rich scheduling system free of charge. You can use this free online employee scheduling program to plan workloads for as many workers as you need. Apart from reducing the time managers spend planning, it also makes swapping shifts a painless process. Your whole business will feel the benefits of this app, which facilitates team communication and reduces absenteeism. Even though Sling offers advanced scheduling features for free, attendance tracking and timesheets require a plan upgrade.
- ⦿Long-term scheduling
- ⦿Private and group messaging
- ⦿Shift notifications
PRICE STARTS AT$0/monthNUMBER OF EMPLOYEESUnlimitedNUMBER OF LOCATIONSUnlimitedMOBILE APPFree for all employeesTIME CLOCKStarting at $2/user/monthTIMESHEETSStarting at $2/user/monthGET STARTEDBest for Restaurant Businesses
3. 7shifts Free Version
BOTTOM LINE
7shifts is a robust free shift scheduler specifically designed for restaurants. The platform makes it easy to create weekly schedules, with employees instantly notified whenever a schedule is published or updated. It also comes with a free health checker to survey employees for COVID-19 symptoms, shift trading, time-off requests, and much more. While the free version is capable of meeting your basic scheduling needs, it limits you to ten employees and a single location.
- ⦿Tailored for restaurants
- ⦿Free version has all core functionalities
- ⦿Employee Health Checks
PRICE STARTS AT$0/monthNUMBER OF EMPLOYEES10NUMBER OF LOCATIONS1MOBILE APPFree for all employeesTIME CLOCKFree basic versionTIMESHEETSFreeGET STARTED
4. When I Work
BOTTOM LINE
When I Work is one of the most comprehensive choices for an employee scheduling app, and covers all aspects of employee schedule management, regardless of team size. You can supervise your employee’s shifts, availability, tasks, and time-off requests with a couple of clicks on your mobile device. You can also integrate it with the time clock, and manage everything – labor costs, budgeting, payroll, overtime, and breaks – from one place.
- ⦿Unlimited number of employees
- ⦿Extensive tracking
- ⦿Built-in GPS
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:UnlimitedNUMBER OF LOCATIONS:UnlimitedMOBILE APP:$2 per month per userTIME CLOCK:Additional $2 per month per userTIMESHEETS:Additional $2 per month per user
5. Shiftboard Basic Version
BOTTOM LINE
Shiftboard isn’t a free work schedule software provider, but its affordability and advanced features make it an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes. This is one of the most advanced scheduling software that allows you to assign and filter locations and employees based on numerous parameters. Capable of sorting employees into teams, the software optimizes complex workforce operations while helping you reduce labor costs.
- ⦿Inexpensive
- ⦿Plethora of scheduling and database filtering options
- ⦿Employee Teams
PRICE STARTS AT$3/monthNUMBER OF EMPLOYEESUnlimitedNUMBER OF LOCATIONSUnlimitedMOBILE APPFree for all employeesTIME CLOCKFrom $4/user/monthTIMESHEETSFree
6. OpenSimSim Free Version
BOTTOM LINE
OpenSimSim is an excellent free employee schedule app for managers who need to produce timetables for workers in both the main job location and off-site. It has no limitations regarding the number of users or locations, nor how far in advance you can plan. Communication among employees is streamlined by the free app and managers can use the software to keep each other informed about what’s happening with each shift. This simple employee scheduling software can help you manage labor costs, too.
- ⦿Shift instructions
- ⦿Manager logbook
- ⦿Labor cost budgeting
PRICE STARTS AT$0/monthNUMBER OF EMPLOYEESUnlimitedNUMBER OF LOCATIONSUnlimitedMOBILE APPFree for all employeesTIME CLOCKStarting at $3/user/monthTIMESHEETSStarting at $3/user/month
7. Findmyshift Free Version
BOTTOM LINE
Findmyshift is an employee scheduler that’s free for teams of no more than five people. This web application allows you to plan workers’ shifts in as many locations as your business takes you, which makes it a great fit for a small teams of caregivers, or other workers who travel on a daily basis. You can also track employees’ attendance and export timesheets into your payroll system. Findmyshift is an industry leader when it comes to third-party integrations and sets the standard for customer care.
- ⦿More than 10 integrations with small business tools
- ⦿Extensive customer support
- ⦿Tracks time off
PRICE STARTS AT$0/monthNUMBER OF EMPLOYEESUp to 5NUMBER OF LOCATIONSUnlimitedMOBILE APPFree for all employeesTIME CLOCKStarting at $2/user/monthTIMESHEETSStarting at $2/user/month
Conclusion
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