Level 3: Your Regular Shifts — Master Roster

Level 3 is about consistency—the master roster creates your repeating shift pattern. This guide explains what it means for you.

What's a Master Roster?

A master roster is a repeating 4-week pattern that shows your typical shifts. Instead of a unique roster every week, you follow a pattern like:

Week 1: Mon–Wed (morning)
Week 2: Thu–Sat (evening)
Week 3: Sun, Mon (night)
Week 4: Tue–Thu (morning)

Then it repeats. This creates predictable, fair shift patterns.

Why It Matters to You

Predictability: You know your general shift pattern weeks in advance
Fairness: Everyone gets a mix of morning, evening, and weekend shifts
Planning: You can plan personal life around a repeating pattern
Stability: No surprises—your shifts follow the same pattern each cycle

How the Master Affects Your Roster

The master roster is the baseline. Your actual (published) roster is built from it, with adjustments for:

Your availability (Level 4)
Your leave requests (approved time off)
Staffing changes (call-outs, last-minute swaps)
Your requests (open shift bids, swap requests)

Example: The master says you work Mon–Wed, but you request leave on Tuesday. Your published roster will show Mon, Wed (with Tue off).

Viewing Your Master Roster

To see your repeating pattern:

Click Level 3: Master Roster
You'll see a 4-week calendar showing your typical shifts

This is not your actual roster—it's a template. Your real shifts appear at Level 5: Living Roster once published.

Fixed master roster — pattern hours only

If you work from a fixed master roster and only want your regular pattern (not extra shifts):

Your master roster (Level 3) is your baseline pattern — you do not need Available or Preferred in My Availability to "secure" those hours. Once the master roster is applied, your regular slots are assigned from that pattern.
Available or Preferred on your master-pattern dates is harmless — it will not change your baseline assignments. You can set them if you like, or leave My Availability blank.
What does matter: Unavailable on dates you cannot work (the master roster will skip those dates when applied), and approved leave in Leave Planner (those dates are excluded from assignment).
If you are not seeking any additional shifts, you may ignore My Availability reminders entirely.
For occasional one-off changes (e.g. swap a Tuesday once in a while), use Direct Swap from My Shifts — you do not need standing availability entries for rare swaps.

See How to Set Your Availability for who should actively use My Availability vs who can leave it mostly blank.

What If You Don't Have a Master Roster?

Some organizations don't use strict master rosters (e.g., small teams with flexible shifts). If that's your org:

You might skip directly to Level 5: Living Roster
Your shifts may change week-to-week based on availability and needs
Ask your admin if you're unsure

Common Questions

Q: Can my master roster change?
A: Yes. If your organization needs to restructure shifts, your admin updates the master. You'll be notified.

Q: What if I can't work my master roster shifts?
A: Request leave in Leave Planner (approved leave blocks those dates), or mark Unavailable in My Availability (the master roster will skip those dates when applied).

Q: I only want my master roster hours — do I mark Preferred everywhere?
A: No need. Your pattern comes from the master roster. Marking Available or Preferred on those dates is harmless but unnecessary — it won't change your baseline. Use Unavailable when you can't work a pattern date, and Leave Planner for formal time off.

Q: I rarely need to swap a shift — do I set availability for that?
A: No. Use Direct Swap from My Shifts when you need a one-off change. See How to Request a Direct Swap.

Q: Why do I keep getting the same shifts?
A: That's the master roster at work—it ensures predictable, fair patterns.

Q: How often does the master rotate?
A: Typically every 4 weeks, then repeats. Some organizations use 2-week rotations.

Next Steps

✅ View your Master Roster (Level 3) to understand your repeating pattern
✅ Read Level 4: Tell Us When You Can Work to set your availability
✅ Read Level 5: Your Published Roster to see your actual shifts

Get Help

I don't understand my master roster: Contact your admin for an explanation
I want to change my shift pattern: Talk to your admin about options
My master roster looks wrong: Submit a support ticket