Scheduling rules

The right schedule.
Every rule. Every time.

EZShift turns labor laws, company policies and your managers' know-how into rules, then builds schedules that already follow all of them. No more checking every shift by hand.

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  • Scheduling shift workers since 2005
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Why scheduling is hard

Every schedule answers to three sets of rules at once

A schedule may look simple on paper, but underneath it sits a web of rules. Miss one and you get understaffed shifts, frustrated employees and, at times, legal exposure.

  • The law

    Rest periods, maximum working hours, overtime limits, mandatory weekly rest and age-based restrictions for younger employees.

  • Your organization

    Work agreements, fair rotation, seniority and internal policies that every schedule and every shift trade has to respect.

  • Your managers

    What only managers know: the skills each shift needs, who should work together, and who shouldn't get the late weekend shifts.

From checking schedules to trusting them

Without a rules engine

  • Build the schedule, then go back to check rest periods, hours and overtime
  • The system flags a conflict, but fixing it is still your job
  • Hours spent repairing the schedule after it's "done"
  • Every manager applies the rules a little differently

With EZShift

  • Every rule is built into the engine, so schedules are compliant from the start
  • Millions of combinations are checked in seconds
  • Manual changes are checked instantly, with a warning when a rule would break
  • The same rules for everyone: fairness your employees can see

How it works

Define your rules once. Get the right schedule every time.

  1. Pick or write your rules

    Choose from a library of ready-made rule cards, or type the rule in plain English and the AI assistant builds it for you.

  2. Set what's a must

    Hard rules are never broken. Flexible rules get a weight, so the engine knows what matters most when it has to make a trade-off.

  3. Generate the schedule

    The engine runs millions of scenarios in seconds and assigns employees by role, availability, time off and every active rule.

  4. Change with confidence

    Managers can still change anything. If a change breaks a rule, EZShift warns right away, and every violation appears in the alert report.

Hard rules and flexible rules

Not all rules are equal. EZShift knows the difference.

Some rules are absolute, like legal rest periods. Others are goals, like preferred working days. The engine strictly enforces the first kind and balances the second.

Hard rule

Never broken

An employee must have at least 11 hours of rest between shifts

Enforced Always

For the law, labor agreements and certifications. Phrases like "up to" and "no more than" make a hard limit.

Flexible rule

Weighted, so the engine can trade off smartly

Prefer up to 2, maximum 3 opening shifts per week

Weight High

"Prefer" is the flexible goal; "maximum" is the hard limit. When staff is short, the engine decides which preference to bend, instead of you.

The rule library

Ready-made rules for every scheduling need

Every rule can target specific shifts, positions, weekdays or employee groups, so it applies exactly where it should.

  • Shift names
  • Shift positions
  • Weekdays
  • Employee filters

Number of shifts

Cap or guarantee the number of shifts per employee, shift type or day of the week.

  • Prefer up to 2, maximum 4 evening shifts on Mon, Tue, Thu for employees tagged Students

    Flexible

  • Waiters should get at least one evening shift during the week

    Flexible

Number of hours

Keep working hours within legal and contractual limits, and make sure key positions get the hours they need.

  • Up to 40 hours during the schedule for employees tagged Full-time

    Hard

  • At least 12 weekend hours for the Host position

    Flexible

Employee count

Put the right number of people, with the right roles and skill levels, on every shift.

  • At least 1 employee tagged Senior on every night shift

    Flexible

  • No more than 2 employees tagged New on the same shift

    Hard

Consecutive assignments

Stop long runs of shifts before they turn into burnout.

  • Don't schedule waiters for more than 6 consecutive days

    Hard

  • Maximum 2 consecutive nights for new employees

    Hard

Rest between shifts

Protect legal rest periods automatically, including after on-call duty.

  • At least 11 hours of rest between shifts

    Hard

  • No shift for at least 15 hours after an on-call shift

    Hard

Rotations

Share nights, weekends and openings fairly over weeks, not just within one schedule.

  • With very high priority, prefer employees who were not assigned night shifts in the past 2 weeks

    Flexible

  • No more than 5 opening shifts in 2 weeks

    Hard

Special

Connect any group of employees to any group of shifts, for the rules that are unique to your business.

  • Don't assign employees tagged Live far away to weekend night shifts

    Hard

  • No morning shift right after a night shift

    Hard

AI rule assistant

Just write the rule. EZShift builds it.

Not in the mood for settings? Type what you need in plain English and the AI assistant turns it into the right rule.

  • No technical knowledge needed
  • Enter several rules in one go
  • Switch any rule on or off at any time

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One engine, every workforce

Your industry has its own rules. The engine adapts to them.

Questions about scheduling rules

What is the difference between a hard rule and a flexible rule?

A hard rule must always be respected, and the engine will never break it (for example, at least 11 hours of rest between shifts). A flexible rule has a weight that sets its priority against other rules: the higher the weight, the harder the engine tries to keep it. One rule can combine both, like "prefer up to 2, maximum 3 opening shifts per week".

Do I need technical knowledge to set up rules?

No. Pick a ready-made rule card and fill in the highlighted fields, or type the rule in plain English and the AI assistant creates it for you.

Can rules apply only to certain employees or shifts?

Yes. Tag employees or employee groups and shifts or shift groups, then connect them with a rule, for example "don't assign employees who live far away to weekend night shifts". Rules can also be narrowed by shift position and weekday.

Can managers still change the schedule by hand?

Yes. If a manual change breaks a rule, EZShift warns the manager right away, and all violations are listed in the alert report. Mandatory rules can't be broken without the right permission level.

How many rules can I create?

EZ Smart includes up to 2 scheduling rules. EZ Pro and EZ Enterprise include unlimited rules. Every rule can be switched on or off at any time.

Can I try the rules engine for free?

Yes. Sign up for 14 days of full access to all features in the EZ Pro plan, unlimited rules included. No credit card is needed.

Rule your schedule.

14 days of full access, unlimited rules, no credit card needed.

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