Custom Scheduling Rules
Create rules tailored to your organization's unique requirements.
What Are Custom Rules?
Beyond built-in rules for overtime, breaks, and rest periods, SimpleStaff lets you create custom rules that match your specific business needs, policies, or contracts.
Pro/Enterprise Feature: Custom rules are available on Pro and Enterprise plans.
Example Custom Rules
Maximum Consecutive Days
"Employees cannot work more than 5 consecutive days"
Weekend Distribution
"Each employee must have at least one weekend off per month"
Shift Pairing
"If John is scheduled, Jane cannot work the same shift" (or the opposite for required pairings)
Minimum Staffing Ratio
"At least 1 supervisor for every 5 staff members on shift"
Holiday Rules
"Employees who worked Christmas must have New Year's off"
Student Schedules
"Part-time students cannot be scheduled before 4 PM on weekdays"
Creating a Custom Rule
Go to Custom Rules
Navigate to Settings → Rules → Custom Rules.
Click "Create Rule"
Give your rule a descriptive name.
Choose Rule Type
Select from rule templates:
- • Maximum hours/days
- • Required time off
- • Employee pairing
- • Staffing ratios
- • Time-based restrictions
- • Advanced (custom formula)
Configure Parameters
Fill in the specific values for your rule.
Set Scope
Choose which employees, departments, or positions the rule applies to.
Set Enforcement Level
Choose warn, require override, or block.
Rule Builder Interface
The visual rule builder lets you create rules using a condition-action format:
// Example rule structure
IF [condition] THEN [action]
IF employee works > 5 consecutive days
THEN show warning / block scheduling
Available Conditions:
- • Hours worked (daily, weekly, monthly)
- • Days worked (consecutive, per week, per month)
- • Time of day or day of week
- • Employee attributes (position, department, tags)
- • Shift attributes (type, location)
- • Previous schedule patterns
Testing Custom Rules
Before enabling a rule, test it to ensure it works as expected:
Preview Mode
See which existing schedules would violate the rule without actually enforcing it.
Test Scenarios
Create hypothetical schedules to test rule behavior.
Warn-Only Period
Enable in warn-only mode first to monitor before full enforcement.
Managing Custom Rules
Enable/Disable: Toggle rules on or off without deleting them
Priority: Set rule priority when multiple rules might conflict
Date Ranges: Set rules to apply only during specific date ranges
Duplicate: Copy existing rules as a starting point for new ones
Best Practices
Start with warn-only enforcement until rules are tested
Use descriptive names that clearly explain what the rule does
Document why each rule exists (contract requirement, policy, etc.)
Review and clean up unused rules regularly
Communicate new rules to managers before enforcement
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Need help creating custom rules?
Contact Support