Schedule Settings

The Schedule Settings page allows you to configure operating hours for your shelter and individual team members. This information helps visitors know when they can visit your shelter and determines appointment availability.

Overview

PawPlacer's scheduling system enables you to:

• Set different hours for each day of the week
• Define specific schedules for individual team members
• Temporarily pause availability for specific days
• Maintain separate schedules for the shelter and each staff member

Managing Schedules

Selecting Who to Schedule

The top of the schedule settings page displays profile pictures for:

• Your shelter (organization profile)
• Each team member

Click on a profile to view and edit that specific schedule:

• Selecting the shelter profile lets you set the organization's operating hours
• Selecting a team member lets you set that person's working schedule

Setting Daily Hours

For each day of the week:

1. Toggle the switch next to the day name to enable/disable that day

• When disabled, the day will show as "Closed" for shelter schedules or "Not Working" for team members
• When enabled, you can set specific hours

2. When a day is enabled, you can set:

• Start time: When the shelter opens or when the team member starts working
• End time: When the shelter closes or when the team member finishes working

3. The system validates your entries to ensure:

• End time must be later than start time
• Times must be entered in 24-hour format

Pausing Availability

For temporary closures or time off:

1. Click the pause button (⏸️) next to any enabled day
2. This marks the day as paused indefinitely (rather than just for the current week)
3. To resume, click the play button (▶️)

This feature is useful for:

• Holidays
• Staff vacation time
• Temporary shelter closures
• Recurring unavailability

Saving Changes

After making schedule adjustments:

1. The Save button becomes active once you've made changes
2. Click Save to apply your new schedule
3. A confirmation message will appear when successful

How Schedules Are Used

The schedules you configure affect several aspects of your PawPlacer experience:

• Public Profile: Your shelter's hours appear on your public profile
• Appointment Availability: Available appointment slots are based on these schedules
• Team Coordination: Team members can see each other's availability
• Visitor Information: Potential adopters can see when the shelter is open

Best Practices

• Consistent Hours: Try to maintain consistent hours from week to week
• Buffer Time: Consider adding buffer time at the beginning and end of shifts for preparation and cleanup
• Staff Overlap: Ensure you have adequate staff coverage during all open hours
• Regular Updates: Update schedules promptly when there are changes to prevent confusion

Remember that your schedule is an important part of your shelter's public information. Keeping it accurate helps ensure visitors arrive when you're open and helps manage expectations.