How do I use schedules to block out annual leave in the calendar?
Schedules can be found in 'Settings' > 'Diary' > 'Schedules'. The schedule screen shows all practitioners for your practice/location.
To create a new schedule, select the practitioner and click the '+ Create' button.
Check the name and location at the top of the screen to ensure you have selected the right practitioner and practice location.
Start date: This will default to the current date - so be sure to change this date to the first day of the practitioner's time off.
End date: This must be set to the last day of the practitioner's time off.
Cycle: For annual leave, ensure the cycle says 'every week' so that it applies for each week that the practitioner is away until the end date.
Enable Schedule?: When you save your schedule, it will be saved as active by default, unless you untick the 'Enable schedule?' check box before saving.
Once you've set this up, the schedule will apply on the chosen days - meaning the practitioner's calendar will appear as blocked on those days, and appointments can't be booked within that period.
💡 Top tip: Once the schedule has reached its end date, it will no longer apply and the practitioner's availability will revert - first to any other schedules set up, or if none are available then to the practice's opening hours. With no end date set, the schedule will run indefinitely - so this is best used for regular appointments or for standard working patterns.
Why should I be using schedules?
From regular weekly appointments or school pick-up, to one-off longer periods of holiday, this versatile tool is a great way to block out multiple days with just a few clicks, instead of having to mark each day individually. Not only that - you can also set up a schedule to reflect your team's regular working hours and breaks, and you can even layer multiple schedules.
Looking to block out a calendar at short notice (eg sick leave) or for shorter time off? In these instances, scheduling might not be the quickest solution - find out how you can use the 'Unavailable' feature to block calendars quickly with our handy guide here.
With these tools, you can avoid using 'fake' appointments to block time out in your calendar - which can impact the accuracy of your utilisation reporting.