Schedules
Define the time windows during which a workgroup is on-call.
A schedule is a set of time windows that belong to a workgroup. Its one job is to define when that workgroup is on-call — the nights, weekends, and holidays during which the workgroup catches every call. Outside every window, the schedule is dormant and the workgroup is back to normal.
Schedules are the timer half of on-call. The workgroup's on-call toggle is the master switch; the schedule decides which hours that switch actually takes effect. A workgroup can have several schedules, and it's on-call whenever any of them matches the current moment.
A schedule does nothing on its own. It only has an effect while the workgroup's on-call toggle is on — with the toggle off, schedules are ignored.
What a schedule contains
- Rules — one or more time windows (see below). At least one is required.
- Greeting (optional) — a greeting to play while this specific schedule is the active on-call window. If set, it overrides the workgroup's on-call greeting for that window; if not, the workgroup's on-call greeting is used.
Rules are always interpreted in the practice's timezone — there's no per-schedule timezone setting.
Rule types
Each rule is one window. Mix as many as you need:
- Weekly — recurring days and times, e.g. Mon–Fri 17:00–09:00 and all day Sat/Sun for after-hours cover.
- Date range — a span of dates, e.g. a colleague covering a two-week stretch.
- Specific date — a single day, e.g. a public holiday.
When more than one window is active at the same time, the most specific one wins: a specific date beats a date range, which beats a weekly rule. So a one-off holiday override takes precedence over the normal weekly pattern — exactly what you want when the usual rota doesn't apply that day. This tie-break also decides which schedule's greeting plays when several are active at once.
Creating a schedule
Schedules live inside the workgroup. Open the workgroup → Settings → Schedules → New schedule. Schedules can be created and edited by anyone who can update the workgroup — Hospital Admins, Hospital Staff, Practice Admins, and the workgroup's own admins (see Permissions).
Give the schedule a name (e.g. After-Hours Cover, Holiday Closure), add its rules, and optionally attach an on-call greeting. Save it, make sure the workgroup's on-call toggle is on, and the workgroup will go on-call automatically whenever a window is in effect.
A common setup
An after-hours nurse line:
- One workgroup, After-Hours Nurse, with on-call turned on.
- One schedule, After-Hours Cover, with a weekly rule for Mon–Fri 17:00–09:00 plus all day Sat/Sun.
- A specific-date rule (or a second schedule) for each public holiday, so the workgroup is on-call all day on those dates too.
During those windows the workgroup is on-call: every voicemail is directed to it and callers hear its on-call greeting. Outside them, calls are handled normally.
Related
- On-call — what being on-call actually does.
- Workgroups — the team a schedule belongs to.
- Greetings → On-call greetings — the greeting a schedule can carry.