To configure a Predictability rule, open its record and update the fields below, then save your changes.
A Predictability rule requires giving employees advance notice before changing a shift, and applies a penalty when a change is made too close to the shift. Learn more about creating a labor rule and the Predictability Rules Record.
The Predictability rule must already exist before you can complete the steps below. If it doesn't exist yet, create it first — see Creating a Labor Rule — then return here to configure it.
Security
Users must have the following permissions to configure a Predictability rule:
Action | Permission |
|---|---|
View | Labor → Labor Rules → Predictability Rules → View Predictability Rules |
Create | Labor → Labor Rules → Predictability Rules → Create Advance Notice Rules |
Edit (save changes to an existing rule) | Labor → Labor Rules → Predictability Rules → Edit Predictability Rules |
Accessing the Predictability tab or rule form at all requires View, in addition to whichever of Create or Edit the action requires.
The Predictability tab does not appear on the Labor Rules page unless the Predictability rule feature itself is enabled for the account. Penalty calculation settings additionally require the rule feature to be enabled — they cannot be turned on independently.
These permissions can be added to custom user roles or individual users. The Permission Access report can be used to determine which user roles or users already have these permissions assigned. For more information, see User Setup and Security.
Open an Predictability rule
Select Admin from the left navigation rail.
Expand Workforce.
Select Labor rules.
Select the rule to open its record.
Tip:
Find the rule Type in the Type column. In this example, Break type is selected.
Change locations assigned to a predictability rule
A Predictability rule can be assigned to multiple locations at once, but a location can only be assigned to one Predictability rule at a time. Locations already assigned to another rule won't appear in the list.
Click steps to expand for additional information and images.
1) Select the dropdown arrow by Locations.
2) Check additional locations and/or remove locations.
Removing a location is blocked while there are unprocessed penalties tied to it — resolve those first.
Once there are no pending penalties, removing a location stops the Scheduler from showing countdown banners or violation dialogs for it going forward; shifts that were already processed aren't affected.
Change the advance notice and/or the grace period
Once the rule is enabled for a location, it's reflected directly in the Scheduler — historical weeks are not affected. The advance notice period and grace period fields become available once the rule is enabled for a location:
Advance notice period — set the minimum number of days employers must post schedules before the week begins.
Grace period — the amount of time a manager can still edit a shift after the advance notice deadline has passed without triggering a penalty. This applies only to published/scheduled and future shifts, not to historical shifts.
Click steps to expand for additional information and images.
1) Select the field and adjust the number of days/minutes.
Configure a penalty tier
Define penalty pay tiers for schedule changes made after the advance notice deadline.
Multiple tiers can be added by clicking Add tier. Penalty tiers apply to any new or edited shift that meets the applicable criteria.
Saving the rule while Penalty Calculation is turned off clears the existing Grace Period and Penalty Tiers configuration. Turning Penalty Calculation back on later requires reconfiguring Grace Period and Penalty Tiers from scratch.
Click steps to expand for additional information and images.
1) Select Add tier (if there is not an existing tier). If a tier already exists, select it from the list to edit its fields directly.
2) Add a notice window range.
Enter numerical values for the From and To fields, then select either Hours or Days as the unit for those values.
For example, a range of 0 to 24 with the Hours unit applies when a change is made 0 to 24 hours before the shift starts. Notice window ranges cannot overlap between tiers. If two tiers' ranges overlap, the form displays a warning naming the conflicting tier(s), and the rule can't be saved until the overlap is resolved.
Penalty tiers must cover the Advanced Notice Period. When the selected window range does not cover the full period, a warning noticed will appear indicating how much must still be covered.
3) Set penalty for each type of schedule change.
The schedule change types and available formulas include:
New shift added — Fixed hours, Fixed dollar
Shift extended — Fixed hours, Fixed dollar
Shift time changed — Fixed hours, Fixed dollar
Shift hours reduced — Fixed hours, Multiplier, Fixed dollar, Lesser of
Shift canceled — Fixed hours, Multiplier, Fixed dollar, Lesser of
4) Add or remove conditions for each penalty type. (Optional)
Select Add condition and enter the fields for the equation. Conditions are not required.
Adding a condition requires the following:
Operator
Less than or equal to
less than
equal to
greater than or equal to
greater than
Shift hours (entered value)
Pay hours (entered value)
To remove a condition:
Click the X to remove the added condition.
Penalty Formulas by Shift Change Type
Fixed hours and Fixed dollar formulas are available for every shift-change type. Shift hours reduced and Shift canceled additionally offer Multiplier and Lesser of.
Shift change type | Available formulas |
|---|---|
New shift added | Fixed hours, Fixed dollar |
Shift extended | Fixed hours, Fixed dollar |
Shift time changed | Fixed hours, Fixed dollar |
Shift hours reduced | Fixed hours, Multiplier, Fixed dollar, Lesser of |
Shift canceled | Fixed hours, Multiplier, Fixed dollar, Lesser of |
An Add condition control on each penalty tier adds an IF/THEN condition to the formula for that shift-change type — for example, IF Shift length is [less than or equal to] [Hours] THEN pay [Hours] at regular rate. Multiple conditions can be added as long as they do not use the same operator and shift length. For the field-by-field breakdown of the penalty tier row, see Predictability Record.
Delete a penalty tier
Deleting a penalty tier does not affect historical shifts — penalties already applied to a shift have already been processed and sent to the timecard or payroll system. Deleting a tier cannot be undone.
Click steps to expand for additional information and images.
1) Select the trashcan to delete the tier.
A calculated penalty amount appears on the employee's timecard as a Predictability Pay earning, and on the Predictability Acknowledgement Report, once the related shift change is acknowledged. This amount does not currently flow to payroll export.
Save the rule
Confirm and review all fields in:
Name & locations
Advance notice period
Grace period
Penalty Tiers
Click Save.
Once enabled (saved), the rule takes effect immediately and is reflected directly in the Scheduler. Historical weeks and shifts that have already been processed are not affected — only current and future shifts are subject to this rule.
Delete a Rule
Select Delete from the rule's action menu.
A confirmation dialog appears: "Delete rule? [Rule Name] will be permanently deleted. This action cannot be undone." Click Cancel to close the dialog without changes, or Delete to continue.
Deleting a rule permanently removes it from the grid.
Downstream effects:
Historical shifts and already-processed penalties are not affected.
Future penalty calculations immediately stop for locations governed by the deleted rule.
Existing projected (not yet finalized) shifts are recalculated with a zero penalty.
Pending shift changes not yet acknowledged by the employee receive a zero penalty once acknowledged or auto-acknowledged.
The Scheduler stops showing the countdown banner and the advance notice violation dialog for locations governed by the deleted rule.
There is currently no audit trail of changes made to a Predictability rule (including deletion).
FAQ
What happens if I turn off Penalty Calculation and save the rule?
Saving the rule with Penalty Calculation turned off clears the existing Grace Period and Penalty Tiers configuration. Turning Penalty Calculation back on later requires setting up both again from scratch, so record the current values before saving. See the Predictability Rules Record for the full field list.
Why does a warning appear when I add or edit penalty tiers?
Notice window ranges can't overlap between tiers. When they do, the form names the conflicting tiers, and the rule can't be saved until the overlap is resolved. Penalty tiers must also cover the full advance notice period. If they don't, a warning shows how much of the period is still uncovered. Adjust the From and To values until the warnings clear. See the Predictability Rules Record for the penalty tier fields.
Do predictability penalties go to payroll?
Not currently. Once the related shift change is acknowledged, a calculated penalty appears on the employee's timecard as a Predictability Pay earning and on the Predictability Acknowledgement Report. That amount does not flow to payroll export. See Timecards Overview for how earnings appear on timecards, and Labor Rules Overview for the labor rule earnings the R365 Payroll Export includes.
Why can't I add or remove a location on a Predictability rule?
A location can belong to only one Predictability rule at a time, so locations already assigned to another rule don't appear in the list. Removing a location is blocked while unprocessed penalties are tied to it. Resolve those penalties first. After removal, the Scheduler stops showing countdown banners and violation dialogs for that location. See the Schedule Calendar article for how the countdown banner works.
How do changes to a rule affect shifts that are already scheduled or processed?
Saving a rule, deleting a tier, or deleting a rule never affects historical weeks or penalties already processed. Only current and future shifts are subject to the change. Deleting a rule stops future penalty calculations for its locations and recalculates projected shifts with a zero penalty. Pending shift changes also receive a zero penalty once they are acknowledged or auto-acknowledged. Deleting a rule or a tier can't be undone. See the Schedule Calendar article for how predictability rules appear in the Scheduler.