HotSchedules

I used this app to schedule a full restaurant staff including FOH BOH and Managers. This tool is incredible useful and negates the need to figure out scheduling most weeks. All employees can submit their availability and I can schedule them badsed off of this availability without thinking to check because it bars me from scheudling people outside of their approved availability. No more scheduling issues!

As a former manager at a Texas Roadhouse, I was familiar with this software, and eager to bring it to my new venture. It immediately eliminated the use of paper schedules, and the chaos of employees switching shifts without making management aware. This increased both labor costs, and morale.

Using for 7 years and if they would not keep changing the format I could say I love it. Anyhow it is great app for managers, easy quick access to employees list, phone numbers, emails and etc.

It's got so many options - none exactly what I need - that it is almost too cumbersome. I would like more flexibility to create template shifts and place them on days as needed, with it being ok that some days there are blank shifts left over. Rather than now, when if I make a template and want a day to be scheduled lightly, it tells the staff there's a house shift open. The template feature is practically more work than just starting from scratch each week. I hate entering the times of a shift and having it immediately autocorrect to the last half hour. For example if I want a shift to start at 1:30PM and end at 10:30PM, I have to type 1:30, click off and it will change it to 1:00, click back on to get to 1:30, and repeat to get the end time to read 10:30 instead of 10, then repeat to get PM instead of AM. I'd also like to not have to redo the schedule report generator so that it's easier to read every week, for the printed schedule we keep in the shop. All those outlines, yikes! What I do like is the messaging/staff communication parts. Requests off are clear and easy, same with shift swapping. I like being able to create blackout days for no requests off, and I like that I can easily see who wants off when and when the RO was made.

HotSchedules has helped immensely with automating requests for time off, approving availabilities, managing schedules for 14 & 15-year-olds who have restrictions on time they can work, etc. The feature where you can switch shifts is especially helpful.