Overview
The Limit shift assignments per period setting controls how frequently the same shift can be assigned to an individual staff member.
The rule is defined separately for each shift and helps prevent that shift from being assigned too frequently within a short period.
For example, you can limit the Night shift to a maximum of 2 assignments within any 7-day period.
How the Setting Works
The setting contains two values:
Period (Days): The number of consecutive days evaluated
Max # of assignments in the period: The maximum number of times the shift can be assigned to the same staff member during that period
The rule can be expressed as:
Within any X-day period, the selected shift can be assigned to the same staff member no more than Y times.
Oplist evaluates the rule separately for each staff member and checks every rolling period within the schedule.
Configure the Organization Default
To configure the setting at the Organization level:
Go to Organization from the left menu.
Open the Global Shifts tab.
Click Create Global Shift, or click the edit icon next to an existing shift.
Open the Rules tab.
Enable Limit shift assignments per period.
Enter the period and max number of assignments values in the period.
Save the shift.
The Organization-level configuration is copied to departments when they begin using the Global Shift. It can then be changed independently at the department level.
Override the Setting for a Department
A Department can use different values from the Organization default.
To configure the setting for a specific Department:
Go to Department from the left menu.
Open the Shifts tab.
Click the edit icon next to the relevant active shift.
Open the Rules tab.
Enable, disable, or update the period and max number of assignments values.
Save the changes.
The Department-level configuration overrides the Organization default only for that Department.
Schedule-Specific Override
When a new schedule is created, this setting is initially copied from the current Department configuration.
It can then be changed specifically for that schedule.
Schedule-level changes:
Apply only to the current schedule
Do not change the Department configuration
Do not change the original Global Shift configuration
More information about schedule-level changes will be provided in the schedule settings and overrides article.
Example 1
Suppose the Morning shift has the following rule:
Period: 3 days
Maximum Assignments: 2
A staff member can receive the Morning shift no more than twice within any rolling 3-day period.
The following assignment is not allowed:
Monday: Morning
Tuesday: Morning
Wednesday: Morning
Oplist also evaluates the next rolling periods, such as Tuesday through Thursday and Wednesday through Friday.
Example 2
Suppose the Night shift has the following rule:
Period: 7 days
Maximum Assignments: 2
A staff member can receive the Night shift no more than twice within any rolling 7-day period.
For example, if the staff member is assigned to the Night shift on Monday and Thursday, they cannot receive another Night shift until the relevant 7-day window contains fewer than 2 Night assignments.
Impact on Scheduling
In the current scheduling model, this setting is enforced as a hard constraint.
Oplist does not assign the shift more frequently than the configured maximum during automatic scheduling.
The rule must be compatible with:
Staffing requirements
The number of eligible staff members
Leave and availability
Shift exclusions
Other working-time and assignment rules
If the limit is too restrictive, there may not be enough eligible staff members to satisfy the shift requirements.
Important Considerations
The rule applies only to the shift for which it is configured.
Each staff member is evaluated separately.
Every rolling period within the schedule is checked.
Department settings override the Organization default.
Schedule-specific settings override the Department default only for that schedule.
Review the limit together with staffing requirements and staff availability.
Oplist also checks assignments carried over from the previous approved schedule when evaluating rolling periods. This maintains continuity between consecutive schedules.