Create a period

A period is a defined scheduling window that you use to prepare, manage, and publish your group’s schedule, from initial planning through to final publication.

Contact Petal technical support if you have created two draft periods and need to create an additional period, or if you need to delete a period.

1. In the side menu, select Scheduling .
2. (Optional) If you are a member of more than one group, select the group for which you want to create the period from the groups list.
3. Select the Periods tab.
4. Select New Period.
   You can create up to two draft periods.
5. In Period Details enter the following information, and then select Next:
   • Period name: Enter a unique period name. To help create a unique name, you can add the year. 
   • End date: Enter the period end date. The end date that you specify is the last day included in the period. 
     You cannot select the Start Date because each new period begins the day after the previous period ends.
   • Period length: Instead of selecting the End Date, enter the number of days, weeks, or months for the period. The End Date is calculated automatically.
6. In Absence entry enter the following information, and then select Next:
   • Absence entry deadline: Enter the deadline for your schedule group members to submit their absences. Group members can submit absence requests up until the end of the absence entry deadline date.
     Absence entry is automatically locked at midnight on the absence entry deadline date, based on the group’s time zone. The automatic lock may take up to 1 hour to take effect.
   • (Optional) Select Send a reminder one week prior to the absence entry deadline to send an email reminder to group members one week before the absence submission deadline.
   • (Optional) Select Send a reminder one day prior to the absence entry deadline to send an email reminder to group members one day before the absence submission deadline.
7. In Holidays, verify the names and dates of any holidays included in the period, and make any necessary adjustments:
   • Add any missing holidays to the period. Enter the holiday name in Holiday, select the date in Date of holiday, and select Add.
   • Edit any holidays where the name or date is incorrect. Select Edit, update the Holiday and Date of holiday settings, and select Save. 

   • Delete any holidays that you do not want to recognize in the period. Select Delete next to the holiday that you want to remove from the period.

     Make sure that all holidays that apply to your group and occur during the period are included before you create the period. You cannot add holidays after the period is created.

     Depending on how tasks are configured for the group, holidays may determine whether shifts are open or closed. Holidays also appear in your group members' calendars.

8. Select Create Period.

9. In the confirmation dialog, select Confirm.

   If your group is configured to accumulate equity values from period to period by using cumulative counters, see Import values from previous periods for information about transferring equity values to your new period.