Configure ESS Cut Off Rules

Configure ESS Cut Off Rules

This feature allows users to define how far into the future employees are able to request certain leaves, overtime, call off, Ad-Hoc volunteering, preference form, and timecard.  

NOTE: Rule changes and new rules will not be applied to employees currently logged into WorkLoud.  In order for the rule to take affect, the employee must log out of WorkLoud and log back in. 

1) Click on the Administration icon from the Navigation Menu, then select the ESS Cut Off Rules option from the Settings section. 

2) Press the New button.

3) Enter a Title for the Cut Off Configuration.

4) From the Scope drop-down, select the desired scope for the Configuration.

5) Press the Save button.

6) From the ESS Cut Off Rules drop-down, select the Configuration.

7) Press the Add rule button.

8) Enter a Title for the rule.

9) From the Type drop-down, select the desired type the rule will act on.

10) Use the drop-down menu to select the desired Employee filters. These define which employees the cut off rule will affect.   

11) Depending on the type selected in step 9, select the desired type filters from the drop-down.

12) From the Evaluation Context drop-down select the desired value based on which the cut off rules will be evaluated.

• On day
• On week
• On weekend

13) Set the Start and End of the window using the provided fields. The explanation below uses an example that assumes that a type of Overtime was chosen. That type of cut off rule controls when volunteering opportunities appear. This will function the same for other types, but the overtime's provide a nice visual example.

The Start of Window defines when we start removing volunteering opportunities from the schedule. If, for example, the start of window is "3 days before," and a volunteering opportunity is more than 3 days in the future, it is cut off. If it is less than 3 days in the future it appears.

More precisely, if:

(Date of the Opportunity - Today's Date) ≤ 3  [the 3 is because our example is "3 days before"]

the opportunity appears on the employee's schedule. For example, if today is the 7th and the opportunity is on the 9th:

9-7<=3

the opportunity appears.

If 

(Date of the Opportunity - Today's Date)>3

it is cut off. For example, if today if the 7th and the opportunity is on the 11th:

11-7>3

the opportunity is cut off.

That may be confusing so here's an example (with pictures!):

First here's what the calendar looks like with no cut off rule. The Volunteering Opportunities are in blue and appear on every day. The current date is the 7th (highlighted in grey)

Now we add the following cut off rule:

With that rule in place, the schedule now looks like this. Opportunities before and on the 10th (today is less than or equal to 3 days before those opportunities) appear. Opportunities on and after the 11th do not appear (today is greater than 3 days before those opportunities):

The End of Window defines when we stop removing volunteering opportunities from the schedule. If, for example, the end of window is "3 days before," and a volunteering opportunity is less or exactly than 3 days in the future, it is cut off. If it is more than 3 days in the future it appears.

More precisely, if:

(Date of the Opportunity - Today's Date) ≤ 3  [the 3 is because our example is "3 days before"]

the opportunity is not shown on the employee schedule. For example, if today is the 7th and the opportunity is on the 9th:

9-7≤ 3

the opportunity is not shown.

If 

(Date of the Opportunity - Today's Date) > 3

the opportunity appears for the employee. For example, if today is the 7th and the opportunity is on the 11th:

11-7 > 3

the opportunity is shown.

If that's unclear, here's an example:

First here's what the calendar looks like with no cut off rule. The Volunteering Opportunities are in blue and appear on every day. The current date is the 7th (highlighted in grey):

Next we build the following cut off rule:

With that rule in place, the schedule now looks like this. Volunteering opportunities more than three days in the future appear. Volunteering opportunities less than or equal to three days in the future are cut off.

Note: The user can edit both Start of Window and End of Window- It means the user can change the date in between the beginning of the End of Window to the date before the Start of Window (the End of Window should be set less than the Start of Window).

Notice the change in date and time in the following screenshot:

In this example, the employees can make a request after 3 days (the end of the cut off window) but before 5 days (the start of the cut off window). Returning to the example above, today is 7th of the month-- the employees, therefore, can request a leave between 11th to 12th of that month.

12) Choose the Window Type: The above example is with opening selected. With closing selected, everything is reversed. The last example would show leaves on every day except the 11th and 12th 

Note that the start and end settings are the same as above, but the Window Type has been switched to closing

This is the result:

15) Press the Save button in the bottom right corner.

16) To add multiple rules, press the Add rule bar again and follow the previous steps.

17) When the user is finished, press the Save button in the top middle.

18) The user can access the Access Configuration through the ESS Cut Off Rules drop-down.