Standard Unpaid Breaks and Custom Unpaid Breaks

When rostering, you may wonder whether using the standard unpaid breaks settings or a custom unpaid break is best, and it will come down to some basic requirements. Best of all, you don't need to choose one or the other. Custom unpaid breaks will override the standard breaks. So, you can set standard unpaid breaks and use custom unpaid breaks for any shift when the standard breaks aren't suitable.  

Standard Unpaid Breaks

To set up standard unpaid breaks, you need to be an admin, and you can follow the steps here, which allows you to set different break durations for different shift lengths (e.g. Depending on your country's break laws or industry requirements, you might require every shift over 5 hours to have 30 minutes of unpaid break, and once you hit 10 hours, you may require 60 minutes.) 

Once set, they will be automatically applied to every shift that meets the minimum length, and the break time will increase based on the length of the shift and the settings you've applied.

Custom Unpaid Breaks

Custom unpaid breaks can be used by anyone who has permission to roster and is set on the shift as you create it by simply toggling it on and typing in a Break Type, the start time for the break and the duration. 

So... Standard or Custom?

Both options will be shown to staff when they look at their roster. Whether they log into a web browser and look at My Calendar, use the smartphone app, or email (if you select to communicate the roster by email when publishing.)

Differences

However, with standard break settings, you only set the duration. So, we can only provide staff with the length of their break, not when to take the break.

Custom breaks allow greater control over the time staff should take the break, so when staff have a custom break, it provides them with the break type, start time and duration. It also allows you to set the break to a specific duration that may differ from the standard times for that shift length.

Use Cases

Standard Breaks: If you work in an environment where you don't need to have staff coverage at every moment of the day (i.e. all your staff can go on break at the same time or whenever they want) and you don't have different break requirements in the legislation or awards that your various staff fall under, then standard breaks are the simple and time efficient way to set and forgot.

Custom Breaks: If you have a workplace, department or position that needs to stagger breaks (Hospitals, call centres, reception, hospitality, etc.) or staff that fall under different break laws. You can use custom breaks exclusively or set your standard breaks and customise them as required.