Roster
The Roster is Smooth HR's visual shift scheduling page at /hr/roster. It displays employees and their assigned shifts on a calendar grid, letting managers drag-and-drop assignments, spot coverage gaps, and publish schedules before the work week begins. Roster changes sync to Shift Assignment records used by check-ins and auto attendance.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Where to find it
- Roster interface tour
- Prerequisites
- Assigning shifts on the roster
- Editing and swapping shifts
- Filters and views
- How roster connects to attendance
- Shift requests vs. roster
- Tips
- Troubleshooting
- Related guides
Overview
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Page URL | /hr/roster |
| Type | Custom web page (not a record list) |
| Sidebar | Shift & Attendance → Roster |
| Workspace shortcut | Roster tile on Shift & Attendance home |
| Creates/updates | Shift Assignment records |
Roster is optimized for frontline and shift-based teams — retail, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality — where weekly visibility matters more than one-off Shift Assignment forms.
Where to find it
| Access | Path |
|---|---|
| Shift & Attendance sidebar → Roster | /hr/roster |
| Workspace shortcut | Roster (URL type link) |
| Direct URL | https://yoursite.smoothhrms.com/hr/roster |
Related desk paths:
| record | Path |
|---|---|
| Shift Type | /app/shift-type |
| Shift Assignment | /app/shift-assignment |
| Shift Request | /app/shift-request |
| Employee Checkin | /app/employee-checkin |
Roster interface tour
Typical layout:
| UI element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Week navigator | Previous / next week arrows |
| Employee rows | One row per employee (filtered set) |
| Day columns | Mon–Sun (or configured week start) |
| Shift cells | Colored blocks showing assigned Shift Type |
| Empty cells | No assignment — may mean off day |
| Toolbar / filters | Company, department, branch, shift type |
| Legend | Color key for shift types |
Click a cell to assign or change shift. Drag shift block to another day or employee if enabled.
Prerequisites
Before using Roster effectively:
| Prerequisite | Path |
|---|---|
| Shift Type definitions | /app/shift-type |
| Employees active with department | /app/employee |
| Optional Shift Location | /app/shift-location |
| HR Settings | Allow multiple shift assignments if split shifts needed |
Without Shift Types, roster cells have nothing to assign.
Assigning shifts on the roster
Step 1: Open roster
- Navigate to
/hr/roster. - Select Company and Department filters.
- Navigate to target week.
Step 2: Assign shift
- Click empty cell for employee + date.
- Select Shift Type from dropdown (e.g., "Day 9–6").
- Confirm — Shift Assignment record created in background.
- Cell displays shift color and label.
Step 3: Bulk patterns
Some deployments support:
- Copy week to next week.
- Assign same shift to date range for one employee.
- Apply Shift Schedule template.
Exact buttons depend on your Smooth HR version — check toolbar actions on your site.
Step 4: Publish / communicate
Export screenshot or share roster link with managers. Employees view assignments via mobile or Shift Assignment list.
Editing and swapping shifts
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Change shift | Click cell → select different Shift Type |
| Remove shift | Clear cell or delete assignment |
| Move shift | Drag to new date (if drag enabled) |
| Swap two employees | Change both cells manually or use Shift Request workflow |
Changes update Shift Assignment start/end dates — historical assignments may be split for audit.
Filters and views
| Filter | Use |
|---|---|
| Company | Multi-company accounts |
| Department | Team-specific roster |
| Branch / Location | Site-level scheduling |
| Designation | Role-based view |
| Shift Type | Show only rows with specific shift |
Use filters to keep roster performant on large workforces (500+ employees — filter to department).
How roster connects to attendance
Roster assignment → Shift Assignment → Employee Checkin validated → Auto Attendance → Attendance record
| Roster state | Check-in behavior |
|---|---|
| Shift assigned | IN/OUT matched to shift times |
| Empty cell | Check-in may flag Offshift |
| Wrong shift assigned | Late/early flags or Absent |
After publishing roster:
- Employees see expected shift times.
- Check-ins processed against assignment.
- Shift Attendance report compares plan vs. actual.
Update roster before payroll period when schedule changes — retroactive assignment may need Attendance Request.
Shift requests vs. roster
| Mechanism | Initiator | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| Roster | Manager/HR | Planned schedule |
| Shift Request | Employee | Ask to change assigned shift |
Approved Shift Request (/app/shift-request) updates underlying assignment — roster view reflects change on refresh.
Workflow: employee submits Shift Request → manager approves → roster cell updates.
Tips
- Plan one week ahead — publish roster before Monday.
- Use consistent shift type colors — faster visual scanning.
- Coordinate with Leave Application — approved leave should clear shift cell.
- Review Offshift check-ins — often missing roster entry.
- Department filter mandatory on large sites — browser performance.
- Align with Shift Schedule for rotating crews — less manual drag each week.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Roster page blank | Clear cache; check permissions; verify employees in filter |
| Cannot assign shift | Create Shift Type first; employee inactive |
| Assignment not saving | Network error — refresh; check Shift Assignment list |
| Employee sees wrong shift | Refresh; verify assignment dates include today |
| Auto attendance mismatch | Roster says day shift but employee worked night — fix assignment |
| Drag not working | Browser compatibility — use click-to-assign fallback |
Multi-site and multi-company roster
Organizations with several branches should:
| Practice | Why |
|---|---|
| Filter roster by Department or Branch | Performance and clarity |
| Use branch-specific Shift Location | Geofence accuracy for check-ins |
| Assign Holiday List per region | Correct holiday display vs. leave |
| Name Shift Types with site prefix | "NYC-Day" vs "LA-Day" avoids wrong assignment |
Corporate HR can view each site weekly by switching filters rather maintaining one combined roster of thousands of rows.
Communicating the roster to employees
After updating roster:
- Screenshot or export weekly view for break-room posting (optional).
- Remind employees to check Shift Assignment list on mobile.
- Announce deadline for Shift Request if swaps allowed (e.g., 48 hours before shift).
- Cross-check approved Leave Application — remove shift cells on leave dates to prevent false Offshift flags.
Clear communication reduces no-shows and mistaken Absent attendance.
Browser and performance tips
The roster page loads many employees when filters are wide open. For best experience:
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Use Chrome or Edge latest | Best compatibility with drag-and-drop |
| Filter to one department | Faster load under 200 employees per view |
| Avoid mobile browser for bulk edits | Use desk for week planning; mobile for viewing |
| Hard refresh after deploy | Ctrl+Shift+R if roster UI cached after Smooth HR upgrade |
If roster fails to load entirely, verify user has HR role and Shift Assignment create permission.
Related guides
Last updated: May 2026