Time off waitlists

Use time off waitlists so agents can still ask for a day that’s reached your limit on overlapping time off, instead of being turned away. Each request holds a place in line. When a spot opens, the next eligible request moves to Pending and goes through your usual approval process, so you can see the demand and agents get a fair order.

To set them up, go to Configure > Time off rules.

How waitlists work

Your time off rules can cap how many people can be off at once, using the Maximum number of overlapping requests rule type. When the cap is reached, the day is full, and the rule either blocks new requests or sends them for manual review.

With a waitlist on that rule, agents can request a full day anyway. Their request is Waitlisted until a spot opens.

• Waitlists build on your existing rules. You add a waitlist to each Maximum number of overlapping requests rule separately, so you can use them only where they make sense, such as a rule covering peak-season dates for one team. To join a waitlist, a request can’t be blocked by any other time off rule.
• Requests are ordered by when they were submitted. If request A was submitted before request B, request A is checked first when a spot opens.
• Requests that break more than one rule may move out of order. If request A still breaks another rule when a spot opens, it stays on the waitlist, and request B can move ahead of it.
• Assembled checks for open spots regularly, so a request may move a short time after a spot opens rather than instantly.
• When a request moves off the waitlist, its status changes to Pending, and it goes through your usual process, either manual review or automatic approval. Approvers and the requester get an email, and the request’s history shows Promoted from waitlist.
• Waitlists expire. When the requested dates pass, any requests still waitlisted are canceled automatically.

What agents see

When an agent requests time off for a day that’s already full, Assembled tells them how many people have already requested those days and offers Join waitlist. If someone already on the waitlist is ahead of them, they need to join the waitlist even if a spot looks open.

After joining, the request appears on their Time off requests page with the status Waitlisted, along with how many people are on the waitlist and their place in line. They can cancel a waitlisted request at any time. A Waitlisted time card shows the total hours they’re waitlisted for, with View requests to find them. If they reach your waitlist limit, they see Waitlist limit reached, and can cancel one of their waitlisted requests to free up time.

Turn on waitlists

Turning on waitlists doesn’t change any rules on its own. You choose which rules use them.

1. Go to Configure > Time off rules.
2. In the Waitlists card at the top of the page, turn on the toggle.
3. Select an existing rule with the type Maximum number of overlapping requests, or select Create new rule and choose that type.
4. Under When a request breaks this rule, select Agents can join a waitlist.
5. Select Save rule.

In the list of rules, that rule now shows Allows waitlisting.

Set a waitlist limit

To stop people holding a place on every waitlist, you can limit how much each agent can be waitlisted for.

1. In the Waitlists card, select Set limits.
2. In Set waitlist limits, choose an option (see below).
3. Select Save changes.

Find and manage waitlisted requests

Waitlisted requests appear on the Time off requests page alongside everything else. To see only them, under Status, choose Waitlisted.

To approve or deny a waitlisted request without waiting for a spot, select Override waitlist on the request. Approve and Deny then appear, and work the same way as for a pending request.

Turn off waitlists

Important: Turning off waitlists moves every waitlisted request to Pending and loses the order of the line. If you turn waitlists on again later, people don’t get their place back.

1. Go to Configure > Time off rules.
2. In the Waitlists card, turn off the toggle.
3. In Turn waitlists off?, select Turn waitlists off.

When you turn waitlists off:

• Agents can’t join any new waitlists.
• Every Waitlisted request becomes Pending and goes through your usual approval process. The approvers already assigned to each request keep it and are notified.
• Every rule that allowed waitlisting changes to It requires manual review. If you turn waitlists on again, select Agents can join a waitlist on each rule again.

To stop waitlisting for one rule only, change its When a request breaks this rule option:

• It requires manual review: the rule’s waitlisted requests become Pending.
• It can’t be submitted: the rule’s waitlisted requests stay Waitlisted until their dates pass, and are then canceled. No one else can join that waitlist.