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Shift Conflict Rules

Feature Summary

Shift Conflict Rules allow administrators to define conditions under which shifts are automatically marked as conflicting. When a rule is triggered, the affected shift is flagged as a conflict and any related shift change requests are denied.

When to Use This

  • Use when you need to prevent a user from being rostered to two overlapping shifts.

  • Use when specific time proximity between shifts in different roster groups must be enforced (for example, preventing a shift from starting within 10 hours of another).

  • Use when a conflict rule should apply only to users with a specific role.

  • Use when a rule should apply only under specific conditions, such as when a shift is applied from the market or via auto rostering.

  • Use to enforce constraints across particular roster groups, rosters, tags, locations, or shift types.

  • Scope limit: Shift conflict rules operate at the organisation level. The rules list shows all rules configured for the hospital.

Step-by-Step Instructions

View Existing Shift Conflict Rules

  1. Go to Admin in the left-hand navigation menu.

  2. Scroll down to the Rules section.

  3. Click Shift conflict rules.

  4. The Shift conflict rules page opens, displaying all existing rules with a count of rules found (for example, "10 found"). Each rule is listed with a plain-language summary. The condition trigger is highlighted in colour within each rule description.

  5. Each rule has three action links: Test, Edit, and Duplicate.

Create a New Shift Conflict Rule

  1. From the Shift conflict rules page, click + Add in the top-right corner.

  2. The Create shift conflict rule page opens.

  3. Name (Optional): Enter a name in the Name field. If left blank, the system will generate a name automatically.

  4. User is on a shift — set the first shift condition:

The first dropdown defaults to in any roster group. Click it to choose a scope. Available options are:

  • in any roster group

  • in roster group

  • not in roster group

  • in roster groups

  • not in roster groups

  • on rosters

  • not on rosters

If in roster groups is selected, a multi-select field appears to choose the specific roster groups (for example, On Call, Allocations).

  • Add a filter (optional) — Click Add a filter beneath the first shift condition to narrow by additional criteria. Options shown are:

  • Location

  • Days

  • Tags

  • Types

Selecting Tags adds a filter row labelled and has one of these tags with a searchable tag dropdown (for example, Code A, Blue Team, Clinical, Day, General). A red delete icon appears at the end of each filter row to remove it.

Add a cause of conflict — Click the Add a cause of conflict dropdown. Select the relationship condition between the two shifts. Options are:

  • Calendar duration

  • Duration

  • Overlapping

  • Same day

  • Previous/Next Days

  • Same/next week

Once selected, the cause label appears between the two shift condition sections (for example, that is overlapping with).

A shift — set the second shift condition:

This section mirrors the first shift section. The dropdown defaults to in any roster group. The same scope options are available. Selecting on rosters opens a searchable roster list (for example, 1st Call, Cardiac call, Duty (On Call), Obstetric call, Registrar nights).

Click Add a filter to add additional filters for this shift using the same filter types as above.

Applies to — This section restricts which users the rule applies to. The first dropdown offers:

  • these users

  • not these users

  • only users with roles

  • only users who do not have roles

Selecting these users or not these users opens a searchable user list showing names and roles (for example, Abbott, Lisa - (Medicine Consultant)). Selecting only users with roles or only users who do not have roles opens a role selector (for example, Anaesthesia Consultant).

Both shifts are — Two separate dropdowns control location and roster group matching requirements.

Location matching dropdown options:

  • not required to match by location

  • at the same location

  • at different locations

Roster group matching dropdown options:

  • not required to match by roster group

  • in the same roster group

  • in different roster groups

This rule applies — Select when the rule is enforced. Options are:

  • always

  • only when

Selecting only when opens additional condition tags. In the video, the conditions shown are applying from market and auto rostering.

  1. Click Save in the top-right corner.

  2. The system saves the rule and returns to the Shift conflict rules list. A green confirmation banner reading Shift conflict rule saved appears at the top of the screen. The rule count increases by one (for example, from 10 found to 11 found). The new rule appears at the bottom of the list.

Related Settings or Dependencies

  • Shift conflict rules list (Admin > Rules > Shift conflict rules): Displays all rules. Each rule can be tested, edited, or duplicated from this screen. The Test and Duplicate actions are available alongside Edit for every rule in the list.

  • User conflict rules, Leave conflict rules: Separate rule types listed in the same Rules section of the Admin menu. These are distinct from Shift conflict rules.

  • Shift market rules, Shift change request rules: Also listed in the Rules section. The This rule applies setting on a shift conflict rule can be configured to apply only when a shift is applied from market, linking its behaviour to market activity.

  • Auto build rosters (Admin > Rosters > Auto build rosters): The This rule applies setting can restrict a shift conflict rule to apply only when auto rostering is in use.

  • Conflict rule creator (Admin > Rules > Conflict rule creator): Listed above Shift conflict rules in the Admin Rules section. This is a separate feature.

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