The Pub scheduler supports the weekly staffing conversation from availability through an approved schedule. It can suggest assignments, but an authorized operator remains responsible for reviewing and sending the result.
Weekly flow
flowchart LR SHIFTS["1. Prepare shifts"] --> AVAILABILITY["2. Collect availability"] AVAILABILITY --> SUGGEST["3. Generate a suggestion"] SUGGEST --> REVIEW["4. Review and adjust"] REVIEW --> SEND["5. Approve and send"]
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Prepare shifts | An operator confirms the service periods and staffing needs for the week |
| Collect availability | Tenders receive a personal form and can say when they are available or unavailable |
| Generate a suggestion | The scheduler considers stated availability, staffing needs, and recent opportunity |
| Review and adjust | An operator checks coverage, fairness, special circumstances, and any held assignment |
| Approve and send | The finalized schedule is sent to the active team, with calendar-friendly details |
For tenders
- Use your own availability link and submit the most accurate response you can.
- Submit again if the form allows an update and your availability changes; the operator sees the current usable response.
- Treat the availability form as input, not as confirmation that you have been assigned.
- Use the approved schedule message as the source of truth and contact the operator if it conflicts with what you expected.
Do not forward a personal availability link. It is intended for the named recipient and may expose staffing information.
For operators
The protected scheduling workspace helps an authorized operator:
- prepare a week from reusable shift patterns;
- see which active tenders have responded;
- send a reminder without treating a queued message as proof of delivery;
- generate and edit proposed assignments;
- hold an uncertain assignment out of the outgoing schedule;
- preview the complete message before sending; and
- send an updated full schedule when an approved week changes.
The system should make uncertainty visible. A missing form response, failed message, or unresolved shift is not silently treated as success.
Fairness and human review
Assignment assistance considers whether someone was available and their recent opportunity to work. It does not make the final staffing decision. The operator should review the suggestion for:
- adequate coverage and relevant experience;
- repeated under- or over-scheduling;
- changes that occurred outside the form; and
- reasonable accommodation or safety needs that should not be encoded in a public algorithm.
Private implementation details of ranking and tie-breaking remain in the steward’s reviewed operating documentation. The observable guarantee is that unavailable people are not intentionally assigned and that an operator approves the result before it is sent.
Access and privacy
Scheduling permissions are separate from general Pub admission. A person may be allowed to view a week without being allowed to change shifts, edit staff records, view delivery history, or send the schedule.
Availability, email addresses, assignment history, and delivery results are staff data. They are restricted to the roles that need them and are never part of the public tender directory or venue displays.
Technical boundary
The Pub product owns the scheduling record and its audit history. External form and email services are limited to collection or delivery; they do not decide Pub authorization or the final assignment. Every protected change is validated and associated with the acting identity.
Related: Admin access · Architecture