For Managers

The Kronos staff scheduling system is being rolled out at Capital Health, the IWK Health Centre and Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre. Kronos is a staff scheduling system that allows managers and employees the ability to plan and view schedules online. Managers will use the system to view unit schedules and approve off requests and shift swap requests. You can also run reports to help identify such things as shifts that are over or under staffed and impacts of over time.

When Kronos is rolled out, the first phase is a “parallel” phase wherein the new Kronos system and current scheduling practices and processes are used at the same time. The intent is to ensure everything is working correctly and the business processes are in place for “go live.”

The Kronos staff scheduling system includes an application called Employee Self Service. It’s sometimes referred to as Kronos ESS. In the Employee Self Service application, employees can view the unit schedule, request shifts off and request and approve shift swaps. They can also set up your unavailability and review your profile (phone number from SAP) and banks such as vacation (Note: SAP is still the source system for banks and if there are any discrepancies between the systems, SAP is the system of truth).

It’s important for employees to use Employee Self Service during the parallel phase because:

You can get to know the system, which will make “go live” easier.

  • Kronos will be the system for your unit and your work schedule. All changes for shift swap and one-off requests for time off such as for a vacation day will be made through the Kronos system.
  • During the parallel phase, employees can use the system and become comfortable with it before it is used for your actual unit schedule.

You can set your work preferences so you receive calls for relief shifts only when you want to.

  • The staffing office will use the Kronos system to identify who is available for relief shifts (in accordance with the collective agreement) by using the preferences set by employees. In the parallel phase you can set your work preferences showing your availability so that you are called for relief shifts only when you are available. If your preferences aren’t in the Kronos system, it will “think” you are available at all times with no limits on when to call you. If you are on vacation please note that you are considered not available for relief shifts.

You can be sure the Kronos system is going to work the way it should.

  • Throughout the parallel phase, everything is processed in Kronos ESP and in SharePoint, or as is the case at the IWK, the current Kronos system, to ensure that everything is working correctly and the business processes are in place for “go live.”