# How availability gates the coverage candidate pool

**For:** Manager
**You'll need:** Nothing.

Coverage decides "is this person available right now?" differently depending on each person's availability mode.

## Mode A — always available

When a person's **'Set availability'** setting is **off** (Mode A), they're considered always available. Coverage never gates them by availability blocks. They appear in the candidate pool for every hour they're MLP-eligible for.

## Mode B — gated by availability

When **'Set availability'** is **on** (Mode B), the person is only considered available during the times they (or you) have entered as availability blocks. Outside those windows they're hidden from the coverage candidate pool.

```{tip}
Mode A is good for full-time staff with predictable hours; Mode B is good for casual / part-time / on-call staff who self-report when they can work. Set the mode per person from the {doc}`/settings-and-admin/personal-settings/index` page.
```

## Related

- {doc}`/plan-schedules/availability/index`
- {doc}`/plan-schedules/my-availability/mode-a-notice`
- {doc}`/settings-and-admin/personal-settings/index`