Eligibility and trigger#
For: Admin
A break rule has three jobs: identify itself, decide when it’s eligible, and decide where in the shift the break sits. The fields on the form are grouped that way.
What it does#
Identity.
‘Name’ is the human label — “Half-day break (30 min, unpaid)”.
‘Code’ is the short identifier that flows through to the timesheet and the payroll export — keep it short and stable.
‘Priority’ is a number; the higher the priority, the earlier the rule wins when more than one is eligible for the same shift. Use it to make a “long-shift” rule beat a “standard” rule on long days.
Eligibility.
‘Minimum shift length’ — the rule only applies once the scheduled shift reaches this many hours.
‘Duration’ — the length of the break itself.
‘Paid’ toggle — when on, the break is included in paid hours; when off, it’s deducted.
‘Cannot leave workplace by default’ toggle — when on, the break is treated as on-call (and typically paid) unless the worker explicitly checks out.
Waivers. Tick any of the available waivers if your jurisdiction or collective agreement allows the rule to be skipped under certain conditions (for example, when the shift is split or when the worker has signed a written waiver).
Trigger. This decides where the break is placed inside the shift:
‘Offset’ — the break starts N hours after the shift’s start. Use for “lunch four hours in”.
‘Fixed time’ — the break starts at a specific time of day (12:00, say). Use for canteen-driven schedules.
When it kicks in#
The rule is evaluated whenever a shift is created, edited, or moved. Shiftavo looks at the shift’s scheduled length, finds every eligible break rule attached to the work rule, and applies the highest-priority match. The chosen break is inserted into the shift at the offset (or fixed time) you set.
If two rules tie on priority, the longer minimum-shift-length rule wins — a more specific rule beats a more general one.
How it shows in the app#
The shift detail page lists the break inserted into the shift, with its rule code and the paid / unpaid badge.
The Timesheet shows the break as a separate row under each shift, so the actual break time can be edited if it didn’t match the plan.
The break code flows into the payroll export.