Overview
Shift assignments allow you to define sub-tasks or "jobs to be done" within an existing shift. They are sometimes called sub-shifts — a way of recording where a staff member is, or what they are doing, during a specific window of their broader shift.
For example, a staff member might be working a 9am–5pm shift, but in the morning they are assigned to the Memory Care ward, and in the afternoon to a 1:1 with a specific patient. Shift assignments let you capture this detail and ensure staffing levels reflect where each person actually is at any given time.
Before You Start
You must have an existing shift on the rota before you can add an assignment. Assignments cannot exist without a parent shift.
Adding a Shift Assignment
Navigate to Rota and find the shift you want to add an assignment to.
Click the three-dot menu on the shift block.
Select Edit shift.
Go to the Assignments tab.
Add an assignment label — this is the name of the sub-task or location (e.g. Lunch Cover, Memory Care, 1:1 Patient).
Set a start time and end time for the assignment. These must fall within the parent shift's times — Florence will not allow assignments outside those hours.
Select the unit the assignment applies to. Assignments can span multiple units but cannot span multiple locations.
Click Add to save the assignment.
You can add multiple assignments to a single shift. Once saved, they will be visible when you open the shift.
A Note on Labelling
We recommend keeping assignment labels consistent across your rota. If a task is always called Lunch Cover, always type it the same way — consistent capitalisation, same spelling. This makes it easier to filter and report on assignments over time.
Editing and Deleting Assignments
You can edit or delete an existing assignment at any time from the Assignments tab in the shift edit panel.
Copying Shifts with Assignments
When you copy a shift, the assignments are copied along with it. You can drag and drop a shift assignment to a different day, or copy a shift to replicate it — including its sub-assignments — across multiple days or staff members.
Worker Types
Shift assignments are not linked to a specific worker type, so they can be moved between different worker types freely.
What Workers Can See
Permanent and Bank staff who have been assigned shifts will be able to see their shift assignments in the Florence Go app. When they log in to view their shifts for the week, any assignments attached to their shifts will be visible. If assignments are edited or updated, workers will also see the updated version in the app.
Note: Agency workers cannot see shift assignments in the app.
Impact on Staffing Levels
Shift assignments affect staffing level calculations. When a worker is assigned to a specific unit during part of their shift, the platform adjusts staffing counts to reflect where that worker is at that time — not just which location they are scheduled at overall.
FAQs
Can an assignment span multiple locations?
No. An assignment can cover multiple units within a location, but cannot span across different locations.
Can I add an assignment that starts before or after the parent shift?
No. Assignment times must fall within the parent shift's start and end times. Florence will show a validation error if you try to set an assignment outside those hours.
Can I have more than one assignment per shift?
Yes. You can add multiple assignments to a single shift, as long as each one falls within the shift's overall time window.
Will agency workers see their shift assignments in the app?
No. Only permanent and bank staff members can see shift assignments in Florence Go.
Do assignments carry over when I copy a shift?
Yes. When you copy a shift, its assignments are included in the copy.