This article was last reviewed on July 1, 2024.
Unavailability allows you to show your management team when you are not available for work. It is designed to repeat and is best for things like school schedules or second jobs.
The info you enter creates blocks of time on the calendar similar to a shift as an obvious visual indication for the person who is scheduling.
Note that based on your company's settings, this feature may not be available to you or the information you set may be subject to approval by management.
From the mobile app
Tap the More icon, then tap Unavailability in the list.
To add a new set, tap the + icon at the top right corner.
Once you get to this screen, there are several items you must complete in order for your unavailability to show up on the main calendar.
Name your set (required). This will help distinguish it - especially if you plan to add more than one set.
Select whether the unavailability applies to a week or a single day.
3. Set a start date (and end date if the set does not repeat indefinitely). For example, this will be a fall class schedule, so the start date aligns with the beginning of the semester and the end date is after the semester is over.
4. Choose the repeat setting. This is how often the set should appear on the schedule. (See above for setting single dates or weeks)
5. Choose the days of the week the set applies to. Tap the + next to the days of the week to block off that day or add time information. Without adding info here, nothing will show on your manager’s end, and you could potentially be scheduled when you’re not available.
When you tap the + next to a day of the week, you open the details for that particular day. On the day screen, you can choose to block off the whole day or you can add specific times for that day.
Important: Once you have all the details for that day the way you want them, remember to tap Add at the top right.
Repeat those steps for any other day of the week that needs to be included in the set.
Important: When you're ready to send the info to your manager, tap Save or Request at the top right of the screen.
If you need to edit or remove a set, tap the small arrow next to it. Note that you may not be able to edit a set depending on your company's settings. In that case, you can still delete and re-add it for approval.
On the next screen, tap the options button (3 dots) at the top right.
From the website
To set your unavailability, click your name at the top right corner from any page in your account and choose Unavailability from the list.
Employees can also access this page from their Dashboard by clicking the Unavailability tab.
This will bring you to your unavailability tab within your profile.
Make sure you complete all of the following details for any set you create:
Naming your set (required)
This helps you differentiate between sets and/or also communicates to managers what the set is for.
Setting the start date
Let Sling know when unavailability begins. You will always need to indicate a start date.
Keep in mind that if you set a start date that happens to be a Wednesday, Sling will not apply any of the information you enter to the days listed before Wednesday for the (first) week the set takes effect.
In the example below, September 1st falls on a Wednesday. So the week that this unavailability set applies to will only include from Wednesday on.
Make sure to indicate which day of the week the unavailability applies to, otherwise, Sling will not assume the date you input is the day that applies.
Adjusting the frequency the set applies to
If you are just joining your company's account, or are a manager setting up the unavailability for an employee, and want to indicate unavailability for every week on a Thursday, you can set the start date as the current date and the end date as indefinitely.
There are options to repeat a set anywhere from each week to every 4 weeks, or never.
To set unavailability for one day, use the drop-down menu to set the repeat option as Never. In this instance, the start date that you use can be the date that the person is not available.
Remember, if you are entering unavailable days that are only for a single week, then the set will never repeat, and you do not need to indicate an end date. Simply select the times for any day that week that apply.
Blocking off the appropriate days and times on the grid.
Without info on the grid, nothing will show up on the schedule. Make sure you add info for every day of the week that applies within your date range.
For example, if marking yourself as unavailable for four days in one week, you would need to block off all days of the week on the grid with the All day links.
The same applies for just one date. Make sure you block off the day of the week on which the date falls. So if someone is unavailable on April 25th only as in the example above, then you must still indicate the unavailability for Sunday, specifically:
If you only need to block off part of a day, you can click within the grid to set a block as short as 1 hour.
To adjust the times, you can click and drag the edges. The times can be adjusted in 15-minute increments.
Save your settings!
Most importantly, remember to click Save or Request when you're done adding info to a set.
Helpful links
Do you need to edit an existing unavailability set?
Learn where to look to see employees' unavailability details.
Having trouble entering an employee's unavailability? Click here.
Do you need to require manager approval for changes to unavailability?
Learn when it's appropriate to use time off versus unavailability.
Watch a video that demonstrates how to schedule unavailability in the Sling app.