Time Off Integration FAQs

  • Last updated on Apr 1, 2025
  • Published on Nov 8, 2024
  • 5 minute(s) read

By syncing your team's time off into the schedule, you can:

  • Get full visibility over your agent's time

  • Automatically plan around your agent's planned time off and absences

  • Monitor shrinkage

  • Create accurate timesheets for all your agent's time

Let’s review some common questions regarding Dialpad WFM’s time off integrations.

Time can be synced in three ways:

  • HRIS via iCal: For most HRIS systems or calendar clients, you can sync your team's time off into Dialpad WFM via iCal links. This includes GCal, Outlook, HiBob and BambooHR.  For these calendars, you can enter specific keywords to only sync relevant events.

  • Create a custom GCal or Outlook calendar: Some companies may not have an existing HRIS or time off calendar. In these cases, you can create a custom calendar to use and link it via iCal. For these calendars, you can enter specific keywords to only sync relevant events.

  • Direct integrations: For some systems where iCal links are unavailable, we offer direct integrations. Dialpad WFM supports ADP Workforce Now and Workday.

    • To connect these systems you'll need a link from our team.

There are a few common reasons why bookings may be missing:

  • The data hasn't refreshed yet: Dialpad WFM syncs calendar data every 20 minutes.

  • The agent's name did not match their Dialpad WFM name exactly.

    • Double check the spelling; watch for accents and punctuation.

If you’re using an iCal for HRIS, GCal or Outlook, you’ll also want to check your keywords and privacy settings:

  • Missing keyword: Dialpad WFM will only add events with specific keywords to the schedule. As well as common default keywords, you are free to add any more that are relevant to your team. Check that the calendar the event belongs to includes a keyword used in the title of the event.

  • The calendar is private: If you use a private calendar, then you'll need to use your 'secret iCal address'. Replace the iCal link you previously used with your secret address instead.

This depends on which time off integration you’re using.

Many HRIS systems were not designed for shift workers. As a result, they may sometimes miss specific start or end times of time off bookings. e.g. a 'half day' may not specify if it's am/pm or which hours that entails.

In these cases, bookings will often show as 'all day' in Dialpad WFM. Unfortunately, this is not something we can fix. However, you are able to edit and amend the time off booking from within the schedule:

  1. Navigate to the Shift Schedule

  2. Select the relevant time off block

  3. Unselect ‘all day’ and enter the correct start and end time

  4. Save

  5. The time off block will now be updated in the schedule and auto-published.

If you’re using Google Calender, Dialpad WFM will use the timezone you assigned to the Google Calendar to place bookings in the schedule. If agents added time off in their own timezone, which is different to the calendar, then it may appear incorrectly.

If this is the case, let our team know and we can enable a setting to match time off bookings to the agent's timezone instead.

Dialpad assigns time off booking to agents by matching their first and last names.

As a result, it's important that the names match exactly.

This includes:

  • Spelling (e.g. Amie, not Amy)

  • Hyphens (e.g. Tom Smith-Brown, not Tom Smith Brown)

  • Accents (e.g. Raúl, not Raul)

  • Punctuation (e.g. Jess L'heude, not Jess L Heude)

Dialpad only syncs approved time off bookings from HRIS calendars.

It will sync all events from GCal or Outlook featuring keywords.

No, a conflict will show on the time off block in the schedule to alert you that there has been a clash, allowing you to find cover.

Yes, Dialpad will automatically sync sick days into the schedule.

  • For HRIS systems: If the time off policy is available, then sick days will be labelled as 'Sick 🤒' in the schedule.

  • For GCal or Outlook: If you include the keyword 'sick' in the booking, then sick days will be labelled as 'Sick 🤒' in the schedule.

You can also edit any time off event to update the label 'Sick 🤒'.

Yes, Dialpad syncs all types of time off into the schedule.

Any time off bookings that do not contain vacation/holiday or sick related keywords, or policies will show as 'time off 🕐 '

If an agent was scheduled on a shift that now overlaps with a time off booking or time off in lieu, it will show up as a conflict.

Conflicts appear as a red dot in the corner of the shift. When you select a shift, you'll be able to view the shift that was previously scheduled.
conflicts

Calendar data refreshes every 20 minutes. Dialpad will update automatically the schedule if someone cancels their time off.

If a shift was previously scheduled, it will be restored after the time off booking is cancelled. If no shifts were scheduled previously, there will be a space in the schedule.

Calendar data refreshes every 20 minutes. Dialpad will update automatically the schedule if someone changes their time off booking.

If a shift was previously scheduled, it will be restored after the time off booking is updated. If no shifts were scheduled previously, there will be a space in the schedule.

Time off is published automatically, so you don't need to worry about it.

You can hide synced time off bookings from the schedule by clicking on the time off block and clicking 'hide time off'. This will not affect your HRIS system or calendar, this is only for the schedule.

Dialpad WFM only syncs events which contain relevant keywords to avoid adding unwanted events. The keyword must be used in the title of the event along with the name of the agent, e.g., “Ben Smith Jury Duty”.

You can use any keywords necessary to cover the time off policies relevant to your business.

How to add keywords:

  1. Navigate to Settings

  2. Select Time off

  3. Select the iCal calendar from the list

  4. Enter the keywords you want to use

    1. You can view the default keywords by selecting show default keywords

  5. Save

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