Break Policies

This feature is only available for users with the WFM Advanced license.

The Break Policy feature allows you to define and enforce organization-wide break policies for agents' schedules. This system automatically detects and adjusts lunch and break activities based on shift lengths and organizational rules, ensuring compliance and efficiency in workforce management.

Break policies can be used for both fixed and non-fixed shifts by allowing some flexibility into break placements.

Consider using break policies if:

  • Your agents are allowed to make schedule changes.

  • You use approval rules to automatically review and approve partial time-off requests.

  • You use Self-service for partial time-off requests.

  • You can easily setup policy rules by controlling their activation.

The optimizer may suggest new placements if it finds better staffing options. Refer to Optimization with a Break Policy to learn more.

To create a break policy:

  1. Click the app selector icon of app selector and select WFM.

  2. Go to Setup > Break Policies.

  3. Click New Policy and enter the policy name.

    For example: 6-8 Shift Policy.

  4. Select shift length by choosing Min and Max hours. The Shift Preview section gives the visual representation of the shift length.

    For example, if a 6‑hour shift has the same number, type, and duration of activities as a 7.5‑hour shift, set Min hours to 6 and Max hours to 8.

  5. Click Add Break Range to add different breaks to the shift.

    For example, if a 6–7.5‑hour shift should have one break and one lunch, add two break ranges.

  6. Select a break activity from the dropdown and define the duration of that activity.

    For example, if the shift should include a 15‑minute break and a 30‑minute lunch, select the corresponding activity codes and set their durations to 15 minutes and 30 minutes.

  7. Define the range within which the break activity can take place by selecting Start From (Hours) and End By (Hours). Add more breaks as necessary. The Shift Preview section gets updated with each new activity.

    For example, if the first 15‑minute break can be scheduled as early as 1 hour after the shift start, but must end no later than 2.5 hours into the shift, set Start From (hours) to 1 and End By (hours) to 2.5.

    With a shift that starts at 8:00 AM, this allows the first break to start at 9:00 AM and to end any time up to 10:30 AM.

  8. Click Next.

  9. Click Add to get the list of SUs. Select the appropriate SUs from the list and click Save.