The practical questions

No. A volunteer can have a name on the rota and a PIN for the shared kiosk without a login. Volunteers who want to view their shifts or use self-service features need an account. Scheduling emails can reach people without accounts when the business records their email address.

Yes, use the web app in your browser. To receive web push alerts on a supported iPhone, add the app to your Home Screen, open it there and enable notifications. Store apps are coming; you do not need to wait for one to use Azur Rota.

Scheduling updates appear in your in-app inbox. Email and web push are available according to your preferences and the workspace’s delivery setup. Push requires a subscription and permission on your device. Check the rota and inbox for the current state; an alert is not a guarantee that a message was seen.

Yes. Staff can propose a named swap, offer cover or offer a shift to the open pool. The assignment stays with its current person until approval. Managers review by default. Owner-enabled automatic approval still checks eligibility and hour rules, and exchanges near the start require manager review.

The app checks recorded punches against published shifts using the position’s configured grace and no-show thresholds. Owners and relevant managers receive alerts and can review attendance counts and add context. A flag does not change a punch or pay, and it is never a staff rating.

Only if an owner grants that manager permission to see rates. Owners can see rates; other managers have rates hidden by default. The timesheet export contains hours, not pay rates or calculated pay.

Owners and managers explicitly granted pairing visibility, within their permitted scope. Other managers may see neutral “Team fit considered” wording in suggestions, without private preference details. Staff, volunteers and support assist cannot see pairing preferences.

A calendar change does not move a person’s shift automatically. Azur Rota flags the mismatch so a manager can review it. If a manager changes a published shift, scheduling notifications tell the affected people. Check your rota for the latest details.

Yes. Connect a read-only iCal/ICS feed and set rules that turn events into staffing requirements. Scheduled sync keeps the coverage picture up to date. Azur Rota does not write changes back to your source calendar.

Calendars that provide a reachable iCal/ICS feed, including Google Calendar and Outlook publishing, and booking or event tools that offer that format. A normal calendar webpage is not a feed. If you are unsure which link to use, ask support; do not post a private feed link publicly.

Azur Rota exports approved hours for your payroll process. It does not pay staff, calculate tax or certify labour-law compliance. Your business remains responsible for checking hours and applying its payroll rules.

A CSV of approved hours, grouped by person and sliced into weeks in the location’s timezone. It includes names, external employee IDs when set, period dates, regular and overtime hours, unpaid break minutes and notes. Generic, Gusto, QuickBooks and Square column presets are available. There are no pay-rate or pay-amount columns and no automatic transfer to a payroll provider.

Support enters through a time-limited assist session with read-only access. An owner can consent to a limited window of permitted write access and revoke it. The assist banner shows the operator and mode, and owners can review the history. Support cannot record punches, correct or approve hours, or manage accounts.

Yes, owners can send a phone invitation when SMS delivery is enabled. Twilio provides SMS delivery. A copyable invitation link is also available for the owner to share privately. A phone invitee still supplies an email address when accepting an account invitation.

Cancelling a plan stops operational actions; it does not automatically erase the rota or timesheets. The business decides its retention needs. Contact the business owner or Azur Rota to request account deactivation and anonymization of personal fields while business rota and timesheet records are retained. Audit records are kept.

Plans are assigned by Azur Rota; ask us. The Plans page lists the current public options. We will confirm a suitable plan and activate it after signup.