Summary:
This article shows how to plot your holiday hours, cleaner's availability (such as time off, vacation, lunch breaks), or even company time off.
In ZenMaid, blocking your calendar requires fake appointments under a fake customer.
You can also look at our video tutorial below if you'd like. The interface is older, so the ZenMaid buttons might not align exactly, but the steps are the same.
Option 1: Tasks To Block Off Your Calendar
To access the task feature, go to your ZenMaid Dashboard and hover over the Scheduling icon in the left sidebar.
Click on Calendar View after hovering over the Scheduling icon to open your Calendar View.
You can access the task feature directly from the calendar.
Side Note:
The calendars that do not have the Task feature are:
Map View
Spot Finder
Dispatch View - Vertical
List View
Steps to: Create a Task.
To create a task, click on the Actions button in the upper left corner of the screen and select Create a Task.
When you select a space in the Task section of the calendar, a new pop-up window will appear on the right side of the screen.
Next, follow these steps:
Enter the name of the task in the Task field related to the event you want to plot.
Add any additional details in the Note field.
Choose the date for the task under the Due field.
Click the Create button to add the task to your calendar.
You will now be able to see the task displayed on your calendar in the Tasks row.
Side Note:
If you need a recurring task, click the Set to repeat button before creating a task and choose the frequency (daily, weekly, every two weeks, monthly, or custom). If you already have added the task, simply create a new one.
Tasks are a quick and efficient way to plot events that last the entire day. For events like half-day time-offs and lunch breaks, consider using the next option on the calendar for better scheduling.
Option 2: Using Appointments To Block Off Your Calendar
First step: Create your fake customer.
From your ZenMaid dashboard, create a new dummy customer by navigating to Contacts > Add New Contact.
Choose a name for your fake customer that reflects the event you want to plot on your calendar to block it off (e.g., Holiday, Sick Leave, Vacation Leave, Time-Off, Lunch Break).
Add at least one fake address to this dummy profile to facilitate smooth dummy appointment creation.
Make sure to save your new fake customer by clicking the Save button at the bottom of the form.
Second step: Create your fake Appointment Status.
After creating your dummy customer, navigate to Settings > Scheduling from your ZenMaid dashboard.
In the Status section, click on the +Add Status button.
Name the new appointment status to clearly indicate it's for the fake account(s) you've created to block off your calendar (e.g., Holiday, Sick Leave, Vacation Leave, Time-Off, Lunch Break).
Choose a color for the status if desired.
Drag this new status down in the list to ensure it is not set as the default status when creating new appointments. If the status is at the bottom, drag the Appointment Status above it down.
Click on the + icon next to the new status and adjust the following settings:
Show on all calendar views by default: Turn this off if you want these blocking appointments to run behind the schedule.
Put in Work Order: Keep this off so that the fake appointment won't be included in work orders.
Use to calculate scheduling conflicts: Make sure this is checked in the Calendar Settings under Appointment Statuses. This will alert you if a cleaner is unavailable for a real appointment due to their assignment to a dummy appointment.
Include in payroll: Leave this unchecked so it won’t affect payroll. Paid time off accruals can be managed separately using an independent spreadsheet linked to exported payroll reports.
Include in Reports: Ensure this is unchecked so it doesn't impact your revenue reports.
Triggers late clock in/out warning: Turn this off so no notifications aren't going out.
Once you're done, click on the Save Changes button at the bottom.
Third step: Create a Fake Appointment.
To access the task feature, go to your ZenMaid Dashboard and hover over the Scheduling icon in the left sidebar.
Click on Calendar View after hovering over the Scheduling icon to open your Calendar View.
Final Step: Create an appointment on the day/s you want to block your calendar off for time-offs, holidays, etc.
Go to your Calendar.
Create a new appointment on the desired day and time for the event you want to plot using the fake customer you created.
Assign the appropriate cleaner(s) for the event.
Set the start and end times for the appointment.
Before finalizing the appointment, change its Status to the one you created specifically for blocking off your calendar (e.g., Holiday, Sick Leave, Vacation Leave, Time-Off, Lunch Break).
Here is an example:
Finally, click on the Save button.
Side Note:
An address is mandatory for customer profiles, but you can add a "*" or "-" in the service address field.
Keywords:
To plot time off, holidays, leave, or sick leave, go to your calendar and create a new appointment using the dummy customer profile. This will block off the calendar for the specified day or time, indicating the cleaner’s availability. Assign the relevant cleaner for the event, set the start and end times, and change the appointment status to the one created for blocking time (such as Vacation Leave, Time-Off, or Lunch Break). This ensures the cleaner is marked as unavailable, effectively managing cleaner leave and break times, including lunch breaks.