Managing Your Availability

Your availability settings directly impact which shifts you see and how often you get matched. This guide shows you how to set up and manage your schedule for maximum opportunities.

Setting Your Weekly Availability

Accessing Availability Settings

1. Open the OnLocum app
2. Go to Profile > Availability (or Settings > Schedule)
3. You'll see a weekly calendar grid

The Weekly Schedule Grid

The availability grid shows:

• Days of the week (Monday to Sunday)
• Time blocks (Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Night)
• Status indicators (Available, Unavailable, Preferred)

Setting Your Hours

For each day:

1. Tap on the time block you want to modify
2. Select your availability:
   • Available (green) - You can work these hours
   • Preferred (gold) - These are your ideal hours
   • Unavailable (grey) - You cannot work
3. Repeat for each time block and day

Quick Actions

• Copy Day - Apply one day's schedule to others
• Clear All - Reset your entire schedule
• Apply Template - Use preset schedules (Full-time, Part-time, Weekends Only)

Blocking Time Off

Short-Term Blocks

For days you cannot work:

1. Go to Availability > Time Off
2. Tap Add Time Off
3. Select the date(s)
4. Choose:
   • Full Day - Unavailable all day
   • Partial - Specify hours (e.g., unavailable until 2 PM)
5. Add a reason (optional, for your reference)
6. Save

Long-Term Leave

For extended periods (holidays, training, personal leave):

1. Go to Availability > Extended Leave
2. Set start and end dates
3. Your profile will show "On Leave" to facilities
4. You won't receive any shift notifications during this period

Cancelling Time Off

Changed your plans? Remove time-off blocks:

1. Go to Availability > Time Off
2. Find the block you want to remove
3. Tap Remove or swipe to delete
4. Confirm the cancellation

Location Preferences

Setting Your Work Area

1. Go to Profile > Location Preferences
2. Set your Home Location (where you start from)
3. Choose your Maximum Distance:
   • 5km - Very close shifts only
   • 10km - Nearby (recommended starting point)
   • 25km - City-wide
   • 50km - Regional
4. Save your preferences

Multiple Locations

If you're flexible about where you work:

1. Tap Add Location
2. Enter another area (e.g., work address, family home)
3. Set the radius for each location
4. The app will show shifts near any of your saved locations

Location-Based Notifications

Notification Settings

Configuring Shift Alerts

Control how and when you're notified:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications
2. Configure:
   • Push Notifications - Real-time alerts on your phone
   • SMS Alerts - Text messages for urgent shifts
   • Email Digests - Daily or weekly summaries

Notification Preferences

Fine-tune your alerts:

• Minimum Pay Rate - Only notify for shifts above KSh X/hour
• Preferred Service Types - Focus on your specialties
• Quiet Hours - No notifications between certain times
• Urgent Shifts Only - Get alerts only for same-day needs

Frequency Settings

• Instant - Get notified immediately for every matching shift
• Hourly Digest - Bundled notifications every hour
• Daily Summary - One notification per day with all opportunities

How Availability Affects Matching

The Matching Algorithm

OnLocum's matching system considers:

1. Your stated availability - Primary filter
2. Location and distance - Within your set radius
3. Qualifications - Your credentials match requirements
4. Trust Score - Higher scores get priority
5. Preferences - Your preferred times weighted higher

Priority Matching

Workers with complete availability get matched more:

• Set at least 20 hours of weekly availability
• Include a mix of days and times
• Add "preferred" times for your ideal shifts

Last-Minute Opportunities

Enable Instant Match for same-day shifts:

1. Go to Availability > Instant Match
2. Enable the feature
3. Set your response window (how long facilities wait for your reply)
4. Get matched automatically for urgent shifts

Managing Your Calendar

Syncing with External Calendars

Connect OnLocum with your personal calendar:

1. Go to Settings > Calendar Sync
2. Choose your calendar app (Google, Apple, Outlook)
3. Grant permission
4. Your confirmed shifts appear in your external calendar

Viewing Your Schedule

The My Shifts tab shows:

• Upcoming confirmed shifts
• Pending applications
• Past completed shifts
• Cancelled shifts

Conflict Detection

OnLocum automatically detects scheduling conflicts:

• Overlapping shift applications
• Shifts during your blocked time
• Back-to-back shifts with insufficient travel time

Best Practices

Maximizing Your Opportunities

1. Keep availability current - Update weekly
2. Be realistic - Don't mark times you can't actually work
3. Use preferred times - Highlight your ideal hours
4. Enable location services - Better matching when traveling
5. Review weekly - Adjust as your schedule changes

Responding Quickly

Facilities appreciate fast responses:

• Check notifications regularly
• Respond to invitations within a few hours
• Update availability immediately if plans change

Building Consistency

Regular availability builds your reputation:

• Work consistent days/times when possible
• Facilities remember reliable workers
• Consistent schedules lead to repeat bookings

Troubleshooting

Not Seeing Shifts?

Check these settings:

• Availability is set correctly
• Location radius isn't too small
• Notifications are enabled
• Profile is complete and verified

Getting Too Many Notifications?

Adjust your preferences:

• Reduce your availability hours
• Increase minimum pay threshold
• Use quiet hours feature
• Switch to daily digest

Shifts Not Matching Your Schedule?

• Review your weekly grid for accuracy
• Check for overlapping time-off blocks
• Ensure your location is correct
• Contact support if issues persist

Next Steps

• Finding Shifts - Browse and apply for opportunities
• Earnings & Payments - Understand compensation
• Your Trust Score - Build your reputation