Configure rules for instructor substitution
Substitution rules for your studio determine how instructors or service providers can be substituted or replaced in the event of scheduling conflicts, staff availability issues, or other unforeseen circumstances.
Set a cutoff for instructor substitution requests
Instructors assigned to a session or class have the option to submit a substitution request within a designated time frame before the class begins.
Required roles: Owner or Administrator
Required permissions: None
For example, the "Lock Substitution Request Window" is set to 6 hours for your studio. Instructor A, scheduled for a 5:00 AM yoga class tomorrow, requests a substitution at 10:30 PM tonight due to illness. The substitution request was made via the Zenoti Mobile Application (ZMA) and is awaiting approval.
Instructor A has successfully raised a substitution request within the time frame. No substitution requests will be accepted for the 5:00 AM yoga class after 11:00 PM tonight.
Set a cutoff for approval of substitution requests
After an instructor raises a substitution request, the Center Manager is responsible for approving the request before the class starts. The value entered in this field indicates the time frame within which managers can grant approvals; beyond this window, approvals are not permitted.
Required roles: Owner or Administrator
Required permissions: None
For example, the "Define substitution request approval lock window " is set to 2 hours for your studio. Instructor B requests a substitution at 10:00 AM for a zumba class scheduled at 5:00 PM today. The Center Manager can approve substitutions for this class till 3:00 PM today.
The requests that are not approved within the window are canceled.
Manager approval for substitution requests
The Center Manager reviews all responses submitted for substitution requests and approves as per staff availability. Managers receive these requests on ZMA.
Required roles: Owner or Administrator
Required permissions: None
At the organization level, click the Configurations icon.
Search for and select the Define the Approval type for instructor substitution setting from the Fitness section.
Select the Manager approval option and click Save.
For example, Instructor A submits a substitution request and Instructor B volunteers to take up the request.
The center manager must manually approve the substitution request. In the event that Instructor C also expresses interest in picking up the request, the manager can approve either Instructor B or C, and the other instructor will receive a decline notification on ZMA.
Automatic approval for substitution requests
Any instructor who navigates to the 'Available Shifts' section on the Zenoti Mobile Application (ZMA) will find a list of shifts with substitution requests. They can select and pick up any available shift without any approval from the manager.
Required roles: Owner or Administrator
Required permissions: None
At the organization level, click the Configurations icon.
Search for and select the Define the Approval type for instructor substitution setting from the Fitness section.
Select the Auto approval option and click Save.
For example, Instructor A submits a substitution request and Instructor B volunteers to fulfill the request.
The system will automatically assign the session to Instructor B. The approval of these requests works on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Delete pending substitution requests if session time is updated
Enabling this setting automatically deletes all pending instructor substitution requests when you update the session time for a class.
Required roles: Owner or Administrator
Required permissions: None
At the organization level, click the Configurations icon.
Search for and enable the Delete pending substitution requests if session time is updated setting from the Fitness section.
If this setting is disabled, the existing instructor substitution requests are carried forward to the new timings for the class. The rules for substitution requests and approvals remain the same.
Click Save.
Automatic class cancellation for expired substitution requests
When this setting is enabled, a class requiring substitution will be automatically canceled if no substitution request is fulfilled before the class starts.
This automated cancellation is dependent on both the Lock substitution request window (in hours) and the Define substitution request approval lock window (in hours) settings having non-empty values.
Lock substitution request window
Define substitution request approval lock window
Required roles: Owner or Administrator
Required permissions: None
At the organization level, click the Configurations icon.
Search for and enable the Cancel a class automatically after substitution request expires setting from the Fitness section.
Click Save.
For example, a class is scheduled for today from 9:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
In this case, Instructor A raises a substitution request, but there are no volunteers to accept the request. When the class start time arrives at 9:00 AM, this class will be automatically canceled since no one has stepped in to substitute.
If you disable this setting while other substitution lock values are in place, the class will not be canceled. This may cause scheduling conflicts for both students and instructors.