Your SectionBalance guide.

Planned schedules are not actual time

Where: Manager app → Schedule

A shift or assignment in SectionBalance shows what was planned. It is not proof of clock-in, clock-out, attendance, hours actually worked, wages, tips, payroll, or benefits.

Before you continue: Use your organization's approved payroll and timekeeping systems for actual work and compensation records.

Keep sensitive employment records elsewhere

Where: Manager app → Team, Days off, Tasks, rules, and support

Do not enter medical or accommodation details, immigration information, discipline, termination reasons, performance reviews, hiring decisions, pay or tax data, or guest complaints in SectionBalance.

Your organization controls retention

Where: Manager app → Reports and Privacy & Data

The establishment determines which records it must keep, exports required records to its approved record system, and applies the required retention period. Kithiva does not represent that SectionBalance alone satisfies employment-record obligations.

What happens next: Follow your organization's records policy before account closure or deletion.

Fairness is not performance

Where: Manager app → Team → View score analysis

Opportunity analysis explains how planned assignment opportunity is distributed. It is not an earnings estimate, attendance record, performance rating, or recommendation for an employment action.

Before you continue: Recognition points and information from connected products such as Rapport or Welcome are never used to assign shifts, hours, sections, or opportunity.

Account and establishment

Where: Manager app → Settings → Establishment

Check that you are working in the right establishment and time zone.

1. Sign in to your manager account.
2. Open Establishment and check its name and time zone.

What happens next: Schedule and task times use this time zone.

First-week checklist

Where: Manager app → Home

Set up the work areas, then the people and rules.

1. Create your floor plan, sections, and opening hours in Settings.
2. Add people and working hours in Team.
3. Set up coverage plans if you want sections grouped automatically.
4. Save your break and rotation rules in Settings → Scheduling.
5. Choose the week on Schedule.
6. Return to Home, generate a draft, and review it before publishing.

What happens next: Publishing shares the reviewed schedule with the team.

Show or hide the setup guide

Where: Manager app → Home

Hide the checklist when you no longer need it.

1. Use the hide option on the Home setup checklist.
2. To show it again, open Settings → Help Center and turn on Show setup checklist on Home.

What happens next: Your settings and schedules are unchanged.

Use SectionBalance on iPad

Where: Manager app → Home, Schedule, Team, Tasks, and Settings

Build 86 runs natively on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later. On a wide iPad window, use the sidebar; narrow windows use tabs. Rotate or resize the iPad window without losing your selected screen, navigation, or an open editor draft.

1. Use Command-1 through Command-5 with a hardware keyboard to select the five main screens.
2. Scroll the sidebar or form if larger text leaves controls below the visible area. Supported Cancel and Close controls also respond to Escape.
3. On Schedule, scroll the day row when necessary. VoiceOver reads the full localized date and identifies the selected day.

What happens next: The app uses a light appearance for readable forms. Multiple app windows are not supported.

Coordinate a shared-workspace upgrade

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health

Before a shared-workspace pilot upgrade, the primary manager should keep a full backup and record its date and app version. Update every primary and delegate manager device together before editing resumes.

Before you continue: Do not resume editing that workspace with build 77. Older versions can lose the ownership information that distinguishes two people with the same name. Contact support before attempting a rollback; a PDF or CSV is not a full workspace backup.

Import setup across time zones

Where: Manager app → Settings → Establishment → Setup template → Import Setup Template

A setup template transfers configuration and may include roster information; it is not a schedule backup. Import is a primary-manager action that replaces the setup and clears generated schedules and other operational workspace data after creating a safety backup.

Before you continue: Do not use a setup template to recover schedules. Use a full workspace backup for recovery.

1. Keep a full backup before importing and check that this is the intended establishment.
2. Review the imported time zone and the selected week before generating. Build 86 preserves the same calendar week when the template changes the time zone; for example, October 5–11 remains October 5–11 when moving from New York to Denver.
3. Check the roster, floor plans, and rules, save online, generate and review the week, then publish when ready.

Start safely

Where: Manager app → New-account setup

Choose Explore a sample establishment during new-account setup. Juniper has two floors, four sections, and seven fictional team members. No schedule is bundled: you generate the first week yourself.

Before you continue: Use an empty test account. The sample does not replace an existing establishment.

Establishment and physical sections

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → Juniper House Demo

Juniper is open 24 hours, every day, in Denver time. Its four sections have different opportunity scores so you can explore fair assignments.

What happens next: Higher scores mean greater earning opportunity, not a prediction of earnings.

Coverage plans and assignments

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → Juniper House Demo → Configure coverage plans

Automatic coverage plans are enabled, with simple plan labels selected initially. Server counts apply to each floor, not the establishment total.

1. Lower Solo — one server: All Lower covers L1 + L2 + L3.
2. Lower Pair — two servers: L12 covers L1 + L2; L3 covers L3.
3. Lower Trio — three servers: L1, L2, and L3 are separate assignments. This is included for future roster experiments; the supplied staffing does not normally use it.
4. Upper Solo — one server: All Upper covers U1.
5. When a server takes a break, the applicable staffing plan changes. Saved assignment groups remain intact.

Seven staggered eight-hour shifts

Where: Manager app → Team → select a team member

The seven shifts overlap to provide day and overnight coverage.

Before you continue: These daily shifts are for training, not a recommended seven-day workweek.

Business and rotation rules

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

Open Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules to inspect the saved rules and their priorities.

1. Required: each section has only one assigned server at a time.
2. Required: one server must not cover multiple floors unless an open section has no alternative available server. Limited cross-floor coverage can therefore occur during breaks.
3. Required rotation rule: aim for at least 120 minutes on the same section or configured assignment when coverage permits; rotate after at most 120 minutes. Breaks pause, rather than reset, time on the same assignment.
4. Fairness: start in a different section each week where feasible. The first generated week has no previous-week baseline. This preference does not guarantee every person's start changes.

Break profiles and task policy

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

The demo's eight-hour shifts each require one 30-minute break. Only one person can be on break at a time.

1. Wait at least 3 hours after shift start before a break.
2. Finish the break at least 1 hour before shift end.
3. Aim for no more than 4 hours of continuous work.

What happens next: Review any break exceptions before publishing.

A guided tour of the configuration

Where: Manager app → Home

Explore the existing settings before changing anything. No schedule is bundled with this demo.

1. In Settings, open Juniper's floor plan and review its sections and coverage plans.
2. In Team, open a person and review their shift.
3. In Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules, review breaks and rotations.
4. On Schedule, choose a week. Return to Home and tap Generate.
5. Review assignments and breaks on Schedule. Check any Needs review findings on Home.
6. Try the following week, then compare. Change just one setting at a time.

What happens next: Use Export Setup Template to keep the configuration. Use a backup to keep schedules too.

Install the beta with TestFlight

Where: iPhone or iPad → TestFlight

During beta testing, Apple TestFlight delivers SectionBalance and its updates. Install Apple's free TestFlight app, accept the invitation, and install SectionBalance from TestFlight.

1. Accept the invitation using the address selected by your testing lead.
2. Install SectionBalance from TestFlight.
3. Open new builds from TestFlight when an update is announced.
4. Use Send Beta Feedback to report a problem, preferably with a screenshot and the affected week, date, time, and person.

What happens next: A TestFlight build can be tested for up to 90 days. TestFlight access is for evaluation and does not by itself approve production use.

Use a testing lead

Where: Your organization's pilot plan

Choose one person who understands current scheduling practices and can coordinate managers, team members, feedback, and decisions.

1. Name one testing lead and a backup.
2. Include two or three managers who regularly create or supervise assignments.
3. Include a small group of experienced team members who can assess whether assignments are practical and fair.
4. Involve IT, security, privacy, or procurement before real employee information or production use is approved.

Follow a staged evaluation

Where: Manager app and your organization's pilot plan

A three- to four-week evaluation is usually long enough to learn the workflow, compare multiple schedules, and test controlled publishing.

Before you continue: Do not enter real employee information until the appropriate business owner and internal reviewers authorize that stage.

1. Learn with Juniper House Demo and fictional information.
2. Create a representative floor plan, coverage plans, rules, and fictional roster for your operation.
3. With permission, enter selected real schedule information. Generate two or three weeks and use each week's Roadmap PDF to compare the result with normal manager decisions. Do not publish yet.
4. After operational and data-use approval, publish selected weeks to a small test group and collect manager and team-member feedback.

Decide whether to adopt

Where: Roadmap PDFs, Schedule, Needs review, and pilot feedback

Judge the product across several weeks, not from one assignment or one person's result.

1. Confirm that required sections are covered and breaks and rotations are operationally valid.
2. Review whether access to higher- and lower-opportunity work becomes reasonably balanced over time.
3. Count avoidable manual corrections and inaccurate Needs review findings.
4. Assess manager time saved and whether managers can understand and explain the schedule.
5. Confirm that Roadmap reports, publishing, team pages, acknowledgements, and tasks communicate changes clearly.
6. Document remaining risks, owners, training needs, and the manual fallback before approving production use.

What happens next: A successful evaluation means the schedules are valid, fair, understandable, and consistently reduce management effort; they do not need to be identical to a manually created schedule.

Create the physical layout

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → Edit floor plan

A floor plan contains your floors. Each floor contains the sections a server can cover.

1. Add a floor plan.
2. Add its floors and sections.
3. Set the days and hours each section is open.
4. Save the floor plan.

What happens next: Your work areas are ready for coverage plans and scheduling.

Set opportunity scores

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → Edit floor plan

Give each section a score from 1 to 100. Higher scores mean better earning opportunity compared with other sections.

1. Open the section you want to edit.
2. Set its opportunity score and save.
3. Generate a new draft to use the change.

What happens next: The scheduler uses these scores to help balance assignments. Scores are not an earnings estimate.

Duplicate a plan

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → New floor plan (+) → Duplicate existing floor plan

Copy an existing floor plan to save setup time.

Before you continue: Check copied dates before generating: the copy may apply on the same dates as the original.

1. Tap New floor plan (+), then Duplicate existing floor plan.
2. Choose the plan to copy.
3. Rename it and make your changes.
4. Check its coverage plans and the dates it applies.
5. Save.

What happens next: The original stays unchanged.

What can be duplicated?

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans

You can duplicate a whole floor plan or a team member. To copy floors, sections, and coverage plans together, copy their floor plan.

Choose when it applies

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → Edit floor plan

Choose when a floor plan should be used.

1. Open the plan and review its weekday and date settings.
2. Choose specific dates for a one-off event, or a date range for a season.
3. Save and check the active plan before generating.

What happens next: For example, select December 24 and December 31 for a holiday layout.

Turn on and create plans

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → select floor plan → Configure coverage plans

Coverage plans divide a floor's sections among the servers available on that floor.

1. Turn on Use automatic coverage plans.
2. Choose the fewest and most servers you expect on each floor.
3. Tap Create suggested plans.
4. Review the assignments and save.

What happens next: The app chooses the matching plan as staffing changes.

Assignment-first editing

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → select floor plan → Configure coverage plans

Choose what each server will cover.

1. Open a staffing level, such as Lower Pair for two servers.
2. Select an assignment and choose its sections.
3. Repeat for the other assignment.
4. Check that every section appears once, then save.

What happens next: In the demo, one assignment covers L1 + L2 and the other covers L3.

Availability is floor-specific

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → select floor plan → Configure coverage plans

The server count applies to this floor, not the whole establishment. People on break or outside their working hours are not available.

What changes during a break?

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → select floor plan → Configure coverage plans

When a server takes a break, the app uses the plan for fewer available servers. When they return, it uses the larger plan again.

What happens next: For example, Lower Pair becomes Lower Solo when one of the two Lower servers takes a break.

Missing or invalid plans

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → select floor plan → Configure coverage plans

A warning means the app could not use the expected coverage plan.

1. Open the floor plan and its coverage plans.
2. Check that the needed server count has a plan.
3. Check that each section appears exactly once.
4. Save and generate the week again.

What happens next: Review the new schedule before publishing.

Choose a display option

Where: Manager app → Settings → Floors & coverage plans → select floor plan → Configure coverage plans

Choose how assignments are labelled.

1. Use Section details to show the physical sections.
2. Use Simple plan labels to show the plan and assignment names.
3. Use Plan labels and sections to show both while learning.

What happens next: This changes the labels, not who is assigned.

Add a person

Where: Manager app → Team → Add team member

Add a team member and their working hours.

1. Tap Add team member on Team.
2. Enter their name, email, optional phone number, and role.
3. Save, then open their profile to set working days and hours.

What happens next: The person can be included when you generate a schedule.

Duplicate a team member

Where: Manager app → Team → member card → three-dot menu → Duplicate

Copy a member who has similar working hours.

Before you continue: Do not share the original member's private page link with the new person.

1. Open their card's three-dot menu and tap Duplicate.
2. Open the new copy and choose Edit.
3. Replace the name and enter the new person's email.
4. Check their working hours and save.

What happens next: The new member has a separate record and starts with zero awarded points.

Normal shifts and overnight work

Where: Manager app → Team → team member profile

Enter an overnight shift on the day it starts. For example, Monday 6:00 PM–4:00 AM ends on Tuesday morning.

1. Enable the working day.
2. Enter the start and end times.
3. Save the member.

What happens next: Do not add a second shift at midnight for the same overnight work.

Reuse hours across working days

Where: Manager app → Team → member card → three-dot menu → Edit → Set all working days

Set the same hours on several working days at once.

1. Enable the person's working days.
2. Under Set all working days, enter the start and end times.
3. Tap Apply hours to all working days.
4. Adjust any exceptions, then tap Save team member.

What happens next: Days that are switched off stay off.

Dated days off

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Days off

Use Days Off when a scheduled shift is canceled for one date. This leaves the person's normal weekly hours unchanged.

Before you continue: Do not also use Add/Modify Shift for the same canceled shift. One dated day-off record is enough.

1. Open Days Off.
2. Add the member and date.
3. Save, then regenerate the affected week.

What happens next: Review the new draft and publish it when ready. The normal weekly shift remains available on other dates.

Late start, early finish, or temporary added shift

Where: Manager app → Schedule → select the work week and date → Add/Modify Shift

Use Add/Modify Shift for a one-date change. It does not change the person's normal weekly schedule.

1. Confirm the selected work week and date before changing anything.
2. Select the team member and check the preloaded effective hours.
3. Enter only the hours that apply on that date and save.
4. Generate the affected week, review the draft and publish it when ready.

What happens next: To remove a date-specific change, open Add/Modify Shift for the same person and date and choose Remove date-specific shift. The normal weekly hours apply again after you regenerate.

After a roster change

Where: Manager app → Team → team member profile

Save the change, generate the affected week, and review the new draft. Publish it when ready.

What happens next: An already published schedule does not change just because you edit the roster.

Choose the right priority

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

Choose how the app should treat a rule.

1. Required: a rule the schedule must follow; review any reported exceptions.
2. Preferred: something you want when other rules and coverage allow.
3. Fairness: a goal for sharing opportunity over time.

What happens next: Read the rule summary before saving.

Rotation minimum and maximum

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

Set how long a server should stay on an assignment before moving.

1. Enter the desired minimum time.
2. Enter the maximum time allowed.
3. Save and generate the schedule.

What happens next: If someone reaches the maximum and another server can take over, the maximum takes priority over the minimum.

Break profiles

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

Set break rules for each shift length.

1. Choose the shift-length profile.
2. Enter the number and length of breaks.
3. Set the earliest first break, time kept free of breaks before shift end, and longest time worked between breaks.
4. Set the maximum number of people on break at once.
5. Save.

What happens next: The app uses shift length, not part-time or full-time status, to choose the profile.

Break precedence

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

If not all break timings can be met, the app protects the most important requirements first.

What happens next: Check Needs Review for any timing the app could not meet.

Single-server coverage

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

The app will not force a break that leaves the establishment without a server.

What happens next: Needs Review names the person and shift. Check whether staffing can be changed to make a break possible.

Breaks and rotation history

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

A break pauses the time counted on an assignment; it does not start the count again.

What happens next: Example: one hour in All Upper, a break, then another hour in All Upper reaches a two-hour limit.

Different starting assignments

Where: Manager app → Settings → Scheduling → Scheduler rules

This rule aims to give each person a different starting assignment from the previous week.

What happens next: The previous week must exist, and another suitable assignment must be available.

Choose the right week

Where: Manager app → Schedule

Select the week on Schedule before generating from Home.

1. Open Schedule.
2. Use the arrows to change weeks, or tap Week of to choose a generated week.
3. Return to Home.
4. Check the week, active floor plan, and coverage-plan indicator.
5. Wait for Saved online, then tap Generate. Generation runs on your device but first saves online and reserves the shared week; it needs a connection.

What happens next: The week selector is only on Schedule.

Regenerate after roster changes

Where: Manager app → Team, then Schedule and Home

Saving a roster edit does not run the scheduler. Existing assignments and history remain, and affected drafts need regeneration.

1. Save the person’s updated details or working hours.
2. Select each affected week on Schedule, return to Home, and generate explicitly.
3. Review coverage, breaks, duplicate-name ownership, and Needs review findings.
4. Save online and publish each revised week when ready.

What happens next: A new draft or roster edit does not update team pages. Those pages continue to show the last published schedule until you publish again.

Progress and long-running generation

Where: Manager app → Home

Keep the app open while it creates the draft. Progress follows the scheduler’s actual work.

What happens next: Cancelling, changing weeks, editing the roster, or sending the app to the background discards unfinished generation and preserves the previous schedule. Return to the app and generate again. If another manager changed the workspace during generation, review the latest version and regenerate.

Review both views

Where: Manager app → Schedule

Use both Schedule views to check the draft.

1. Choose Team view to see each person's assignments and breaks.
2. Choose Section view to see who covers each section or coverage-plan assignment.
3. Check overnight work and changes around breaks.

What happens next: Team view inside Schedule is different from the Team screen used to edit people.

Resolve Needs Review

Where: Manager app → Home → Needs review

Read each warning before deciding what to do.

Before you continue: Ignore all does not fix the schedule; it only acknowledges the listed issues.

1. Open a dated finding.
2. Check the person, time, and reason.
3. Correct the relevant settings and regenerate if needed.
4. Ignore an issue only when you understand and accept it.

Swap shifts: reassign a complete shift

Where: Manager app → Schedule → select week and day → Team view

A manager can move a complete dated shift to another team member. This is not a one-step exchange of two people’s shifts or an employee self-service swap.

Before you continue: A replacement with an overlapping assignment or an approved day off cannot be selected. Someone outside their normal working hours can be selected with a warning; confirm they agreed to work the entire shift.

1. Use the person/gear button beside the original team member’s name (Reassign complete shift).
2. Choose a replacement, read any manager-review warnings, and select Review.
3. Confirm Reassign complete shift. All assignment cards, breaks, and after-midnight segments transfer together and are locked against draft regeneration.
4. Review coverage and publish the revised week so team pages show the change.

What happens next: The recurring roster does not change. Employees should contact their manager. For a two-person exchange, read the restrictions below before changing either shift.

Exchanging two people’s shifts: important limits

Where: Manager app → Schedule → Team view → Reassign Shift

Build 86 has no atomic two-person exchange. A complete shift is all assignments belonging to the current team member on the same roster day, not a separate original-shift identity.

Before you continue: These are separate edits, not a transaction. The first reassignment is saved independently and remains if the second fails; closing a dialog does not undo it. Do not assume there is a simple undo for merged same-day bundles. Stop and review the draft if the intended second bundle cannot be selected.

1. Do not attempt two successive reassignments for shifts on the same roster day, even if their hours do not overlap. After the first transfer, both shifts belong to one bundle; the second can move both.
2. Overlapping shifts cannot be exchanged by successive reassignments. Check actual times across midnight, not just the displayed dates.
3. For different, non-overlapping roster days only: first verify that each intended bundle is distinct, neither recipient has conflicting assignments or an approved day off, and both people agree to any work outside their normal hours.
4. Reassign A’s intended roster-day bundle to B. Then open B’s original bundle and verify its roster day, date and assignment-card count before reassigning it to A. A Team card can include overnight carryover; its button may select the earlier bundle. If the dialog identifies the wrong roster day or bundle, cancel and do not proceed.
5. Review both outcomes and publish only the intended final revised week. The recurring roster remains unchanged.

Edit a manually added assignment

Where: Manager app → Schedule → manually added assignment card → Edit Assignment

Changing a section assignment is different from transferring a complete shift. Edit Assignment is available for assignments added manually by a manager.

1. Edit the assignment and save.
2. Check for overlaps, missing coverage, and rule warnings.
3. Publish the revised week when ready.

What happens next: Do not use complete-shift reassignment when you only intend to change a section. Team pages show saved schedule changes only after publishing.

Opportunity versus Awarded points

Where: Manager app → Team → member card → View score analysis

Opportunity describes the scheduled work. Awarded points recognize extra work. They are different numbers.

What happens next: On Team, tap View score analysis to see how a person's Opportunity score was calculated. The calculated score is not directly editable.

How Opportunity changes automatically

Where: Manager app → Team → member card → View score analysis

Time in higher-scoring sections raises the assignment score. Time in lower-scoring sections lowers it. Longer assignments count more.

What happens next: The score can change when you generate or edit assignments, or select a different week. It uses scheduled work, not clocked attendance.

The purpose of awarded points

Where: Manager app → Team → member card → Awarded points

Awarded points recognize extra work. The manager assigns points to a task, and the team member accepts and completes it. The points are added after the manager approves the completion. Managers can also adjust points manually. Points are recognition only: they never change schedules, hours, sections, or Opportunity scores.

Manually change Awarded points

Where: Manager app → Team → member card → Awarded points → Edit awarded points

Enter the person's new total, not the amount you want to add.

1. Tap Awarded points on their Team card.
2. Enter the new total.
3. Tap Save and wait for confirmation.

What happens next: Example: to add 10 points to a total of 20, enter 30.

What affects assignment decisions

Where: Manager app → Team → member card → View score analysis

Availability, coverage plans, break and rotation rules, section opportunity values, and available schedule history can affect assignments. Recognition points cannot.

What happens next: Use Awarded points for recognition and Opportunity score analysis to review the planned schedule. The two remain separate.

Compare like with like

Where: Manager app → Team → member card → View score analysis

Compare people working similar hours, then look across several weeks. Different shifts can offer different sections.

What happens next: If someone repeatedly misses better opportunities despite suitable alternatives, send support the dates, times, and assignment names.

Before pressing Publish

Where: Manager app → Home

Publish only when the schedule is ready for your team.

Before you continue: Publishing shares this schedule with team members. A copy saved only on your device is not enough.

1. Check the selected week and review any warnings.
2. Open Data status if you need to confirm changes are saved online.
3. Return to Home and tap Publish once.
4. Wait for publishing to finish.

Verify the result

Where: Manager app → Home

Check that publishing succeeded.

1. Look for Published & Verified.
2. Open a team member page and select the same week.
3. Check its assignments and dates.

What happens next: The acknowledged count shows who has reviewed the published schedule.

Revisions and retained weeks

Where: Manager app → Home

Publish the week again after making changes.

What happens next: The selected week is updated; other retained weeks remain available. Ask the team to review the revision.

Create the task

Where: Manager app → Tasks

Tell the team what needs doing and when.

1. Tap New task on Tasks.
2. Enter the title, due date and time, and any points.
3. Choose who can accept it.
4. Set a repeat schedule if needed.
5. Save and publish the task.

What happens next: Tasks can be published separately from schedules.

Photo evidence

Where: Manager app → Tasks

Turn on Require completion photo if you need a photo before approving the work.

What happens next: It is off by default. The manager still approves completion whether or not a photo is required.

Open, Claimed, and Completed

Where: Manager app → Tasks

Use the tabs to follow task progress.

What happens next: Open: not accepted yet. Claimed: accepted work, including completions waiting for approval. Completed: approved work. Due times use the establishment time zone. Recurring tasks show a recurring indicator, and claimed or completed tasks identify the responsible team member. Each submitted task has its own approval controls.

Approve or reject independently

Where: Manager app → Tasks

Review each completed task separately.

1. Open the submitted task in Claimed.
2. Check the work and photo, if required.
3. Tap Approve, or Reject if more work is needed.

What happens next: Approval awards any task points. Photos are deleted after approval or rejection.

Delete an occurrence or a series

Where: Manager app → Tasks

Choose whether to remove one repeated task or all of them.

Before you continue: Claimed tasks cannot be deleted. Resolve them first. Deleting completed work does not remove points already awarded.

1. Choose Delete this occurrence to remove only that date.
2. Choose Delete entire series to end the recurring task.

View and acknowledge your schedule

Where: Web browser → private team member page

Let your manager know you have read your schedule.

1. Open your private page link.
2. Choose the published week.
3. Review the dates, assignments, and breaks.
4. Acknowledge the schedule.

What happens next: The acknowledgement applies to the version you reviewed.

Interpret assignment labels

Where: Web browser → private team member page

Your manager chooses the labels shown on your page.

What happens next: Ask your manager what an unfamiliar label covers. The same short label can mean different sections in different coverage plans.

Claim and complete tasks

Where: Web browser → private team member page

Accept a task you can complete, then send it for approval.

1. Find the task on your page and tap its claim control.
2. Complete the work.
3. Submit completion, adding a photo if required.

What happens next: Points are added after the manager approves. Accepting a recurring task accepts only that date, not the whole series.

Stay current

Where: Web browser → private team member page

While visible, your page checks for newly published schedules and tasks about every five seconds. It also checks when you return to the page.

1. If your manager announces a change, check the selected week.
2. Wait briefly for the automatic update. Refresh the page only if the change is still not visible.
3. Contact your manager if it still looks wrong.

What happens next: The Kithiva logo opens the Kithiva website.

Protect your link

Where: Web browser → private team member page

Your team page link is private.

Before you continue: Do not post it publicly or share someone else's link. Tell your manager if it reaches the wrong person.

Roadmap PDF

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health

Save a printable view of the selected week's assignments and breaks.

1. Choose the week on Schedule.
2. Open Settings → Backups & schedule health.
3. Choose Export Roadmap PDF.
4. Choose where to save or share it.

What happens next: The report uses your section or plan-label display choice. It includes Sunday overnight work into Monday, but not tasks.

Understand overnight columns

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health

Each date has a day block and an overnight block.

What happens next: The overnight block continues into the following morning. Mid means midnight; Noon means midday.

Save and share

Where: iPhone or iPad → export options

Choose where the exported file should go.

1. Choose On My iPhone or On My iPad to keep it on that device.
2. Open Files to find it later.
3. Use the share options or an available cloud folder to send it to another device.

What happens next: Saving on your device does not automatically copy the file to your Mac.

Health findings

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health

These messages highlight something to check, not always something to change.

1. Read the date, time, person, and reason.
2. Compare it with the saved shift and coverage plan.
3. Correct a confirmed problem or contact support.

What happens next: Check the schedule before changing an assignment that may already be correct.

Automatic housekeeping and audit

Where: Manager app → Settings → Audit history

The app can safely remove exact duplicate records and record what it did.

What happens next: Open Settings → Audit history to see manager and automatic actions.

Diagnostic reports

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health

A diagnostic report helps support investigate a problem.

1. Create the report from the app.
2. Describe what you expected and what happened.
3. Include the affected week, date, time, and person.
4. Review the attachments before sending.

What happens next: Support can use the report to investigate without guessing your setup.

Understand the two manager roles

Where: Manager app → Settings → Managers

The primary manager owns access and establishment configuration. A delegate manager helps with day-to-day schedule operations in the same shared workspace.

1. The primary manager can invite and remove delegate managers.
2. A delegate can record absences and days off, add or modify a shift for one date, process schedule requests, generate and publish schedules, review findings, export schedule reports, and manage tasks.
3. A delegate cannot change the establishment name or time zone, roster or normal weekly working hours, floors, sections, coverage plans, opportunity values, scheduler rules, or task-points policy.
4. A delegate cannot invite or remove managers, revoke team-page links, import or export a setup template, restore demo data, manually create or restore a backup, transfer primary ownership, or delete the establishment.

What happens next: Delegate actions that change shared operational data are recorded in Audit history with the delegate's name.

Invite a delegate manager

Where: Manager app → Settings → Managers → Invite delegate manager

Send the invitation to the exact email address the delegate will use for their SectionBalance login.

Before you continue: A pending invitation uses a delegate slot until it is accepted, canceled, or expires.

1. Confirm that SectionBalance Team is active and a delegate slot is available. Team allows up to three delegates; Solo has no delegate slots.
2. Enter the delegate's email address and tap Send.
3. Ask the delegate to open the newest invitation email. The invitation expires after 48 hours.
4. Use Resend if the email does not arrive, or Cancel if the invitation should no longer be used.

What happens next: The Managers screen shows pending invitations and available delegate capacity.

Accept an emailed invitation

Where: Invitation email → Open invitation → SectionBalance

Open the invitation on the iPhone or iPad that will run SectionBalance. The link keeps the invitation available while the delegate logs in or creates their login.

Before you continue: An invitation can only be accepted by the email address to which it was sent. Use the newest invitation if an earlier link has expired or was replaced.

1. Install SectionBalance first if it is not already on the device, then open the invitation again.
2. If the invited email already has a SectionBalance login, enter its password and continue. The invitation screen does not show a Create account choice.
3. If the invited email has never been used with SectionBalance, enter the delegate's first name, last name, and a new password. SectionBalance creates the delegate login using the invited email address.
4. Accept the invitation. SectionBalance opens the shared establishment; it does not create a new empty workspace or run onboarding for a delegate.

What happens next: The delegate remains signed in with their own login but works in the primary manager's shared establishment.

Use a delegate account

Where: Manager app → Home, Schedule, Team, Tasks, and Settings

Delegate screens show operational controls while establishment configuration remains view-only or unavailable.

1. Use Schedule and Home to generate, review, adjust, lock or unlock assignments, and publish a work week.
2. Use Absences & days off for a canceled shift. Use Schedule → Add/Modify Shift for a late start, early finish, or temporary added shift on one date.
3. Use Tasks to create, publish, review, approve, or return task work.
4. Use reports and diagnostics to review results, but ask the primary manager to change permanent configuration or perform backup and recovery actions.
5. To change the name shown on Home and in future audit entries, open Settings → Account, profile & subscription → Delegate profile.

What happens next: Date-specific shift changes and other delegate actions are saved to the shared workspace and recorded in Audit history with the delegate's name. The primary manager and other authorized delegates receive the updated server version.

Remove delegate access

Where: Manager app → Settings → Managers → select delegate → Remove delegate

Only the primary manager can remove a delegate from an establishment.

Before you continue: Removal stops the delegate's access to the establishment. It does not delete the establishment's schedules, tasks, configuration, or audit history.

1. Confirm the delegate email before removing access.
2. Tap Remove delegate and confirm.
3. Verify that the delegate capacity count changes and that the removal appears in the manager list.

What happens next: A removed delegate may remain signed in but sees No establishment access and can accept a different valid invitation.

Troubleshoot manager access

Where: Manager app → Settings → Managers

Start by checking the invited email, invitation status, and online connection.

1. Pull down to refresh the Managers screen.
2. Confirm that the delegate is logged in with the exact invited email address.
3. If the invitation is invalid or expired, have the primary manager resend it and open the newest email.
4. If the app shows No establishment access after a successful acceptance, close and reopen SectionBalance and try again.
5. If access still does not load, do not create another account or workspace. Contact support with the invited email, time of acceptance, and the message shown.

Understand save status

Where: Manager app → Settings → Data status

Check whether your changes are saved on this device and online. A local save alone does not confirm that another manager can see them.

What happens next: Saved on this device means the device has a working copy. Saved online means the shared server copy is current. The server copy is authoritative for the primary manager and delegates, and publishing requires it to be current.

Retry a save or resolve a conflict

Where: Manager app → Settings → Data status

Temporary save failures retry automatically a limited number of times. If retries stop, check your connection and tap Try Again. Pending edits remain on this device.

Before you continue: Do not reload the online copy just to fix a failed save: doing so can replace pending edits. A conflict means the online workspace changed too; protect the local copy and review the conflict with the primary manager before choosing a replacement.

What happens next: Delegates use the shared server workspace and cannot offer their device copy as the replacement or recovery source. Contact support if the correct copy is unclear.

Back up

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health

Keep a copy you can restore if something goes wrong.

1. Open Backups & schedule health.
2. Tap Back Up Now.
3. Check that a new timestamped backup appears.

What happens next: The app also backs up automatically before important changes.

Keep the publication archive

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health

Each successful publication creates an archive package in the primary manager's selected archive location.

Before you continue: Your organization controls the archive location, access, retention period, and deletion. SectionBalance is not an employment, payroll, timekeeping, or regulatory system of record.

1. Confirm or change the archive folder before publishing.
2. Publish the selected work week.
3. Confirm Automatic publication archive shows Saved.
4. Keep or transfer the archive according to your organization's records policy.

What happens next: The package contains schedule.pdf (Roadmap report), schedule.json, schedule.csv, and manifest.json (file list and checksum). Kithiva records only archive status, destination description, timestamp, and checksum—not the files.

Restore carefully

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health → backup

Restore an earlier backup only when you want to return to that saved state.

Before you continue: Restoring can replace current data. The app creates a safety backup first.

1. Choose the backup by date and time.
2. Review what will be restored.
3. Confirm the restore.
4. Check restored data, wait for Saved online, and resolve any conflict before generating or publishing.

What happens next: Restoring does not republish a schedule or clear an existing online conflict. Build 86 keeps the current online revision baseline while restoring backup content, so newer online edits still require review.

Avoid destructive troubleshooting

Where: Manager app → Settings → Backups & schedule health

Protect your latest copy before trying to fix a save problem.

Before you continue: Do not uninstall the app or erase or replace data when your device may hold the only current copy.

1. Make a backup if possible.
2. Open Contact support and describe the error.

Know what the service retains

Where: Manager app → Settings → Privacy & Data

SectionBalance keeps only the operational history needed for scheduling, delivery, recovery, and support.

What happens next: Export records your organization must keep to its approved system of record.

Subscription and Restore Purchases

Where: Manager app → Settings → Account, profile & subscription

Manage your subscription through Apple. Your SectionBalance manager login controls the establishment workspace; the Apple Account used for Media & Purchases controls the App Store transaction. The email addresses can be different.

1. Check the price and any trial before confirming a purchase.
2. Use Apple's subscription settings to manage or cancel it.
3. Sign in as the primary manager who originally purchased the subscription.
4. Use Restore Purchases if that account does not recognize an existing purchase after changing devices or reinstalling. Apple checks the purchase history of the Apple Account used for Media & Purchases.
5. If Apple finds your purchase but online confirmation fails, use Retry confirmation. This does not make another purchase. A missing manager binding or a purchase linked to a different manager needs support; do not buy again or reset the account to work around it.

What happens next: Solo covers one establishment and one primary manager with no delegates; Team adds up to three delegates. Approved US monthly prices are $129 for Solo and $169 for Team; confirm the actual price, trial eligibility, and renewal terms in Apple’s purchase screen. Team-page viewers are free, and delegates do not buy another subscription for this establishment. Restore Purchases restores access, not schedules or backups, and does not change either login.

Change between Solo and Team

Where: Manager app → Settings → Account, profile & subscription → Change plan

Open Change plan to review Solo and Team. Browsing the selector does not change your subscription; Apple’s checkout controls charges and when a confirmed change takes effect.

What happens next: Check the current plan and available capacity in Managers before inviting delegates. Older subscriptions remain eligible for restoration according to their entitlement.

Personal data

Where: Manager app → Settings → Privacy & data

Review how your establishment's personal information is used.

1. Open Privacy & data.
2. Choose the appropriate access, correction, export, or deletion option.
3. Read the privacy policy for details.

Account deletion

Where: Manager app → Settings → Privacy & data

Read the deletion explanation before confirming.

Before you continue: Deleting an account and cancelling an Apple subscription are separate actions. Cancel the subscription through Apple too, if that is what you intend.

App language

Where: Manager app → Settings → App preferences

Choose English or Español for the primary interface and immediate forms. The choice is saved when you reopen the app.

1. Open App preferences.
2. Select the language.

What happens next: Weekday labels and VoiceOver dates use the selected language and establishment time zone. Names, section labels, task instructions, and saved scheduling identifiers stay as entered. Each team member’s published-page language is selected separately. Historical build 79 acceptance observation: the Settings heading remained English immediately after switching language during acceptance; not every control or help article is fully translated.