Block time with non-job events

Overview#

Non-job events are time on the schedule that isn't a customer job: a monthly safety meeting, a training day, a truck in for service, or a permit inspection. People on an event can't be booked for that time. The event shows on their row on the dispatch board, and capacity and online booking treat it like time off.

Before you start#

• Anyone who can read jobs can see the events list (Owner, Admin, Dispatcher, Customer service, Accounting, Viewer).

• Adding and removing events needs dispatch rights: Owner, Admin, Dispatcher or Customer service.

• Events are blocks of time inside one day. For vacation or longer absences, use time off in Settings › People › Technicians instead.

Steps#

Add an event#

1. In the left menu, open Schedule › Non-Job Events. (You can also reach it from the dispatch board; the page has a Dispatch board link back.)

2. In Add an event, fill in:

   • Title: what people will see, for example "Monthly safety meeting". At least two characters.

   • Kind: Meeting, Training, Vehicle service, Permit inspection or Other.

   • Day: the date. It defaults to today.

   • From and To: start and end times in your company's time zone. Defaults are 8:00 to 9:00.

3. Under Who, tick everyone who will be at the event. You must pick at least one person.

4. Add Notes if useful (up to 500 characters).

5. Click Add event. The page shows "Event added" and the event appears in Next 60 days.

Review upcoming events#

1. The Next 60 days list shows each event with its kind, title, day, time window and the people on it, in date order.

2. If nothing is planned you will see "No events coming up".

Remove an event#

1. Find the event in Next 60 days.

2. Click Remove. The page shows "Event removed" and the time opens up again for booking.

Settings that change this#

• Settings › People › Technicians: working hours and time off. Events subtract from these hours the same way time off does.

• Settings › Communications › Web Appointments: arrival windows and online rules that decide which openings are left after events are taken out.

Tips#

• Add recurring meetings a few weeks ahead. The list only shows the next 60 days, so plan in batches.

• Put everyone who attends on one event rather than one event per person. It is easier to remove or move later.

• For a truck going into the shop, add the technician who drives it. The event blocks people, not vehicles.

• The form takes one Day with a From and To time, so each event sits inside a single day. For a two-day course, add one event per day.

Troubleshooting#

• "The event must end after it starts." The To time is the same as or earlier than From. Fix the times.

• "Pick at least one person." Tick someone under Who.

• "Pick people from your team." One of the people is no longer an active member. Reload the page and pick again.

• There is no Add an event form. Your role can read events but not add them (Accounting and Viewer).

• I need to change an event's time. There is no edit button. Remove the event and add it again with the right time.

FAQ#

Do events stop the office from scheduling a job at that time? They take the person out of capacity, so the capacity strip and online booking won't count them. The office can still place an appointment on the board by hand, so check the technician's row before you drop a job there.

Are events repeated automatically? No. Each event is a single block. Add each meeting date separately.

Do events show in the technician's timesheet? No. Events block the schedule. Paid time comes from the clock in the field app (for example the Training or Office time code).

Can a customer see events? No. Events are internal. Online booking only sees that the person isn't available.

Coming from ServiceTitan#

• Same: these are ServiceTitan's non-job appointments. They block technicians and show on the dispatch board.

• Different: TradesWork uses a fixed list of kinds (Meeting, Training, Vehicle service, Permit inspection, Other) instead of custom non-job types, and there is no repeat rule yet. Editing means removing and re-adding.

• Where it lived: ServiceTitan Dispatch board › Add non-job appointment, with types set up in Settings › Non-job appointments.