Scope: Current October 2026 preview. The earlier Beta editions may have different buttons, saved data locations or included features. Always back up data before testing an updated Windows installer.
1. Start here
This Windows preview is a dedicated desktop copy of the current Gravity Shift Lab scheduling workspace. It is not guaranteed to migrate data from an older independently installed Beta or your website browser. Use the First Schedule walkthrough and test one complete sample week before scheduling real employees.
2. Install and protect existing work
Use the official download .exe or ZIP. These installers are unsigned and may show Windows SmartScreen information. Export existing scheduling data before installing or experimenting with a separate version. Open the application, confirm buttons and print previews, and identify where you will save a dated backup.
3. The complete first schedule
Use the built-in First Schedule tour, which follows the screen while you work. The recommended order is restaurant profile → week and labor forecast → sections and stations → opening/closing rules → employees → pay privacy → availability → shifts → coverage and labor → save → approve → employee QR / print → backup.
4. Identify the restaurant and week
Enter Restaurant and Store. Select the week start using the Sunday date required by Shift Lab. Confirm the schedule belongs to the right restaurant and week, especially if you manage multiple locations. Use Open Next Week and Copy Previous Week only after checking that the copied assignments still match demand.
5. Forecast sales and set labor limits
Enter forecast sales and a target labor budget or hours. Check planned labor hours, labor percentage and labor dollars while constructing shifts. A target is a planning reference, not proof of legal compliance or appropriate customer service. Investigate unusual totals before approval.
6. Define stations and operating rules
Use Sections / Stations to identify Kitchen, Pizza, Prep, Service or other working areas. Under Opening / Closing Rules enter customer operating times plus opening setup and closing cleanup allowances. A shorthand like OPEN-4p depends on these restaurant-wide allowances. Station assignments do not create separate area-specific opening rules.
7. Add employees and qualifications
Choose Add Employee and record each employee's name, role, home section and relevant skills. Enter authorized pay details only where needed for calculations. Check employee rules, weekly hour limits and areas they may work. Confirm employees appear in the schedule table before adding shifts.
8. Manager Pay Lock and manager labor basis
Use Set Manager Pay Lock before delegating the program on a shared device. Then Manager Labor & Privacy Settings controls whether appropriate hourly and allocated salaried management compensation is included in labor cost. A locked pay display may still calculate labor percentage without exposing individual rates. This is a privacy convenience, not enterprise-grade authentication; keep restricted exports and manager printouts private.
9. Record availability and time off
Open Set Availability & Time Off. Choose an employee and date; record pending Request this day off or Approved day off accurately. Select One Time for a single date and Repeat for a recurring weekday restriction. You can also set available only after or until certain times. Never assume an employee's request was approved merely because it was recorded.
10. Enter and review shifts
Work in the weekly schedule grid. Enter the right employee, times and section. Review overtime risk, station coverage, closing shifts, availability conflicts and labor budget. A warning is an instruction to investigate; no automated check replaces manager judgment or local labor requirements.
11. Coverage, schedule warnings and rules
Use Find Coverage to examine possible adjustments and Advanced Employee Rules to set relevant safeguards. Verify qualifications, availability, maximum hours and rest time before accepting a suggestion. The program is a planning aid, not a guarantee of compliance with every labor law.
12. Save Week versus Publish
Select Save Week after reviewing all hours. Saving keeps a working schedule; it does not share that week with staff. When approved, choose Publish / Preview Employee QR and the desired week range. Open Employee Schedule to confirm the phone view before distributing the QR image or link.
13. Employee QR publishing and privacy
The staff-facing QR is a snapshot. It is intended to show employees names, roles, times and sections rather than pay rates, labor dollars or confidential manager notes. After changes, generate and distribute a new QR; replace an outdated printed posting. Large two-week schedules may need separate weekly codes. Requests or availability changes are not automatically submitted by scanning that QR.
14. Printing and exporting
Choose Print Employee Schedule for staff; check the preview before posting. Print Manager Labor Schedule is intended for authorized managers because it may include protected figures. Download the QR PNG as needed; keep sensitive CSV exports restricted. Confirm printers and QR readers physically on your restaurant equipment.
15. Schedule corrections and change tracking
When shifts change, save a new version and use Schedule Change Log to explain what changed. Recheck coverage, labor totals, employee availability and employee-facing postings. Republish a changed week instead of assuming the previous QR updates automatically.
16. Backup and restoration
Use Download Workspace Backup to save an independent dated copy outside the computer. Restore Workspace Backup can replace current scheduling state. Protect the current state with a fresh backup first; do test restores with dummy data, not your live staff roster. An earlier Beta and the current preview may have different local storage profiles.
17. First-week practice exercise
In a test restaurant, enter a Sunday-to-Saturday week, two stations and five sample employees. Enter one recurring unavailability, one approved time-off date and two shifts. Check overtime and coverage warnings, save, preview staff QR, print a safe employee copy, export a backup and reopen the week. Only then start using real employee data.
18. Troubleshooting
Schedule missing: verify restaurant, week and saved state. OPEN/CLOSE shift incorrect: review posted opening/closing hours and setup/cleanup allowance. Pay visible to someone else: enable Pay Lock and close restricted manager dialogs. QR outdated: regenerate and replace the prior posting. Labor totals surprising: confirm wages, management inclusion settings, forecast sales and scheduled hours.
19. Glossary
Coverage = staffing that meets the restaurant's needs. Labor percentage = budgeted labor dollars divided by relevant sales. Home section = employee's primary area. Pending time off = request not yet approved. Publish = create staff-facing snapshot. Backup = saved workspace data suitable for recovery.