---
title: "Setup shifts and assign an operator to it"
source: /gc-surge/new-admin-quick-start/setup-shifts-and-assign-an-operator-to-it
locale: en
updated: 2026-10-08
---
Configured shifts define an operator’s schedule for reporting and administration. They do not start the operator’s live shift and do not assign or route sites. Operators must click **Start Shift** in the Alarm Center to become active. Site assignment is handled separately in the Alarm Center and is available only for operators who have started their shift.

## Before you begin

- You must have the **Super Admin** role.
- Create your shifts before inviting operators — operators can only be assigned to shifts that already exist.

## Create a shift

A default shift already exists in Configure shifts. You can edit it by clicking the three-dot menu on its row and selecting **Edit Shift**. The default shift cannot be deleted.

1. Open **Users & Shifts Management** from the left sidebar.
2. Click the **Configure shifts** button in the top-right.
3. Set the **Time zone** using the dropdown before adding a shift — each shift stores its own time zone, shown as **TIME ZONE** in the **Shift information** panel of **Manage shift operators**. Shifts created at different times can therefore sit in different zones.
4. Under **Add a shift**, fill in the fields:**Shift name** (required) — a short label, e.g. *A*, *Morning*, *Night*.**Start time** (required) — the shift start time in AM/PM format.**End time** (required) — the shift end time in AM/PM format.**Description** (optional) — any notes about this shift.**Use as default** toggle — turn this on if you want new operators to be pre-assigned to this shift unless you choose otherwise.
5. Click **Add shift**. The shift appears in the **Configured shifts** list below, showing its name, start time, end time, and the number of users assigned to it.

![image-20260719-084540.png](/api/media/file/image-20260719-084540.png)

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To assign operators to this shift, see [Invite an Operator](/new-admin-quick-start/invite-an-operator) — shift assignment happens during the invitation step.

## Managing existing shifts

In the **Configured shifts** list, each shift row shows its name, default badge (if applicable), start time, end time, and user count.

![](/api/media/file/Screenshot-2026-06-28-123509.png)

Click the three-dot menu on a shift row to edit or delete it. Deleting a shift does not remove the operators assigned to it — they remain active users but lose their shift assignment.

![](/api/media/file/Screenshot-2026-06-28-123522.png)

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