Missed Clock-in and Out Alerts and Notifications Configuration
The Alerts and Notifications feature allows you to configure automated alerts for attendance and care events. When enabled, eCaring will automatically send notifications to caregivers and office staff when specific events occur, helping you stay on top of important visit activities.
Available Alerts
Missed Clock-in
Alerts when a caregiver fails to clock in on time for their scheduled visit.
Missed Clock-out
Alerts when a caregiver fails to clock out after completing their shift.
Follow-up Required
Alerts when a visit is flagged for follow-up by the caregiver.
Configuring Alerts
To configure alerts, navigate to Admin > Alerts and Notifications.
Each alert type can be enabled or disabled using the toggle switch in the upper right corner of each section.
Missed Clock-in Configuration
Notify Caregiver
When enabled, the caregiver will receive an SMS notification if they miss their scheduled clock-in time.
Trigger alert after: Set the number of minutes after the scheduled start time before sending the notification. The minimum is 5 minutes.
Example: If set to 5 minutes and a shift starts at 9:00 AM, the caregiver will receive a notification at 9:05 AM if they haven't clocked in.
Notify Administrative Staff
When enabled, designated office staff will receive a notification in their notifications dashboard.
Recipients: Select who should receive notifications:
- Primary Scheduler - The client's assigned primary scheduler
- Primary Nurse - The client's assigned primary nurse
You can select one or both recipients. If a client doesn't have an assigned primary scheduler or nurse, all users with scheduling permissions will receive the notification.
Trigger alert after: Set the number of minutes after the scheduled start time before sending the notification. The minimum is 5 minutes.
Missed Clock-out Configuration
Notify Caregiver
When enabled, the caregiver will receive an SMS notification if they miss their scheduled clock-out time.
Trigger alert after: Set the number of minutes after the scheduled end time before sending the notification. The minimum is 5 minutes.
Example: If set to 5 minutes and a shift ends at 3:00 PM, the caregiver will receive a notification at 3:05 PM if they haven't clocked out.
Notify Administrative Staff
When enabled, designated office staff will receive a notification in their notifications dashboard.
Recipients: Select who should receive notifications:
- Primary Scheduler - The client's assigned primary scheduler
- Primary Nurse - The client's assigned primary nurse
You can select one or both recipients. If a client doesn't have an assigned primary scheduler or nurse, all users with scheduling permissions will receive the notification.
Trigger alert after: Set the number of minutes after the scheduled end time before sending the notification. The minimum is 5 minutes.
Follow-up Required Configuration
Notify Administrative Staff
When enabled, designated office staff will receive an immediate notification when a caregiver flags a visit as requiring follow-up.
Recipients: Select who should receive notifications:
- Primary Scheduler - The client's assigned primary scheduler
- Primary Nurse - The client's assigned primary nurse
You can select one or both recipients. If a client doesn't have an assigned primary scheduler or nurse, all users with scheduling permissions will receive the notification.
Back-to-Back Visits
The alert system is designed to work intelligently with back-to-back visits:
Missed Clock-in: Only the first visit in a back-to-back sequence will trigger a missed clock-in alert, since subsequent visits inherit the clock-in time from the previous visit.
Missed Clock-out: Only the last visit in a back-to-back sequence will trigger a missed clock-out alert, since earlier visits inherit the clock-out time from the next visit.
SMS Notifications to Caregivers
When "Notify Caregiver" is enabled, caregivers will receive SMS messages to their primary mobile phone number.
Missed Clock-in message:
Missed Clock-in: You have not clocked in for your scheduled visit with [Client Name] at [Scheduled Start Time]. Please clock in now or contact the office.Missed Clock-out message:
Missed Clock-out: You have not clocked out from your visit with [Client Name] scheduled to end at [Scheduled End Time]. Please clock out now or contact the office.Important: SMS notifications are only sent if the caregiver has a primary phone number with type "Mobile" in their profile. If no mobile number exists, the notification is skipped.
Best Practices
- Set appropriate timing delays - Consider your agency's workflow when setting notification delays. A 5-minute delay may be appropriate for strict compliance requirements, while a 15-30 minute delay may reduce unnecessary alerts for caregivers who are typically a few minutes late.
- Assign primary schedulers and nurses - To ensure the right person receives notifications, make sure clients have assigned primary schedulers and/or primary nurses in their profiles.
- Keep phone numbers updated - Ensure caregivers have their mobile phone numbers entered in their profiles with the type set to "Mobile" for SMS notifications to work properly.
- Monitor notification volume - If you're receiving too many notifications, consider adjusting your timing thresholds or reviewing scheduling practices with caregivers.
- Use the SMS feature - The quick SMS button in notifications allows you to immediately contact caregivers or clients when issues arise, helping resolve attendance problems faster.
Troubleshooting
Caregiver not receiving SMS notifications:
- Verify the caregiver has a phone number in their profile
- Ensure the phone number type is set to "Mobile" (not "Home" or "Work")
- Check that "Notify Caregiver" is enabled for the alert type
- Verify on the Profile > Edit page under Special Instructions that "Text Message Opt-out" is set to "No, don't opt-out."
Office staff not receiving notifications:
- Verify the alert type is enabled (toggle switch is on)
- Check that appropriate recipients are selected (Primary Scheduler/Primary Nurse)
- Confirm the client has an assigned primary scheduler or nurse
- If no primary is assigned, verify the user has scheduling permissions
No notification for back-to-back visits:
- This is expected behavior - only the first visit triggers missed clock-in alerts and only the last visit triggers missed clock-out alerts