Separate employee and manager alerts
Control the updates someone receives about their own work and the additional events they manage for a team.
Employee email notifications for every important rota update FlowRota email and in-app alerts
Keep employees and managers informed about shifts, requests, approvals, leave, availability, timesheets and more.
Notification settings are separated by the user’s role as an employee or manager. Each event can be controlled individually, while shift reminders and new-shift alerts include additional timing options so useful updates arrive at the right point.
included for £1 per user per month
Choose the updates that matter without relying on group chats
Rota changes create dozens of moments when somebody needs to know what happened. FlowRota turns those events into clear, controlled notifications: employees can follow changes to their own work, and managers can respond when their teams submit requests, forms and records.
Useful notifications for both sides of the rota
FlowRota connects each alert to a real scheduling or workforce event, helping people act on changes without filling their inbox with every possible update.
Switch events on individually
Enable the notifications that are useful and leave unrelated email categories switched off.
Remind staff before shifts
Send a reminder before a scheduled start, using the lead time selected in the employee’s settings.
Follow requests and decisions
Notify the right person when leave, swaps, TOIL, shift changes, timesheets or other requests move forward.
Keep records moving
Surface clock cards, availability, notes and return-to-work forms when somebody needs to review or respond.
Use the right notification channel
Use email for the selectable alerts shown in settings and an in-app alert for manager clock-on and clock-off updates.
Let employees follow the changes that affect their work
Employee notifications cover the journey from a new shift appearing on the staff rota to later amendments, requests, approvals and reminders.
Fifteen employee notification types in one settings area
Employees can choose alerts around their shifts, time away, clocking records and conversations. The settings stay granular: a user can keep a shift reminder without also subscribing to every note, swap or timesheet update.
Features- Shift reminders, new shifts and shift amendments
- Shift change requests, swaps and open shifts
- Leave, absence, TOIL and return-to-work forms
- Clock-off reminders and clock-card approvals
- Availability, timesheets, notes and acknowledgements
- Give staff a clearer record of what changed
- Reduce dependence on managers forwarding updates manually
- Help requests and approvals reach the next person promptly
How FlowRota notification settings work
Settings are organised around the user’s two possible roles, then broken down by the individual events that can generate an update.
Choose the relevant role
Review notifications received as an employee and, where applicable, the separate set received as a manager.
Select individual events
Enable the email checkbox for each type of shift, request, approval, record or form update that is useful.
Set timing where available
Choose how long before a shift to send a reminder and the starting-within window used for new-shift emails.
Receive the relevant update
When the selected event occurs, FlowRota sends the configured email or, for manager clocking updates, an in-app notification.
Granular rather than all-or-nothing.
Users can keep the alerts that help them act and switch off the
categories they do not need.
Employee notifications cover more than shift reminders
The complete employee list spans scheduled work, time away, clocking, requests and shared records. Each item has its own email control.
Shifts and scheduling
Keep track of new work, later amendments and requests involving an employee’s scheduled shifts.
Available email notifications- Shift reminders
- New shifts
- Shift change requests
- Shift amendments
- Shift swaps and open shifts
Benefit: Give employees a direct update when their schedule changes or a shift workflow needs their attention.
Leave, attendance and availability
Follow time away and attendance records from the first request or reminder through to manager approval.
Available email notifications- Leave & absence periods
- Clock off reminders
- Clock card approvals
- Time off in lieu (TOIL)
- Availability requests and return to work forms
Benefit: Let employees see when a request, record or form has moved on without having to ask a manager for an update.
Records, notes and acknowledgements
Stay informed when a manager updates a timesheet or somebody adds to a shared shift, leave, swap or open-shift conversation.
Available email notifications- Timesheet updates
- Notes added to shifts or leave requests
- Notes on open-shift claims
- Notes on shift-swap requests
- Acknowledged notes and comments
Benefit: Keep the conversation attached to the FlowRota record while still alerting the employee that something changed.
Notify managers when their team needs a response
Manager notifications focus on employee activity: requests, decisions, bids, submissions and records that would otherwise require the manager to keep checking FlowRota manually.
Shift responses and requests
See when employees respond to scheduled work or ask for a change involving a shift you manage.
Available email notifications- Accepted shifts (including accepted or declined responses)
- Shift change requests
- Shift-swap activity
- Open shift bids
Leave, TOIL and submitted forms
Bring requests and completed workforce forms to the manager’s attention when an employee takes action.
Available email notifications- Employee leave requests
- TOIL requests
- Completed return-to-work forms
- Availability submissions
Attendance, timesheets and staff notes
Follow key attendance events and updates to records linked to the employees in a manager’s team.
Available notifications- Employee clocking on and off — in-app
- Employee timesheets: requests or amendments — email
- Staff notes and comments — email
Manager alerts reflect the team relationship.
A manager receives the selectable updates generated by employees
they manage, rather than notifications about unrelated teams.
Set useful timing for shift-related emails
Some notifications need more than an on-or-off switch. FlowRota adds timing controls where the value of the email depends on how close the scheduled shift is.
Shift reminder lead time
Employees can receive a reminder before a shift they are due to start, with the reminder timing selected in their settings.
Features- Separate email enable/disable control
- Choose how long before the start to send it
- Reminder tied to a scheduled shift
- Designed to prompt the employee before work
New-shift starting window
New-shift emails can use a starting-within period, helping the user focus on shifts created or removed within the lead-time window they choose.
Features- Separate email enable/disable control
- Choose the relevant starting-within period
- Covers a newly created shift
- Covers removal of previously scheduled work
Keep every other notification independently selectable
The remaining events retain their own checkbox, so users do not need to accept a single catch-all email setting simply to receive one important update.
Benefits- Reduce unnecessary email
- Keep role-specific settings understandable
- Allow preferences to change as responsibilities change
Keep email and in-app notifications clearly distinguished
Most selectable events shown in the notification settings use email. Manager updates for an employee clocking on or off are labelled as in-app, keeping live attendance activity inside FlowRota.
Clocking alerts use the in-app channel
When an employee clocks on to or off from a shift, the manager notification is delivered in-app. This is separate from the employee’s optional email reminder to clock off shortly before a scheduled finish.
Staff can use FlowRota across web, iOS and Android. Visit the FlowRota installation page for access options.
Match the notification to the person who needs it
Employee and manager settings may refer to the same workflow from opposite sides. One person submits or receives a change; the other reviews or responds to it.
| Notification group | Typical events | Channel shown |
|---|---|---|
| As an employee | Shift reminders and changes, decisions on requests, clock cards, timesheets, availability and forms. | |
| As a manager | Leave, change and TOIL requests, shift responses, swaps, open-shift bids, submissions, timesheets and notes. | |
| Manager clocking updates | An employee managed by the user clocks on to or off from a shift. | In-app |
Reduce the gaps between a FlowRota action and a human response
A rota system only feels connected when people know that something changed. Selective notifications help each workflow move forward without requiring constant checking or a second message thread.
Fewer missed rota changes
Let employees know about new shifts, amendments and decisions on their requested changes.
Quicker manager follow-up
Surface leave, TOIL, swaps, open-shift bids, availability and other employee submissions that need review.
Better-timed reminders
Give employees a prompt before a scheduled start or clock-off time instead of relying entirely on memory.
Less dependence on group chats
Keep the underlying request, shift, note or form in FlowRota while still alerting the person who needs to act.
Connect notifications with the features behind each update
Email alerts sit around the scheduling, absence and workforce workflows already taking place in FlowRota. These related pages add useful context to the events employees and managers receive.
Frequently asked questions about FlowRota email notifications
What email notifications can employees receive?
Employees can receive notifications for shift reminders, new shifts, shift changes and requests, leave and absence, clock-off reminders, swaps, clock-card approvals, TOIL, open shifts, availability requests, timesheets, notes and return-to-work forms.
What notifications can managers receive?
Managers can be notified about employee leave, accepted or declined shifts, shift change and TOIL requests, swaps, open-shift bids, return-to-work forms, availability submissions, timesheets and staff notes.
Can notification types be switched on or off separately?
Yes. FlowRota provides separate controls for individual notification events, grouped by notifications received as an employee and as a manager.
Can employees choose when a shift reminder is sent?
Yes. The shift reminder setting includes a timing control so the employee can choose how long before a scheduled shift the reminder should be sent.
Can new-shift emails be limited by how soon the shift starts?
Yes. The new-shift notification includes a starting-within setting, allowing the user to choose the relevant lead-time window.
Does FlowRota send updates about shift changes?
Yes. Employees can receive notifications when a manager amends a shift and when a shift change request is approved or declined. Managers can be notified when an employee submits a change request.
Are leave and absence updates included?
Yes. Employees can receive updates when leave requests are approved, declined or amended and when an absence period changes. Managers can receive email notifications for new employee leave requests.
Are clock-on and clock-off manager notifications sent by email?
The manager setting shown for employee clocking on and off uses an in-app notification rather than email. Employees can separately enable email clock-off reminders.
Does FlowRota notify users about return-to-work forms?
Yes. Employees can be emailed when a return-to-work form is signed off by their manager, and managers can be emailed when an employee completes a form.
How much does FlowRota cost?
FlowRota costs £1 per user per month after a 30-day free trial. No credit card is required to start the trial. Visit the pricing page for full details.
Try FlowRota notifications with your own team
Choose employee and manager alerts, set a shift reminder and see how FlowRota keeps requests, changes and approvals moving. The trial is free for 30 days, no credit card is required, and continued access costs just £1 per user per month.
Start your free trial