Vacation Picker

What's new

You're on version 0.6.0. Everyone always uses the latest version, so there's nothing to download.

v0.6.0 · 2026-10-21 Current

  • Before Vacation Picker restarts for an update, a banner on every page counts down to it and says how long it's expected to be down. If you've used the site in the last half hour you also get an alert (with turn alerts on).
  • While it restarts, open pages say so and come back by themselves when it's ready. Your picks are always saved as you make them.
  • The expected downtime is based on how long recent updates really took.

v0.5.0 · 2026-10-21

  • “You're up next”: a heads-up alert when the person before you starts their turn.
  • Alerts when picking is declared complete, and when a Schedule Admin changes your days (one alert per batch of changes).
  • Choose which alerts you get under your name → Turn alerts. “It's your turn” and reminders always come through.
  • Turn reminders: in Edit setup, a Schedule Admin can have the person on the clock nudged after a number of hours, and be told when a turn has stalled. Off unless set.
  • Once picking is complete, Schedule Admins can send a signing reminder to everyone who hasn't signed their contract.
  • Your days off in your own calendar: make a private calendar link under your name and add it to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. It updates when you move a day.
  • Admin activity: Schedule Admins and reviewers can see everything Schedule Admins changed: days changed for other people, skipped or reopened turns, stage, roster and setup changes, unlocked contracts.

v0.4.0 · 2026-10-21

  • Turn alerts: get a notification on your phone or computer when it's your turn to pick, even when Vacation Picker isn't open. Turn them on under your name (top right) → Turn alerts, on each device you use, and send yourself a test.
  • On an iPhone or iPad, add Vacation Picker to your Home Screen first (Share → Add to Home Screen), then turn alerts on from the Home Screen app.
  • Vacation Picker has an app icon when you add it to a phone's Home Screen.

v0.3.0 · 2026-10-19

  • The site admin can add stat holidays and grey “special days” (e.g. another department's fixed days off) that show on every schedule of that year — including a holiday split over two dates for shift workers, like Family Day.
  • A schedule can now have up to 8 people (it was 6, like the spreadsheet). Existing schedules get the new limit automatically.
  • The Schedule Admin now declares picking complete with a button (turns no longer end the picking by themselves). After that everyone can move their own days: clear one and pick a new date on any shift, up to what they're entitled to. Make as many changes as you like, then press Done (or print or sign your contract): your changes are saved together as the next revision, and the review dashboard lists them. Printing your contract also prints the Pick Sheet Summary.
  • Works on phones. The pick page has a new “My sets” view: your year set by set, with big buttons to tap, how many people are off each day and who else has picked that set. Phones open in this view; “Whole team” is the full grid.
  • When it's your turn, a bar at the bottom of the phone screen keeps “Done — end turn” in reach. In the EDO phase the E button is already selected.
  • Tables become cards on small screens, contracts fit a phone screen, the calendar folds away, and buttons and links are easier to tap.
  • New colours: E is darker green, V lighter green, Vs light blue.
  • The printable Pick Sheet Summary starts with a coverage check for the supervisor: the approved limit, every shift over it with who's off, how many shifts have 0, 1, 2 … people off, and lines to sign. “Print Pick Sheet Summary” is now on the schedule page and the pick page too, and “Print all contracts” prints the Pick Sheet Summary after the contracts. From the review dashboard both open the print window in one click.

v0.2.0 · 2026-10-19

  • Schedule Admins are now labelled “Schedule Admin”, so they can't be confused with the site admin.
  • Automatic daily backups of the whole database, plus one before every upgrade. The site admin can back up on demand and download any backup.
  • This page, and a one-time banner after each update.

v0.1.0 · 2026-10-16

  • First release: schedules, roster, stat holidays, the pick grid, Free For All / Snake / rotation picking, contracts and sign-off, reviewers and the site admin.