Busy at another church
On this page
Some volunteers serve at more than one church. If they have chosen to share it, HoW tells you when a person you are putting on the schedule is already busy at another church at that time, so you can avoid double-booking them.
What you see
- In the schedule: a ring beside the person’s name on a date, with the hover text Busy at another church at this time.
- In Add (assigning someone to a position): the notice Busy at another church at this time under their name.
Only people who can assign volunteers see it.
What it never says
It does not say which church, which service, or what time. It is a yes or no, and it is worked out for that service’s own time.
When it appears
Only if the volunteer chose to share. The member portal asks them once; until they answer, nothing shows. They can switch it off at any time on My schedule, and it disappears at once. No ring does not mean they are free: they may simply not share.
It does not stop you
You can still assign the person. The ring is a prompt to check.
What to do
Ask the volunteer. They can see every church’s dates on My schedule in their member portal, and they can decline a date.
Good to know
- You can’t see where a volunteer serves. HoW keeps each church’s schedule sealed from the others.
- Only upcoming dates count. It never shows for a service of yours that is cancelled or already over.
- At the other church, these never count: a date the volunteer declined, a cancelled service, a service that is over, a date in an archived season, and any date at a church that no longer has Services.
- Nothing counts from a church the volunteer has left, or from a church that is suspended.
How this compares with Planning Center
Planning Center shows a conflict to a church only when it tries to schedule someone for a time they already serve at a linked church, and not elsewhere. HoW shows the same moment, but only “busy”, and only after the volunteer has said yes.