Scheduling

SpeakWrite allows you to create your own work schedule 2 weeks in advance. All scheduling is done from the typist page at https://typist.speakwrite.com.

Spanish Typists

Spanish typists do not need to schedule shifts. See more about this in the Spanish Online Help Manual.

Introducing: Schedule Waitlist!

Read more about waitlist shifts in the Description of Shifts section below.

Scheduling Priority

The more hours you sign up to work, either as a primary or standby typist, the more scheduling priority you are given, which means earlier access to scheduling for the next week. Our system organizes all our typists and proofreaders into seven scheduling groups according to the number of shifts they scheduled in the past 30 days. The table below describes how the groups are composed and when each group is given access to the scheduling system:

Group No.	Rank	Access to Scheduling System (CT)
1	Top 10%	8:00 A.M. CT Tuesday
2	Next 10%	1:00 P.M. CT Tuesday
3	Next 10%	8:00 A.M. CT Wednesday
4	Next 10%	1:00 P.M. CT Wednesday
5	Next 10%	8:00 A.M. CT Thursday
6	Next 10%	1:00 P.M. CT Thursday
7	Remaining	8:00 A.M. CT Friday

You are NOT required to schedule at exactly the time listed above. This is simply when the new schedule becomes available to you. Hours can be scheduled any time once the schedule week is open.

Finding Your Scheduling Group, Time and Day

At or after noon each Monday when the scheduling data is updated, log in to your Typist Dashboard through https://typist.speakwrite.com.

On your Typist Dashboard, click the Schedule tab to see a list of all current schedule weeks.
Next to the new week, it'll display the date and time that the week will "unlock", which is when you'll be allowed to begin scheduling shifts for that week.
At or after the time listed, you will be able to view the shifts that are available and begin claiming them.

Hours that you work in response to broadcasts for extra help do not count toward your scheduling priority, unless you have added them to your schedule.

Acquiring Additional Hours

Due to fluctuating workloads and changes in typist schedules, hours are frequently added to the schedule after it is released. We encourage contractors to continue to check for available hours periodically, as it is a good way to pick up shifts and increase your priority.

You cannot work efficiently if you try to type for too many consecutive hours. Be sure to schedule a break every few hours. Typists may not schedule or work more than 12 hours in a day.

Setting Up Your Schedule

Follow the steps below to create your schedule:

On the day and time when you are given access to the scheduling system according to your scheduling priority, log in to your Typist Dashboard and click the Schedule tab.
The weeks available for scheduling will be displayed. Click View Available Shifts to see all open shifts and select any you'd like.

The schedule is displayed in Central Time (CT) by default. You can adjust your time zone by visiting the Preferences tab of your Typist Dashboard. After updating your time zone, the current time in that time zone is displayed so you can verify it's the one you want. Once you set your time zone, the schedule will display in your local time.

All scheduling blocks that are available at the time the window is opened will be displayed. If a primary shift is available for a certain hour, it will be displayed. If no primary shifts are displayed, it is simply because they are already full and only standby remain. If no shifts appear at all for a certain hour, there are none available.

Requesting Schedule Changes

If a schedule change is necessary due to illness or emergency, please follow the steps below (schedule change requests are limited to 15 per month):

Visit your Typist Dashboard at https://typist.speakwrite.com and click the Schedule tab.
Click View My Schedule next to the week you want to adjust. Once there, you'll see all of the shifts you have scheduled for that week.
Click Schedule Change Request at the top left to create a schedule change ticket. You will then be able to mark the checkbox for any shifts you want to remove.
Type a reason in the box at the top, indicating why you need to remove these shifts.
Double check that you have chosen the correct week and the correct day/shifts.
Click the Submit button.
After submitting, your schedule change request will appear in your list of tickets on the Help Tickets tab. Wait to receive a response (if it is during Help Desk hours). If your schedule changes are approved, you do not need to log on for those shifts.

Description of Shifts

*If you sign in early before your shift begins and are assigned a job, your shift rate will not apply. Pay rate is determined when the job was assigned.

Primary (red on your schedule) – If there are no jobs available for you at some time during that hour, you will be paid a pro-rated hourly rate (based on how long you are idle) as long as your status is set to At Work.
Standby (blue on your schedule) – If there are no jobs available for you at some time during that hour, no pay is earned. You are still responsible to be logged in with your status set At Work.

Premium Standby (pink on your schedule) – During premium hours, regular typing jobs that you accept will earn the premium rate. If there are no jobs available for you at some time during that hour, no pay is earned.

Premium Primary (purple on your schedule) – During premium hours, regular typing jobs that you accept will earn the premium rate. If there are no jobs available for you at some time during that hour, you will be paid a pro-rated hourly rate (based on how long you are idle) as long as your status is set to At Work.
Proof (green on your schedule) – These are shifts specifically designated for proofreaders. If you are not a proofreader, you will not see green shifts.
Waitlist - If a shift is full, you will see the Waitlist option. Selecting this option will put you on a waitlist to receive that shift should it become available. If you receive a shift off the waitlist, you will receive an email and your schedule will update to reflect it. Keep an eye out for these emails when you sign up for waitlist shifts.

To sign up for shifts:

Using the legend at the top of the schedule as a reference, click to place checkmarks on the available hours for any shifts you would like to schedule.
When your schedule is correct, click the Claim Shifts button located at the top right of the page.
Once you've selected your shifts, you can see the schedule you've selected at any time by clicking View My Schedule.
Print and/or Save a copy of your schedule to keep handy. If there is a discrepancy, you will need this document. Also remember to print/save if you make adjustments throughout the week.

To view your work schedule at any time, or to add hours to any available work week, return to the first step above.