Employees can indicate through the Square app that they are not available during a specific period. This is a preference, not a block — it does not prevent the employee from being matched to or assigned to a shift during that time.
Difference from an absence
Unavailability is a separate concept from an absence in bookU Staffing. An absence is a hard block: it always prevents an employee from being matched to or assigned to any shift that overlaps with the absence period, with no override. Unavailability does not have this effect — it works as a signal to the planner, not a restriction on planning.
Viewing unavailability in the planning view
When an employee has indicated a period as unavailable, the planning view shows this as a shaded (pink/red) block in that employee's row for the relevant day or days. This lets the planner take the employee's preference into account before scheduling a shift.