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Business Hours

Configure when your team is available to affect SLA calculations.

Why Business Hours Matter

SLA timers can pause outside business hours so you're not penalized for:

  • Nights and weekends
  • Company holidays
  • Regional differences

Setting Business Hours

Step by Step

  1. Go to Settings → Business Hours
  2. Select your timezone
  3. Set hours for each day
  4. Add holidays
  5. Save

Weekly Schedule

Standard Schedule

Monday:    9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday:   9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday:  9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday:    9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday:  Closed
Sunday:    Closed

Extended Schedule

Monday:    8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday:   8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday:  8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday:    8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday:  10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday:    Closed

24/7 Support

All days: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM (24 hours)

Timezone

Setting Your Timezone

Select your primary support timezone:

  • All business hours are based on this timezone
  • Affects SLA calculations globally

Multiple Timezones

If you have teams in multiple regions:

Option 1: Use the timezone of your primary team

Option 2: Create separate SLA policies per region

Option 3: Set 24/7 hours and adjust targets

Holidays

Adding Holidays

  1. Go to Business Hours settings
  2. Click + Add Holiday
  3. Enter name and date
  4. Save

Common Holidays

Add your company-observed holidays:

  • New Year's Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day

Holiday Behavior

On holidays:

  • Business hours = Closed
  • SLA timers pause
  • Resumes next business day

How SLAs Use Business Hours

Example Calculation

Scenario:

  • SLA: 4 business hours
  • Business hours: 9 AM - 5 PM (8 hours/day)
  • Ticket created: Thursday 3 PM

Calculation:

  • Thursday 3 PM - 5 PM = 2 hours ✓
  • Friday 9 AM - 11 AM = 2 hours ✓
  • SLA due: Friday 11 AM

Overnight Tickets

Scenario:

  • Ticket created: Wednesday 6 PM
  • Business hours: 9 AM - 5 PM

Result:

  • Timer doesn't start until Thursday 9 AM
  • Full SLA time available from business day start

Schedule Exceptions

One-Time Changes

For special events (early close, extended hours):

  1. Add a schedule exception
  2. Set the date
  3. Set modified hours
  4. Save

Recurring Exceptions

For regular patterns (half-day Fridays):

  • Modify the weekly schedule directly

Multiple Schedules

Use Cases

  • Different schedules for different teams
  • VIP customers get 24/7 support
  • Standard customers get business hours

Creating Multiple Schedules

  1. Settings → Business Hours
  2. Click + New Schedule
  3. Configure hours
  4. Name it (e.g., "VIP 24/7", "Standard Hours")
  5. Assign to SLA policies

Assigning to Policies

In each SLA policy:

  • Select which business hours schedule to use
  • Or select "Calendar Time" for 24/7

Best Practices

Be Realistic

Set hours that match your actual staffing:

  • Don't set 24/7 if you don't staff 24/7
  • Buffer for lunch breaks if needed

Communicate Clearly

Let customers know your hours:

  • Display on help center
  • Set in widget availability
  • Include in auto-responses

Plan for Holidays

Add holidays at the start of each year so SLAs calculate correctly throughout the year.

Review Annually

Update business hours when:

  • Team grows to new timezone coverage
  • Support hours change
  • Company holiday policy updates

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