When self-scheduling is involved, a planner needs to set guidelines as to what self-scheduling means and what is expected of the employees. Self-scheduling can take many forms, but the goal of it is to enhance employee satisfaction by giving them control on their own lives.
The first step to do is to clearly count and display the workload that needs to be covered. The workload is the prime aspect and the breakdown into shifts is the thing where everything starts. Coverage measures must therefore be the first constraint employees must follow.
The usual next constraints pertain to night and weekend shifts (or any shift that employees typically don’t want). As a planner, you will determine the constraints that apply to each employee in regards to how many good shifts versus bad shifts each get and put together either ratios or direct counts based on the employees full time equivalent value.