How to Make a Group Work Schedule in Microsoft Access
By Emily Ediger
Create a versatile group work schedule in your Microsoft Access database with tables. Access provides numerous tools for creating, storing and updating schedule information. Maintaining your schedule in Access offers several benefits. Instead of searching through various files in your computer, you can keep all pertinent information in one place. You can also combine Access’ data storing power with its formatting options to print easy-to-read documents. Make a group work schedule in Access by creating a few tables that organize and display the information you need.
Step 1
Create an Employee table in your Access database. Click the “Create” tab of the Ribbon at the top of the page, and select the “Table Design” button. Insert fields for Employee Name, Position, Wage, Phone Number and other pertinent information by typing field names in the first column.
Step 2
Select appropriate "Data Types" from the drop-down box to the right of the "Field Name" column. Highlight the field that contains unique values for each record, and select the “Primary Key” button on the Ribbon. You can set the primary key as the employee’s name or as an employee ID field as long as each field is unique.
Step 3
Create a Schedule table, and open it in the Design view. Create an ID field, set the data type to AutoNumber, and select it as the Primary Key. Create an Employee Lookup field by typing “Employee” as the field name, and selecting “Lookup Wizard…” from the Data Type drop-down box.
Step 4
Set the Employee Lookup field to locate employees from the Employee table. Choose which fields you want to view simultaneously in the Selected Fields list box and complete the wizard. Insert each day of the work week as a separate field in the Schedule table.
Step 5
Switch to Datasheet View by clicking the “View” drop-down box on the Home tab of the Ribbon. Add the work schedules for each employee by choosing their name from the Employee field and typing their work hours into each day of the week field. Organizing the schedule by the day of the week allows for different hours depending on the day.
References
Tips
- Create a report that combines the Employee table and the Schedule table to list all employees’ schedules as well as their contact information. Use this as a quick reference when reviewing the schedule or making adjustments.
Writer Bio
Emily Ediger began writing professionally in 2007. Her work includes documenting technical procedures and editing event programs. Her expertise lies in technology, interactive learning and information retrieval. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Portland State University.