Scheduling: Cancelling a Staff Appointment

When to Use This Feature

A staff member calls out sick or is otherwise unavailable for a scheduled session
The client session still needs to be covered and you are actively looking for a replacement
You want the session to remain visible on the schedule in the unassigned bucket rather than disappearing from view

Step 1: Navigate to the Overview and Locate the Appointment

Go to your Overview in the scheduler.
Use the filter to display your current staff for the relevant time period. You can toggle between week view and day view — day view is recommended when managing same-day coverage.
Locate the appointment for the client whose staff member is unavailable.

Step 2: Open the Appointment and Set the Status

Click on the appointment to open it.
From the status dropdown, change the appointment status from Scheduled to Canceled.
Select the cancellation reason (e.g., Sick).

Step 3: Select the Unassigned Appointment Option

After selecting Staff Cancellation as the cancellation type, a checkbox will appear: “Create an unassigned appointment for this client to reschedule with another staff member.”
Check this box if you still need coverage for this session.

Step 4: Submit and Save

Click Submit.
When prompted to save, select Save My Changes.
Important: Apply the change to this appointment only — do not apply to recurring appointments unless intended.
Click Apply on Calendar/Visualization to confirm.

Step 5: Confirm the Result on the Schedule

After saving, verify the following on your calendar:

The original appointment now appears in red, marked as canceled. It will be visible in cancellation reports.
The client’s name now appears in the Unassigned bucket on the left side of the schedule, indicating that coverage is still needed.

Once the unassigned appointment is created, you have two options to assign coverage:

Option A: Use the Top Matches Feature

Click on the unassigned appointment in the Unassigned bucket.
Select User to view a list of Top Matches — staff members who have worked most frequently with this client.
Click the checkmark next to a staff member’s name to confirm their availability.
Assign the session to the selected staff member.

Option B: Drag and Drop on the Schedule

Review the schedule visually to identify which staff members are available during this time slot.
Drag the unassigned appointment from the Unassigned bucket and drop it onto the available staff member’s column.
When prompted, confirm that you are editing only this one appointment (not the recurring series).

Save the changes. The appointment will now appear on the schedule under the newly assigned staff member.

**The system will not alert you if a user is scheduled with a client they are not linked to. You may need to manually link your client and user.

The canceled appointment will appear in your cancellation report, tagged with the cancellation type and reason you selected.
The unassigned appointment is separate from the canceled record and will remain in the Unassigned bucket until it is filled or removed.

Situation	What to Do
Staff calls out, session needs coverage	Cancel as Staff Cancellation → check the unassigned appointment box → Submit
Client cancels	Cancel as Client Cancellation — unassigned appointment option is not available
Coverage found via top matches	Open unassigned appointment → Select User → choose from top matches → confirm availability
Coverage found visually	Drag unassigned appointment to available staff member on the calendar

Day view is recommended when managing same-day call-outs, as it gives you the clearest picture of staff availability.
Always confirm you are saving changes for this appointment only, not the recurring series, unless the change is intended to affect all future occurrences.
The Top Matches feature prioritizes staff who have worked most frequently with the client, which can be helpful for continuity of care.
Canceled appointments remain in your cancellation report for tracking and billing documentation purposes.

Learn how to create an unassigned appointment from a staff cancellation using Hi Rasmus scheduling