# How Booking-Time Staff Availability Works
> Source: https://development.fuze-store.com/docs/store/pos/event/booking-staff-availability

# How Booking-Time Staff Availability Works

When you create or edit an appointment in Fuze Store POS, the **Staff** picker shows every staff member but disables anyone who is unavailable for the time you picked. This guide explains why a staff member might appear disabled and how to fix it.

![The Book Staff Availability form in the Fuze Store app showing Staff Member, Date, Time Slots, and Status fields](/docs/store/pos/event/book-availability-form.png)

## Where You See It

The staff picker opens from the appointment form when you tap the **Staff** row. Each staff member is shown as a card. If they cannot take this appointment, the card is dimmed and shows a small reason chip.

## Reason Chips

| Chip | What it means | Typical fix |
|------|---------------|-------------|
| **Off schedule** | The staff member has no working hours that cover the chosen time, or an override marks them as unavailable for that day. | Update the staff member's [weekly schedule](/docs/store/staff/managing-staff-schedule), or remove the override. |
| **Has conflict** | The staff member already has another booking that overlaps with this time, including the buffer before and after the service. | Pick a different time, choose another staff member, or move the conflicting booking. |
| **Outside business hours** | The chosen time falls outside the staff member's working window for at least one day in the range you are looking at. | Choose a time inside the staff member's working hours, or extend their schedule. |

## How the Picker Decides

For the date and time you have selected, Fuze Store checks each staff member against:

1. Their **weekly working hours** for the day of the week.
2. Any **override** for that exact date (overrides win over the weekly schedule).
3. Any **existing event** that overlaps with the slot. If you picked a service, the slot is widened by the service's *buffer before* and *buffer after* so back-to-back bookings still leave prep / cleanup time.

If you are editing an existing appointment, the appointment's own time block is excluded from the conflict check — you can keep the same staff and just nudge the time.

## Tips

- Always set up at least one weekly schedule row for every staff member. Without a schedule, Fuze Store treats them as unavailable.
- If a staff member is sick or on leave, add an **override** instead of clearing their weekly schedule. Overrides keep the recurring pattern intact.
- Adjust each service's *buffer* values to give staff realistic prep and cleanup time.
- The picker refreshes every time you change the service, date, or time slot — there is no manual "reload" needed.

## Related Guides

- [Creating an Event](/docs/store/pos/event/creating-an-event)
- [Updating an Event](/docs/store/pos/event/updating-an-event)
- [Managing a Staff Schedule](/docs/store/staff/managing-staff-schedule)
- [Service Setup](/docs/store/service/overview)