ShiftCare offers the option to email or send an SMS directly to staff from the platform.
This article will cover the following topics:
Bulk Messaging Staff Members
At times, it is necessary to send bulk messages to all staff or a select group. This can be sent via SMS or email.
To do this, navigate to the staff list via the sidebar menu. Go to Staff > List.
On the top left-hand side of the screen, select the 'Bulk Email' or 'Bulk SMS' options.
Take note that there is a cost to send SMS messages. Additionally, SMS messages should be 150 characters or fewer.
After selecting an option, a pop-up window will appear where you can compose your message. Click the 'To' field to choose your recipient. You can select individual staff members, specific teams, or tick the 'Select All' box to send a message to all staff members.
Make sure to click 'Send' once you've finished composing your message.
✉️ The Bulk Email feature will send the emails as if they were individually sent (similar to BCC). This means the recipients will not be able to see who else has received the message.
SMS messages 💬 Bulk SMS messages can only be sent by those with Admin roles.
Messaging Individual Staff Members
To message a staff member directly, go to the sidebar menu and navigate to Staff > List > click on the staff member's name. Select 'Communications' from the staff drop-down menu.
This opens the staff member's Communications page. From here, you can use the 'SMS' and 'Email' buttons in the top right corner to send a message directly to the staff member.
When an option is selected, a dialogue box will appear. After typing your message, make sure to click 'Send' before leaving the Communications page. Otherwise, the message will not be delivered to the staff member.
Click 'Cancel' if you wish to no longer send the SMS/email.
SMS Replies
When a staff member replies to an SMS, their response is sent directly to the sender’s email, and the sender can also view the reply on their own Communications page.
Here is an example of the email notification you’ll receive when a reply to your SMS is received.
The link in the email will direct you to the staff member's Communications page, where you can view the original message that was sent.
There will also be a notification at the top of the page when the reply comes through.
Clicking this notification will direct you to the SMS reply on your own Communications page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Bulk SMS button in my account is greyed out. How can I fix it?
Please kindly contact our support team using online chat when you're logged into ShiftCare, or email our Support team at support@shiftcare.com. We can help you resolve it.
Can I attach files in bulk emails for staff members?
At the moment, file attachments are only supported when sending individual emails within the app. This feature is not currently available for bulk emails sent to staff members.
We’ve raised this as a feature request with our Product team:
https://feedback.shiftcare.com/feedback/278649
If this functionality would be useful for your workflow, you’re encouraged to vote or leave a comment on the Feedback Portal. This helps increase visibility and prioritization for future development.
Further Reading:
For further assistance with Carer Communications: Send SMS and Email Messages to Staff, please contact our Support team using online chat when you're logged into ShiftCare, or email our Support team at support@shiftcare.com.