Notifications
Notification center, push notifications, and real-time updates
Notification Center
Access your notifications by clicking the bell icon in the header:
- Click the bell to open the notification popover
- See recent notifications with an unread count badge
- Click a notification to view details or take action
- Mark notifications as read individually or use "Mark all read"
- Delete notifications individually or use "Delete all"
- Click "View all notifications" to see your full notification history
- Access notification settings via the gear icon
Notification Types
You may receive notifications for:
- Approvals: Your requests approved or denied
- Time Corrections: Corrections submitted, approved, or denied
- Absences: Leave requests and status updates
- Reminders: Clock in/out reminders
- Team Updates: Announcements and schedule changes
- Security Events: Login alerts, password changes
- Shift Scheduling: Shift assignments, swaps, and open shifts
- Projects: Budget alerts, deadline reminders, assignments
- Wellness: Work-life balance alerts
- Compliance: Labor law and compliance notifications
Notification Channels
z8 supports seven notification delivery channels. You can choose which channels to use for each notification type.
| Channel | Description |
|---|---|
| In-App | Notification bell in the z8 header |
| Push | Browser push notifications |
| Email delivery to your registered address | |
| Microsoft Teams | Messages via the z8 Teams bot |
| Slack | Messages via the z8 Slack bot |
| Telegram | Messages via the z8 Telegram bot |
| Discord | Messages via the z8 Discord bot |
Configuring Channel Preferences
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- You'll see a matrix of notification types and channels
- Toggle each channel on or off per notification type
- Changes take effect immediately
Messaging platform channels (Teams, Slack, Telegram, Discord) are only available if your organization has the integration enabled and you have linked your account. See the admin guide for integration setup.
Push Notifications
Enable browser push notifications for real-time alerts:
- Go to Settings → Notifications
- Click "Enable Push Notifications"
- Allow notifications when prompted by your browser
- Choose which notification types to receive as push
Note: Push notifications work even when the app is in the background.
Real-Time Updates
The system uses Server-Sent Events (SSE) to deliver real-time updates:
- Instant notification delivery
- Live status updates
- No need to refresh the page
Connection Status
The notification system shows your connection status in real-time.
Status Indicators
Look for the connection indicator near the notification bell:
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green dot | Connected - receiving live updates |
| Yellow dot | Reconnecting - temporarily disconnected |
| Red dot | Disconnected - not receiving live updates |
Automatic Reconnection
When connection is lost, the system automatically:
- Attempts to reconnect immediately
- Retries with increasing delays if unsuccessful
- Shows "Reconnecting..." status
- Restores live updates when connection is back
- Fetches any missed notifications
Troubleshooting Connection Issues
If you see persistent connection issues:
- Check your internet connection
- Refresh the page - This reestablishes the SSE connection
- Check for VPN issues - Some VPNs block SSE connections
- Try a different browser - Rule out browser-specific issues
- Contact your admin - There may be server-side issues
Offline Behavior
When disconnected:
- You can still browse previously loaded content
- New notifications won't appear until reconnection
- Actions may be queued and sync when reconnected
- A banner may appear indicating offline status