How Gusto Scheduling helps one eco-minded retailer plan ahead—and breathe easier

When Dana Jeffas opened Love Thy Nature Refillery, she had one goal: make it easy for her community to live with less waste. After 15+ years in the beauty industry, she left her corporate career to create a plastic-free store where customers could refill everything from shampoo to cleaning supplies—without the guilt.

But while her mission was simple, managing a team of part-time employees was not. “Before Gusto, scheduling was so time-consuming. Everyone’s availability changed constantly—especially with high schoolers on staff. I’d spend hours every month just checking who could work when,” said Love Thy Nature owner Dana Jaffas.

With a small team of part-timers, Dana planned shifts two to three months in advance. But between school schedules, sports, and family events, her employees’ availability changed often.

That meant endless texts, sticky notes, and last-minute edits—time Dana didn’t have while running a growing business.

In May 2025, Dana started using Gusto’s Scheduling and Time Tracking, and has loved taking advantage of the availability feature that makes scheduling a breeze.

Now, employees can update when they can—and can’t—work directly in Gusto. When she creates her weekly schedule, she can easily see time off requests and availability in one view. Her team accesses the schedule and clocks in directly from their Gusto mobile app or in-store Time Kiosk devices.

The result? Less stress and more time for what matters.

• Up to an hour saved every week on scheduling tasks.

• Fewer last-minute conflicts and clearer communication.

• Higher morale: younger employees feel more comfortable managing their own availability.

“It gives them ownership and makes them feel empowered. They don’t have to text me if they can’t work—they can just update their availability, and we move forward.”

That clarity also helps Dana stay focused on growth. Instead of managing shift changes, she spends her reclaimed time launching new products and promoting her business.

Spend less time coordinating and more time growing your business.

Scheduling is included in Plus and Premium plans and available in the Time & Attendance Plus add-on for Simple plan customers. If you’re new to Gusto, learn more about how Scheduling can support your team here. If you already have a Gusto account, you can check out Scheduling here.