In short
A work pattern defines a repeating structure of working and rest days. Availability and preferences describe whether an employee can or prefers to work particular dates, weekdays, shifts, or locations. Leave describes date-specific unavailability. Good scheduling systems keep those concepts separate.
Work patterns describe a repeating cycle
Examples include two days on followed by two days off or another repeating block anchored to an employee-specific start date.
Preferences describe flexible choices
Liked or disliked weekdays and shift templates can influence placement without rewriting the employee's recurring cycle.
Leave describes date-specific unavailability
Leave applies to a concrete date range and should not be represented by permanently changing a person's normal work pattern.
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