diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 71cceb3..ba8060e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,10 +38,11 @@ When creating a schedule, the user selects:
 * The start date
 * The target completion date
 
-Attainly then distributes the selected elements evenly across the available
-days. When an uneven schedule has more than one assignment per day, the user
-can place the consecutive heavier days at the start, middle, or end of the
-schedule.
+Attainly then distributes the selected elements across the available days.
+When there are fewer assignments than days, the user can spread them across
+the full range or pack them into consecutive days at the start, middle, or
+end. When an uneven schedule has more than one assignment per day, the user
+can place the consecutive heavier days at the start, middle, or end.
 
 For example, a user could choose to schedule:
 
diff --git a/frontend/website/src/stores/schedules.ts b/frontend/website/src/stores/schedules.ts
index 3715d0e..c6c3fde 100644
--- a/frontend/website/src/stores/schedules.ts
+++ b/frontend/website/src/stores/schedules.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { API_BASE } from '@/utils/apiBase'
 
 const isoDateSchema = z.string().regex(/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/)
 
-export const workloadPlacementSchema = z.enum(['start', 'middle', 'end'])
+export const workloadPlacementSchema = z.enum(['spread', 'start', 'middle', 'end'])
 
 export const scheduleSummarySchema = z.object({
   id: z.number().int().positive(),
diff --git a/frontend/website/src/views/CreateScheduleView.vue b/frontend/website/src/views/CreateScheduleView.vue
index 912268d..f0bdd1e 100644
--- a/frontend/website/src/views/CreateScheduleView.vue
+++ b/frontend/website/src/views/CreateScheduleView.vue
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import { useSetLayoutStore } from '@/stores/setLayout'
 
 type ScheduleField = 'levelId' | 'startDate' | 'targetDate'
 type ScheduleFieldErrors = Partial<Record<ScheduleField, string>>
+type PackedWorkloadPlacement = Exclude<WorkloadPlacement, 'spread'>
+type PlacementContext = 'unavailable' | 'sparse' | 'heavy' | 'balanced'
 
 const route = useRoute()
 const router = useRouter()
@@ -26,43 +28,84 @@ const form = reactive({
   levelId: null as number | null,
   startDate: '',
   targetDate: '',
-  workloadPlacement: 'middle' as WorkloadPlacement,
 })
+const sparseWorkloadPlacement = ref<WorkloadPlacement>('spread')
+const heavyWorkloadPlacement = ref<PackedWorkloadPlacement>('middle')
 const fieldErrors = ref<ScheduleFieldErrors>({})
 
 const levels = computed(() =>
   (layout.value?.levels ?? []).filter((level) => level.elementCount > 0),
 )
 const selectedLevel = computed(() => levels.value.find((level) => level.id === form.levelId))
-const workloadPlacementOptions: Array<{
-  value: WorkloadPlacement
+const packedWorkloadPlacementOptions: Array<{
+  value: PackedWorkloadPlacement
   label: string
 }> = [
   { value: 'start', label: 'At the start' },
   { value: 'middle', label: 'In the middle' },
   { value: 'end', label: 'At the end' },
 ]
-const showWorkloadPlacement = computed(() => {
+const placementContext = computed<PlacementContext>(() => {
   if (
     selectedLevel.value === undefined ||
     form.startDate === '' ||
     form.targetDate === '' ||
     form.targetDate < form.startDate
   ) {
-    return false
+    return 'unavailable'
   }
 
   const startTime = Date.parse(`${form.startDate}T00:00:00Z`)
   const targetTime = Date.parse(`${form.targetDate}T00:00:00Z`)
   if (Number.isNaN(startTime) || Number.isNaN(targetTime)) {
-    return false
+    return 'unavailable'
   }
 
   const millisecondsPerDay = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000
   const dayCount = Math.round((targetTime - startTime) / millisecondsPerDay) + 1
   const assignmentCount = selectedLevel.value.elementCount
 
-  return assignmentCount > dayCount && assignmentCount % dayCount !== 0
+  if (assignmentCount < dayCount) {
+    return 'sparse'
+  }
+
+  if (assignmentCount > dayCount && assignmentCount % dayCount !== 0) {
+    return 'heavy'
+  }
+
+  return 'balanced'
+})
+const showWorkloadPlacement = computed(
+  () => placementContext.value === 'sparse' || placementContext.value === 'heavy',
+)
+const workloadPlacementOptions = computed<Array<{ value: WorkloadPlacement; label: string }>>(
+  () => {
+    if (placementContext.value === 'sparse') {
+      return [{ value: 'spread', label: 'Spread evenly' }, ...packedWorkloadPlacementOptions]
+    }
+
+    return packedWorkloadPlacementOptions
+  },
+)
+const selectedWorkloadPlacement = computed<WorkloadPlacement>({
+  get() {
+    if (placementContext.value === 'sparse') {
+      return sparseWorkloadPlacement.value
+    }
+
+    return heavyWorkloadPlacement.value
+  },
+  set(value) {
+    if (placementContext.value === 'sparse') {
+      sparseWorkloadPlacement.value = value
+
+      return
+    }
+
+    if (value !== 'spread') {
+      heavyWorkloadPlacement.value = value
+    }
+  },
 })
 
 const scheduleFormSchema = z
@@ -98,7 +141,10 @@ watch(
 
 async function submit(): Promise<void> {
   fieldErrors.value = {}
-  const result = scheduleFormSchema.safeParse(form)
+  const result = scheduleFormSchema.safeParse({
+    ...form,
+    workloadPlacement: selectedWorkloadPlacement.value,
+  })
   if (!result.success) {
     const errors: ScheduleFieldErrors = {}
     for (const issue of result.error.issues) {
@@ -237,18 +283,28 @@ async function retry(): Promise<void> {
             data-workload-placement
             :disabled="creating"
           >
-            <legend>Heavier days</legend>
-            <p>
+            <legend>
+              {{ placementContext === 'sparse' ? 'Assignment days' : 'Heavier days' }}
+            </legend>
+            <p v-if="placementContext === 'sparse'">
+              Spread assignments across the schedule or keep them on consecutive days.
+            </p>
+            <p v-else>
               Some days need one extra assignment. Choose where those days appear in the schedule.
             </p>
-            <div class="workload-placement__options">
+            <div
+              class="workload-placement__options"
+              :class="{
+                'workload-placement__options--sparse': placementContext === 'sparse',
+              }"
+            >
               <label
                 v-for="option in workloadPlacementOptions"
                 :key="option.value"
                 class="workload-placement__option"
               >
                 <input
-                  v-model="form.workloadPlacement"
+                  v-model="selectedWorkloadPlacement"
                   type="radio"
                   name="workloadPlacement"
                   :value="option.value"
@@ -381,6 +437,10 @@ h1 {
   gap: 0.65rem;
 }
 
+.workload-placement__options--sparse {
+  grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
+}
+
 .workload-placement__option {
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;