Weekly Rota and Shift Planner
Add your staff and type each shift as a time range. You get hours for each person, the labour cost, how many are on each day, and warnings for the working time rules.
Write shifts as 09:00-17:30 or 9am-5.30pm. Leave blank for a day off. Add a break for one shift by writing, for example, 09:00-17:30 break 45. A shift that ends after midnight, such as 22:00-06:00, counts as one shift. The rota is remembered for your next visit unless you clear your saved site data.
Worked examples
A standard week
09:00-17:30 with a 30 minute break, five days
40 hours
Each day is 8 hours after the break. At £12.71 an hour the week costs £508.40.
A late finish then an early start
14:00-22:00 on Monday, 06:00-14:00 on Tuesday
Warning: 8 hours between shifts
Eleven hours of rest are needed between working days.
A night shift
22:00-06:00
8 hours gross, 7.5 after a 30 minute break
Counted as one shift on the day it starts.
About Weekly Rota and Shift Planner
A rota tells everyone where they need to be and when, and it has to work for the business and for the people on it. This planner is a weekly grid with a row for each person and a column for each day. Type a shift as a range of times, such as 09:00-17:30, and the hours for the day, the week and the cost at their hourly rate are worked out for you. A row at the bottom counts the people working each day and flags any day with fewer than the minimum you set.
It also watches the rest rules that apply to most workers over 18 in Great Britain: a rest break of at least 20 minutes if the shift is longer than six hours, 11 hours of rest between working days, a day off each week and an average of no more than 48 hours a week. These appear as warnings, not as legal advice, because the rules have exceptions and different rules apply to young workers. Shifts that finish after midnight work as one shift. Download the finished rota as a PDF to print or send, and it is remembered for your next visit.
How to use Weekly Rota and Shift Planner
- Enter a title, the week start and the break to take off shifts over 6 hours.
- Add each person with their hourly rate if you want costs.
- Type each shift as a time range, such as 09:00-17:30, or leave a day blank for a day off.
- Read the hours, costs and warnings, then download the rota as a PDF.
Common uses
- Staffing a shop, cafe or clinic
- Planning labour cost against takings
- Checking a rota against rest break rules
- Giving staff a clear printed schedule
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a shift?
Type start and end times such as 09:00-17:30, 9am-5.30pm or 22:00-06:00 for a night shift. Add break 45 to give that shift a 45 minute break. Leave the cell blank for a day off.
How are breaks counted?
The break you set is taken off shifts longer than six hours and is not counted as hours worked. You can give a single shift its own break.
What warnings does it show?
A shift over six hours with less than a 20 minute break, less than 11 hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next, working all seven days, and more than 48 hours in the week.
Is the 48 hour warning a legal limit?
The 48 hour limit is an average over 17 weeks and workers can agree to opt out. The warning is a prompt to look, and you should take advice on your own situation.
Does it apply to young workers?
No. The checks are those for workers aged 18 and over. Under 18s have different limits on hours and breaks.