How to make a work schedule for employees
A good schedule covers your busy hours, respects each person's availability and hours, and doesn't blow the labour budget. Six steps, done in the free schedule maker below.
- List staff with role, hourly rate, max hours and days they can't work
- Make shift templates (Open, Mid, Close…)
- Fill the busiest hours first
- Check coverage by hour
- Clear the warnings and check labour cost
- Share it, then copy it to next week
Press Load example → Restaurant: FOH + BOH, split shifts to follow along with a full week. Read the guide ↓
Tap + to add the selected shift, tap a shift to edit it. Drag a shift to move it (hold Ctrl or Alt to copy). Keyboard: Ctrl+C on a shift, Ctrl+V on a +. To copy on a phone, open a shift and tap Copy.
Week done? Turn the schedule into hours worked with Hoursprig timesheets.
Staff
Hourly rate is optional and only used for labour cost. Untick the days someone cannot work and Rotasprig warns you if you schedule them.
Shift templates
Your usual shifts, shown as buttons above the schedule. Tap one, then tap a day to add it.
Settings
Coverage by hour
How many people are on at each hour of the week (someone counts for an hour when they work at least 30 minutes of it; breaks are not taken out).
Labour cost and overtime PRO
Hours, regular and overtime hours, and cost per person and per day, ready for payroll.
The labour cost and overtime report and CSV export for payroll are part of Rotasprig Pro. Free schedules already show hours and labour cost per day and week.
Your data
Everything is saved in this browser only. Nothing is uploaded.
Scheduling a bigger team or a second site?
Rotasprig Pro: unlimited staff, several locations, every past week saved, the labour cost and overtime report, CSV export for payroll, a PNG for each person and no footer line. $6/month or $49 once, with no per-user fees.
Rotasprig is a scheduling tool, not payroll or legal advice. Rest, break and overtime rules differ by country, state and contract; the thresholds here are your own assumptions.
1. Staff, availability and limits
Add each person with role, colour, hourly rate (optional), maximum hours a week and the weekdays they can't work. The rates power the labour cost; the limits power the warnings.
2. Shift templates
Save the shifts you use every week, with their unpaid break and station. The restaurant example uses Lunch 11:00-15:00, Dinner 17:00-22:00, Prep 8:00-16:30, 30 min break, Line 14:00-22:30, 30 min break, Bar close 16:00-23:30, 30 min break.
3. Busiest hours first
Place the shifts that cover your peaks (lunch, dinner, weekends) before the quiet ones. Pick a template and tap the cell; drag to move, Ctrl/Alt-drag to copy.
4. Coverage
The Coverage view shows how many people are on each hour of each day, filtered by role or station, and points out single-cover hours.
5. Warnings and labour cost
For the restaurant example the app reports:
| Restaurant example (week of 12 Oct 2026) | |
|---|---|
| Staff / shifts | 8 / 43 |
| Hours after breaks | 284.5 |
| Labour cost at base rates | $4,913.50 |
| Warnings | 2 (max, rest) |
| Weekly overtime over 40 h (Pro report) | 10 h, premium $93.75, total $5,007.25 |
The minimum rest between shifts is a setting (10 hours by default); set it to your local rule or your own policy.
6. Share and repeat
Print it, send the PNG to the staff chat or copy each person's shifts as text. Next week, press Copy to next week and adjust.
Honest limits
The restaurant example has 8 staff, the free plan's maximum. Free keeps one week; Pro ($6/month or $49 once) keeps every week, adds more staff and locations, the overtime report and payroll CSV. Rotasprig doesn't check local scheduling laws (predictive scheduling, minor work hours) beyond the warnings listed.
Questions
How do I make a work schedule for multiple employees?
List everyone with availability and max hours, create shift templates, place the peak shifts first, check coverage by hour, fix warnings, then share and copy the week forward.
How far in advance should I post the schedule?
Some cities and states require advance notice for certain employers (predictive scheduling laws). Check your local rules; Rotasprig lets you plan any future week.
Can I see labour cost while scheduling?
Yes. Enter hourly rates and the cost per day and week updates as you place shifts.
Can staff see the schedule on their phones?
Send them the PNG or each person's shifts as text. There is no staff login.
Is it free?
Yes for up to 8 staff and one saved week. Pro is $6/month or $49 once.
Key facts
- What it is
- Step-by-step scheduling method plus the free schedule maker that applies it (availability, templates, coverage, warnings, labour cost).
- Price
- Free; Pro $6/month or $49 once
- Free tier
- up to 8 staff and 1 saved week, hours and labour cost totals, warnings, coverage by hour, print and PNG with a small footer line.
- Limits
- Free: 8 staff, 1 location, 1 saved week. Pro ($6/month or $49 once): unlimited staff, locations, history, report, CSV.
- Runs where
- In your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded; it works offline once loaded.
- Sources
- The app's own engine (worked examples on this page)
- Last updated
More Rotasprig guides
- Free Work Schedule Maker (Printable, No Sign-up)
- Shift Schedule Maker: Split, Overnight and Rotating Shifts
- Restaurant Labor Cost Percentage: Formula + Calculator
- Rotasprig home: the full app
Not legal advice; scheduling laws vary by city and state. Example data on this page is made up; numbers were worked out by Rotasprig's own engine on 2026-10-08.