How to use
- Choose "Rotating shifts" for day, evening and night patterns, or "Daily duty rota" to rotate a few people each day.
- Enter the people or teams, one per line, in rotation order.
- Pick the start date and length (1 week, 2 weeks, to the end of the month, or a number of days).
- For shifts, choose a pattern; for a duty rota, set people per day and whether to skip weekends.
- Tap cells in the schedule below to adjust, then download the PDF, print or download for Excel.
Options explained
- Repeating pattern
- The shifts one person works from day 1, repeating at the end. The 4-team pattern is "Day Day Eve Eve Night Night Off Off" (8 days). Type your own, such as "Day Day Night Night Off Off Off".
- Days between people
- How many days later each person enters the pattern. The default is pattern length ÷ number of people, so with 4 teams each starts 2 days apart and every shift is covered every day.
- Shift totals
- The columns to the right of the schedule count each person's shifts and update as you edit, so you can check the load is fair.
Common shift patterns
| Pattern | Cycle | Teams | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 teams, 3 shifts | Day Day Eve Eve Night Night Off Off | 4 | Three teams on and one off every day; 6 workdays in 8 |
| Day, night, off | Day Night Off | 3 | 12-hour shifts: one day, one night, one off |
| 2 on, 2 off | Day Day Off Off | 2 or 4 | Two teams alternate; with 4 people, pair them into day and night crews |
| 5 on, 2 off (staggered) | Work Work Work Work Work Off Off | 7 | Shops and help desks open every day; everyone gets two days off, on different days |
For a 2-2-3 (Panama) schedule, type the 14-day cycle “Day Day Off Off Day Day Day Off Off Day Day Off Off Off” with 2 teams and 7 days between them.
Tips
- Give a rest day after nights rather than going straight from a night to a day shift; add an extra “Off” to the cycle if needed.
- Check the shift totals before printing and even out nights and days off by tapping cells.
- Working-time limits vary by country and contract (in the EU, an average of 48 hours a week including overtime), so check what applies to your team.
Frequently asked questions
How do I handle leave or a swap?
Tap that person's cell for that day. Each tap moves to the next shift in the pattern (Day → Eve → Night → Off). Changed cells are outlined, and the PDF and Excel file include the change.
How do I make a one-person-per-day duty rota?
Choose "Daily duty rota" and set people per day to 1. Tick "No duty on Saturdays and Sundays" for weekdays only; skipped days don't use up a turn.
Is my schedule saved?
Names, pattern and print settings are remembered in this browser. Manual cell changes aren't, so download the PDF or CSV to keep a copy.
How long can a schedule be?
Up to 62 days. A shift schedule fits 31 days per page and continues on the next page.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Names are only processed in your browser.
Privacy
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files and text are processed on your device and are never uploaded to our servers.