Work schedule

A work schedule — often called a staff rota or employee schedule — is a chart or table showing the times and dates that employees are expected to be at work. Work schedules are usually set by managers or employers, with staff given a new schedule every week or month.

Creating a work schedule isn’t always easy. Business owners have to constantly weigh the cost of staffing against customer demand, aiming to provide a high level of customer service and to maximise profits without overspending on labour costs.

Increasingly, managers and business owners make use of staff scheduling software that not only makes the process of creating and distributing work schedules quick and easy, but also includes a variety of budgeting tools, helping managers see their projected labour costs in real-time as they build the schedule.