Staff Shift Rota Generator (Excel + Google Sheets)

Making the staff rota shouldn't take your Sunday evening. Type your team once, choose how shifts rotate, and get a fair schedule for the next year or two, ready to print.

Good for: care homes, clinics, shops, security teams, call centres, warehouses, volunteer groups, and any team that covers shifts in turn.

What it does

• Shift patterns: one shift a day, day + night (e.g. 07:00 to 19:00 and 19:00 to 07:00), or early + late + night. Change over daily, weekly or every two weeks, with or without weekend cover.
• Holidays handled automatically: add someone's leave and the next person in line covers, without putting anyone on two shifts the same day.
• Swaps: put a specific person on a specific day and shift whenever you need to.
• Printable month calendar to pin on the wall, plus a full day-by-day list with each person in their own colour.
• Fairness at a glance: shifts, weekends, public holidays and hours per person.

What you get

• Excel workbook with an example team, holidays and a swap
• Blank Excel workbook ready for your staff
• Google Sheets version (one click makes your own copy)
• Start Here tab with step-by-step setup

Works in: Microsoft Excel 2013 or later (Windows and Mac), Microsoft 365, Excel for the web, LibreOffice Calc, and Google Sheets. No macros, no add-ons, no sign-ups: just formulas you can read.

FAQ

Do I need Excel?

No. You also get a Google Sheets version (a link that makes your own copy), and the .xlsx opens in LibreOffice Calc.

Does it contain macros?

No. Everything is plain formulas, so there are no security prompts and it works on Mac and the web.

Can I change it?

Yes. Dropdown lists and thresholds live on the Settings tab, and nothing is locked.

What's the difference between the two Excel files?

One is filled with realistic example data so you can see every feature working; the other is empty and ready for your own data.

Licence: use it for yourself or inside one company or organisation, with as many colleagues as you like. Please don't resell or share the template files publicly.