On-Call & Shift Rota Generator (Excel + Google Sheets)

Building an on-call rota by hand takes hours, and one holiday breaks it. This generator builds the whole rota from your team list and keeps it fair when people take leave or swap shifts.

What it does

• Patterns: weekly on-call, primary + secondary, daily support desk, 24/7 day/night, or early/late/night shifts. You set the start date, days per turn (daily, weekly, fortnightly), shifts per day (1 to 3) and whether weekends need cover.
• Leave handled automatically: add someone's holiday and the next person in the rotation covers, skipping anyone already on another shift that day.
• Swaps and overrides: put a specific person on a specific date and shift; overrides beat the rotation.
• Rota tab: up to two years of dates with each shift's person, colour-coded per team member, with public holidays and a check column that flags uncovered or double-booked days.
• Calendar tab: a printable month grid; type any date to switch month.
• Stats tab: shifts, weekend shifts, holiday shifts, hours and share per person, so you can see the load is fair.

What you get

• Excel workbook with a 6-person example team, leave and a swap
• Blank Excel workbook ready for your team
• Google Sheets version (one click makes your own copy)
• Start Here tab with set-ups for common patterns

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.