Shift schedule maker for your weekly staff rota
Building next week's rota by hand means juggling availability texts, days off and who closed last time. This prompt has your todo.is agent turn your staff list and opening hours into a fair Excel shift schedule with hours per person, gaps flagged, and a version you can print or share.
The prompt
- Make a shift schedule for [BUSINESS TYPE] for the week of [WEEK START DATE]. Opening hours: [OPENING HOURS]. Each shift needs [STAFF NEEDED PER SHIFT]. Staff, their contract hours and availability: [STAFF LIST]. Spread weekends and closing shifts fairly, keep at least 11 hours between a closing and an opening shift, and do not go over anyone's contract hours. Give me an Excel file with one sheet showing the week as a grid (days across, staff down), a second sheet with total hours per person, and highlight any shift that is understaffed. Also send a short text version I can paste into our group chat.
What to change
- [BUSINESS TYPE]: What you run, e.g. "a coffee shop" or "a 20-bed care home".
- [WEEK START DATE]: The Monday (or first day) of the week, e.g. "March 9".
- [OPENING HOURS]: Hours per day, e.g. "Mon to Fri 7:00 to 19:00, Sat and Sun 8:00 to 16:00".
- [STAFF NEEDED PER SHIFT]: Staffing per shift, e.g. "2 baristas on morning, 2 on afternoon, 3 on Saturday".
- [STAFF LIST]: Names, hours and limits, e.g. "Ana 30h, no Sundays; Ben 20h, only afternoons". Or attach a spreadsheet.
Example result
- Shift schedule: Bean Corner Cafe, week of March 9
- Shifts: Morning 7:00 to 13:00, Afternoon 13:00 to 19:00 (weekdays). Weekend 8:00 to 16:00.
- The week
- • Mon: Morning Ana, Ben. Afternoon Chloe, Dev.
- • Tue: Morning Ana, Eli. Afternoon Ben, Farah.
- • Wed: Morning Chloe, Eli. Afternoon Ben, Dev.
- • Thu: Morning Ana, Farah. Afternoon Chloe, Eli.
- • Fri: Morning Dev, Eli. Afternoon Ben, Farah.
- • Sat: Day shift Ana, Chloe, Farah.
- • Sun: Day shift Ben, Dev, Eli.
- Hours per person
- • Ana: 26h (contract 30h, 4h free if you need cover)
- • Ben: 26h (contract 26h)
- • Chloe: 26h (contract 26h)
- • Dev: 26h (contract 28h)
- • Eli: 32h (contract 32h)
- • Farah: 26h (contract 26h)
- Checks
- • Every shift has the people it needs.
- • Nobody closes and then opens the next morning.
- • Ana has no Sunday, as requested.
- • Weekend work: everyone gets exactly one weekend day this week.
- Flags
- • Wednesday afternoon has no key holder. Swap Dev for Chloe or give Dev the keys.
- Text for the team chat
- Rota for March 9 is up. Mon AM Ana/Ben, PM Chloe/Dev. Tue AM Ana/Eli, PM Ben/Farah... Message me by Thursday if you need a swap.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your opening hours, staffing needs and staff list.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen, or send it on WhatsApp. You can attach last week's rota or an availability sheet.
- Your agent returns an Excel rota, total hours per person, any flags, and a short text version.
- Reply with changes like "Ben is off Friday" and get an updated file. Make it a recurring to-do every Thursday for next week's rota.
Tips for a better result
- Give your agent the rules that matter most, such as key holders, under-18 limits or required qualifications on each shift.
- Ask it to "remember my staff list and rules", so next week you only send the changes.
- Rotate weekend and closing shifts week to week. Track it on a third sheet so fairness is visible.
- Check working-time rules in your country, such as rest breaks and maximum weekly hours.
shift schedule maker: FAQ
- What is the fairest way to schedule shifts? Rotate unpopular shifts like weekends and closings, respect stated availability, and share the rota early. A clear swap rule also helps.
- How far in advance should I post a shift schedule? At least one week ahead is common, and some places require two weeks by law. Check the rules where you work.
- Can the agent make a monthly rota? Yes. Ask for a 4-week schedule and it can add one sheet per week plus a monthly hours summary.
- Does todo.is send the rota to my staff? It can email the file or post a text version to a Slack or Discord channel you connect, after you approve it. You can also download the Excel and share it yourself.
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