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How To Set Employee Work Schedules (With Template)

By Caitlin Mazur - Jan. 11, 2023
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Summary. To create a work schedule for employees, you should create a template, fill in the employee information, and required shifts for each employee. Scheduling staff allows for there to be order and a flow for the business. Make sure to coordinate with employees in advance to ensure that schedule for everyone works out.

Any business establishment requires a presence no matter the product or service they provide. When you have a business, no matter how large you are, you should always work to provide your employees with a work schedule, especially if hours are inconsistent. Below we discuss how to create an employee work schedule.

An employee work schedule is a calendar typically created by management that lists all employees and their scheduled hours and days of work. By creating a schedule, you can easily and consistently keep your employees up to date so that they can plan their personal lives and plans around their work schedules.

Having a work schedule written down also eliminates any disagreements over schedules or hours, ensures all shifts are covered and gives employees the ability to stay organized on a weekly or monthly basis.

Key Takeaways:

  • The different types of employee work schedules include:

    • Full-time schedule

    • Part-time schedule

    • Fixed schedule

    • Rotating shifts

    • On-call shifts

  • Work schedules are important because it helps improve employee morale and it offers employees some consistency.

  • Consider making a notification system to allow employees to request days off to ensure scheduling works for everyone.

How To Set Employee Work Schedules (With Template)

How to Create a Work Schedule for Employees

Creating a work schedule for your employees is simple and can be done for free in most cases. Once you have a template established, filling in the hours to ensure all shifts are covered becomes much easier. Here’s what you should do to create a work schedule for your employees.

  • Create a table. Using spreadsheet software or something similar, create a template for your schedule. Include a column for ‘employee,’ followed by every day of the week that must be filled. If your employees are contracted for a specific number of hours, it’s a good idea to create a final column for ‘total hours’ as well.

  • Fill in employee information. Under the employee column, fill out all names in alphabetical order to make it easy for the employee to find themselves. Then, populate the rest of the columns with the required shifts (e.g., 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.).

  • Consider automation. If you’re using Excel or a similar version, consider researching formulas that will help automatically calculate worked hours in the ‘total hours’ column you have created. This will make it easy to reference the amount of time they’ve worked. Additionally, this can be done with drop-down menus.

  • Save or share. Depending on the type of software you’re using, once you have filled in the employee schedule, save it and distribute it, or share it directly from the document. It’s also a good idea to save a blank template so you can repurpose it for the following week or month.

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Employee Schedule Template Examples

Below is an example of a schedule you can use when creating a template for your own staff. Depending on your unique needs and scheduling concerns, you can add columns or notes that address them.

Employee Schedule

Employee Name Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Total Hours
Rose Holmes 6 AM 1 PM 6 AM 1 PM 6 AM 1 PM 21
Andy King 8 AM 5 PM 8 AM 5 PM 8 AM 5 PM 8 AM 5 PM 8 AM 5 PM 40
Dean Weir 6 AM 1 PM 6 AM 1 PM 6 AM 1 PM 21
Brenda Cane 9 AM 6 PM 9 AM 6 PM 9 AM 6 PM 9 AM 6 PM 9 AM 6 PM 40

Types of Employee Work Schedules

Depending on the type of business or employees you have, there may be different types of schedules you’ll want to create. Here are some of the typical employee work schedules you may want to consider:

  • Full-time schedules. Full-time work typically refers to a work week of 40 hours for one employee. Typically, full-time employees have set hours on the same days and time each week, for example, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with an hour lunch break.

  • Part-time schedules. Part-time work can differ depending on your business. These schedules have more flexibility and may change from week to week. For example, you may schedule your employee Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

  • Fixed schedule. A fixed work schedule is one that has a set amount of days and hours in which the employee is scheduled to work. This schedule does not change throughout their employment and can pertain to both full-time and part-time employees.

  • Rotating shifts. In certain industries, this must be covered all day, no matter the time. Rotating shifts mean that employees work a series of day and night shifts, such as three shifts during the day, two days off, then three-night shifts.

  • On-call shifts. On-call schedules mean an employee must be available for work but doesn’t have to come into work if they aren’t needed. These can be a few hours of coverage or a full shift, depending on the business needs.

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Why Create a Work Schedule for Employees?

Schedules exist in all types of businesses across a variety of different industries, but the importance of them is the same — you can’t complete work without any workers. Giving your staff a schedule is the best way to treat them professionally and ensure they show up to their scheduled shifts for full coverage.

Scheduling staff also creates order and flow for your business. This is the best way to ensure everyone knows when they must be at work and when they need to clock out. This allows them to focus on their job and eliminates any unnecessary communication errors while keeping employees accountable.

Creating a schedule isn’t always black and white, however. Employees have their own lives and circumstances and may need flexibility depending on their situations. Be sure to coordinate with employees in advance or create a notification system where employees can request days off to ensure scheduling works for everyone involved.

Why Are Work Schedules for Employees Important?

Work schedules are important for many obvious reasons, as mentioned above, such as ensuring all shifts and work are covered and keeping employees accountable. However, there are a number of additional benefits of creating work schedules for employees.

  • Efficiency. Scheduling procedures encourage efficiency and can eliminate or significantly reduce the amount of time spent on scheduling adjustments or logistics.

  • Legal compliance. Although legal requirements may vary by location, all organizations must adhere to legal requirements for full-time and hourly employees. Scheduling ensures all employees get the appropriate number of hours each week.

  • Consistency. Employees are often much happier if their schedule has some level of consistency. Although schedule changes are anticipated, by having some consistency, employees are able to plan their time off.

  • Labor costs. Creating a work schedule ensures employees don’t work overtime if it’s not necessary. Good scheduling can also reduce turnover costs.

  • Morale. Employee morale significantly improves when they have a set work schedule. When managers make last-minute scheduling changes, employees can feel disrespected and frustrated. Work with your employees, and you’ll be rewarded for it.

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Employee Schedule FAQ

  1. How do I create a work schedule for my employees?

    To create a work schedule for your employees, consider your scheduling needs and then evaluate your staffing availability. Follow your local regulations and publish your schedule at least a week prior to expecting your employees to adhere to it.

  2. Does Excel have an employee schedule template?

    Yes, many calendar templates are available in Microsoft Excel. You can use a calendar template to create an employee schedule template.

  3. How do I create a free employee schedule?

    To create a free employee schedule, use a simple template on pen and paper, in word-processing software, or free spreadsheet software. All of these can work well when creating an employee schedule.

References

  1. Indeed – Setting Employee Work Schedules: A Manager’s Guide

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia where she has written 140+ articles that have reached over 1 mil viewers as of June 2023. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research.

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