Draft, then publish
Plan without the team watching it change, and repeat regular shifts weekly for up to 12 weeks.
Free staff rota builder, ready to print
Plan the week’s shifts for your team, see the hours and what they cost, and catch missing breaks and short rests. Then print it, save it as a PDF or send it as an image.
Free, no sign-upAny currency, any countryNothing leaves your browser
9 – 15 Nov 2026
| Team | Mon9 Nov | Tue10 Nov | Wed11 Nov | Thu12 Nov | Fri13 Nov | Sat14 Nov | Sun15 Nov | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.5h£543.75 | ||||||||
| 37.5h£472.50 | ||||||||
| 37.5h£457.90 | ||||||||
| 38h£464.00 | ||||||||
| Hours · cost | 19h£249.17 | 19h£252.09 | 22.5h£277.66 | 22.5h£291.91 | 22.5h£294.83 | 22.5h£294.83 | 22.5h£277.66 | 150.5h |
Choose a day to add or change a shift, or a name to edit the person.
- Paid hours
- 150.5h
- Staff cost
- £1,938.15
- Labour %
- 20.4%
Hours × hourly rate, less unpaid breaks. Employer taxes, pension and holiday pay come on top.
Working-time checks
- Josh, Sat: only 9h rest since Fri’s shift — 11h is the minimum.
- Lena, Sun: only 9h rest since Sat’s shift — 11h is the minimum.
Checked against the EU and UK limits for adult workers.
How to write a staff rota Five steps, once a week.
Worked through for an opening shift at a café, for a barista on £12.50 an hour. The builder works in any currency.
Start from when you trade
Your busiest hours decide who you need, not your opening hours. Put the strongest people on the rush.
Open 07–15 · Middle 10–18 · Close 14–22
Fill the key shifts first
Someone who can open, someone who can cash up and close, and the kitchen lead. Then fill in around them.
Opener + closer + kitchen, every day
Take out the unpaid breaks
Paid time is the shift less any unpaid break. In the EU and UK, anyone working more than six hours is entitled to a 20-minute break; check the rule where you are.
07:00–15:00 − 30 min = 7.5h paid
Check the cost against sales
Hours × rate for each shift, added up for the week, as a share of the sales you expect: your labour %.
7.5h × £12.50 = £93.75
Check the rest, then share it
Most countries set a minimum rest between shifts — 11h in the EU and UK, so a close followed by an open is a problem — and a weekly limit. Then print it or send the image.
Close at 22:00, open at 07:00 = 9h rest
Every week, not just this one. Free in DUMA.
On their phone
Each person sees their week, their next shift and their approved leave on My rota.
Planned against worked
Staff clock in on their phone or at the till, and each shift sits beside the hours actually worked.
Labour next to sales
Labour vs sales shows staff cost as a share of what you actually took, not what you expected.
Questions about rotas
How do I make a staff rota?
List your team, then go day by day: put your key people on the opening, the busiest hours and the close, and fill in around them. Add unpaid breaks, check the hours and cost against the sales you expect, and share it at least a week ahead. This builder does the totals and the checks as you go.
How do I work out staff cost for the week?
For each shift, take the paid hours — the shift less any unpaid break — and multiply by the hourly rate, then add up the week. A 07:00–15:00 shift with a 30-minute break is 7.5h paid; at £12.50 an hour that is £93.75. Employer taxes, pension and holiday pay come on top.
Does the rota builder work outside the UK?
Yes. Choose your currency, whether your week starts on Monday or Sunday, and the working-time limits where you are — or switch the checks off. It starts with the EU and UK limits.
What breaks and rest are staff entitled to?
It depends on the country. In the EU and UK, an adult working more than six hours is entitled to a 20-minute break and 11 hours’ rest between working days, and young workers get more. In the US there is no federal rule on breaks for adults, but several states have their own. Set your limits in the builder’s settings, and check your local rules.
How many hours can someone work in a week?
In the EU and UK, no more than 48 hours a week on average, and in the UK a worker can choose to opt out. In the US there is no federal limit, but most hourly staff are paid overtime after 40 hours. The builder flags anyone over the weekly limit you set.
Can I print the rota or save it as a PDF?
Yes. Print or PDF opens your browser’s print window with just the rota on a landscape page; choose Save as PDF there for a file. Download image saves a PNG you can send to the team group chat.
Is my rota saved? Is it sent anywhere?
It is kept in this browser on this device, so it is still there when you come back. Nothing you type is sent to DUMA. To share it, print it or download the image.
This builder plans one week.DUMA runs every one.
Join DUMA for free: publish the rota to your team’s phones, let them clock in there, and see what the hours cost against what you actually took. No card needed.