PeopleMuster

Weekly work schedule template

A weekly work schedule tells each person which shift they work on which day, a week ahead. Every name gets a row, every day a column, and each cell holds one shift code. Your team reads its week in ten seconds, and you spot a thin Tuesday before it arrives.

Use it when shifts move from week to week, or when two or more shifts run on the same day. A team on the same hours every day is better served by one standing shift assignment per person. Once the week is over, the weekly timesheet records what actually happened against this plan.

WEEKLY WORK SCHEDULE
Team or site: [TEAM OR SITE NAME]
Week starting: [MONDAY DATE]
Prepared by: [SCHEDULER NAME]
Published on: [DATE SHARED WITH THE TEAM]

SHIFT KEY
Code | Shift name | Start | End | Unpaid break (min) | Paid hours
[CODE] | [SHIFT NAME] | [START TIME] | [END TIME] | [BREAK MINUTES] | [PAID HOURS]
[CODE] | [SHIFT NAME] | [START TIME] | [END TIME] | [BREAK MINUTES] | [PAID HOURS]
[CODE] | [SHIFT NAME] | [START TIME] | [END TIME] | [BREAK MINUTES] | [PAID HOURS]
OFF | Day off | - | - | - | 0

THE WEEK
Name | Role | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Weekly hours
[EMPLOYEE NAME] | [ROLE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | OFF | OFF | [WEEKLY TOTAL]
[EMPLOYEE NAME] | [ROLE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | OFF | OFF | [WEEKLY TOTAL]
[EMPLOYEE NAME] | [ROLE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | OFF | [CODE] | OFF | [WEEKLY TOTAL]
[EMPLOYEE NAME] | [ROLE] | OFF | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | OFF | [WEEKLY TOTAL]
[EMPLOYEE NAME] | [ROLE] | [CODE] | OFF | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | OFF | [WEEKLY TOTAL]
[EMPLOYEE NAME] | [ROLE] | [CODE] | [CODE] | OFF | [CODE] | [CODE] | OFF | [CODE] | [WEEKLY TOTAL]
People on shift | | [HEADCOUNT] | [HEADCOUNT] | [HEADCOUNT] | [HEADCOUNT] | [HEADCOUNT] | [HEADCOUNT] | [HEADCOUNT] |

CHANGES AFTER PUBLISHING
Date changed | Person | Day | Was | Now | Agreed by
[DATE] | [EMPLOYEE NAME] | [DAY] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [MANAGER NAME]
[DATE] | [EMPLOYEE NAME] | [DAY] | [CODE] | [CODE] | [MANAGER NAME]

What to put in each blank

[MONDAY DATE]
Write the first day of the week as a full date. A schedule without a date gets pinned up a second week by mistake.
[CODE]
Use one or two letters per shift, such as M for morning. Keep the same codes every week so nobody relearns them.
[START TIME]
Write it on a 24-hour clock, like 10:00 or 21:00. That removes every am and pm argument.
[PAID HOURS]
Take the unpaid break off the time between start and end. A 10:00 to 19:00 shift with a 60-minute unpaid break pays 8 hours.
[WEEKLY TOTAL]
Add the paid hours of each code in the row. Days marked OFF count as zero.
[HEADCOUNT]
Count the people working that day. The bottom row is where a short day shows up before it happens.
[DATE SHARED WITH THE TEAM]
Record the day you sent it. When someone says they never saw the change, this line settles it.

Before you send it

  • Publish on the same weekday every week. People plan childcare, travel and study around it, and a late schedule turns into last-minute swaps.
  • Keep the shift key on the same page as the grid. A code without its times gets read three different ways.
  • Total the weekly hours before you publish. A row far above or below the rest is usually a typing slip, and it's cheaper to catch now.
  • Mark days off as OFF instead of leaving the cell empty. An empty cell looks like a gap you forgot to fill.
  • Write every change into the last block with the name of whoever agreed it. Read beside the attendance record, that block explains most early and late punches.

PeopleMuster keeps each named shift with its time window, such as Morning 10:00 to 19:00, and assigns it per person from a start date, with the full assignment history kept beside it.

Questions people ask about this letter

How far ahead should a weekly work schedule be published?

One to two weeks ahead is the usual lead time. Pick one and keep it every week, so your team knows when to look. Some contracts and some local rules set a minimum notice period, so check the one that applies to you.

What is the difference between a work schedule and a timesheet?

A schedule is the plan, written before the week starts. A timesheet is the record, written as the week happens. Keep both: the gap between them is where late starts, extra hours and missing cover show up.

Should breaks appear on the weekly schedule?

Put them in the shift key once, as unpaid minutes per shift. Every cell then carries its paid hours through the code, and the weekly total adds up without extra columns.

How many shift codes does a weekly schedule need?

Most teams manage with two to four, plus OFF. Past six codes the key stops fitting in anyone's head, and people start reading their times off the wrong row.

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