A well-made roster determines whether a business runs smoothly or sinks into constant chaos. Anyone still cobbling shifts together in Excel or sending them via WhatsApp knows the problem: outdated versions, last-minute cancellations and employees who never know for certain when they are scheduled. In this article we show you how to create a shift schedule that truly works – step by step, with the legal rules in mind and without mountains of paperwork.
Why good shift planning decides between success and chaos
In industries with changing deployments – cleaning, security, care, hospitality or construction – organisation stands or falls with the roster. If it is unclear or out of date, unstaffed shifts, double bookings and frustrated employees are the result. A well-thought-out shift schedule ensures that the right people are in the right place at the right time – and that your team always has the plan to hand.
The most common problems with shift scheduling
Before we get to the solution, it is worth taking an honest look at the typical stumbling blocks:
- ❌ Outdated Excel spreadsheets: Nobody knows which version is currently valid.
- ❌ Changes via chat: Last-minute adjustments disappear in WhatsApp groups.
- ❌ Double bookings & gaps: Errors only come to light when it is too late.
- ❌ Constant queries: Employees call in because they do not know their schedule.
- ❌ No overview: Who is available, who is sick, who is on holiday?
- ❌ No comparison with reality: The planned shift and the hours actually worked do not match up.
Paper, Excel or digital shift scheduling? The comparison
| Criterion | Paper / WhatsApp | Excel | Digital shift scheduling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Always up to date | ❌ No | ❌ Version chaos | ✅ Yes, in real time |
| Visible to the team | Only those in the chat | Only at the PC | ✅ Any time in the app |
| Communicating changes | Manual | Manual | ✅ Automatic notification |
| Detecting gaps & double bookings | ❌ Difficult | Partially | ✅ Immediately visible |
| Comparison with working hours | ❌ No | ❌ Manual | ✅ Target/actual automatic |
| Effort per week | High | Medium | ✅ Low |
Creating a shift schedule: step by step
Here is how to proceed when you want to create a shift schedule properly:
- Determine requirements: How many employees do you need per shift, location and day? Take peak times and seasonal fluctuations into account.
- Record availabilities: Who is available when? Holidays, sick leave and preferences all feed into this.
- Consider qualifications: Some shifts require specific authorisations or experience.
- Assign shifts: Schedule employees – ideally in a way that ensures rest periods and maximum working hours are observed.
- Publish the schedule: The team receives the roster immediately and transparently.
- Record working hours: Compare the planned shift with the hours actually worked using time tracking.
Shift scheduling and the recording obligation: what the law requires
A roster alone is not sufficient from a legal standpoint. Following the 2019 ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU (C-55/18), employers in the EU are expected to record the hours each employee actually works with an objective, reliable and accessible system – regardless of the place of deployment; the details depend on national law. The planned shift schedule therefore does not replace actual time tracking.
Important: If a business cannot produce proper records during an inspection by the authorities, fines may be imposed. Under EU law, employees are also entitled to a break when the working day exceeds six hours (its length is set nationally) and to at least 11 consecutive hours of daily rest – this too should be taken into account in your planning.
The decisive advantage: shift scheduling and time tracking in one system
Pure roster tools only plan. Shift scheduling only delivers its true added value when it is connected to time tracking. In Jobilino, this is the job of Staff Scheduling: your employees record their working hours via app, NFC or terminal – and you can see at a glance whether the planned shift matches the hours actually worked.
This target/actual comparison saves you the tedious task of gathering data from multiple sources, creates a clean basis for payroll and makes discrepancies immediately visible. Our shift scheduling page shows you exactly how this works in detail.
What to look for in shift scheduling software
- ✅ Mobile app: Employees see their shifts directly on their smartphone.
- ✅ Automatic notifications: Changes reach the team instantly.
- ✅ Connection to time tracking: Target and actual hours in one system.
- ✅ Shift swaps with approval: Flexible, but under management control.
- ✅ Multilingual support: Important for internationally composed teams.
- ✅ GDPR compliance: Data encrypted and stored on servers in the EU.
- ✅ Quick setup: Ready to go quickly, with no complicated configuration.
Conclusion: shift scheduling does not have to be stressful
Anyone who continues to manage shifts in Excel and WhatsApp is wasting time and risking gaps in the schedule. Digital shift scheduling ensures clear communication, fewer queries and a clean basis for payroll – especially when it is directly linked to time tracking. That way you not only plan, but also know exactly at the end who actually worked when.