Making a staff schedule in Excel: when it works and when it doesn't
Updated
Almost every venue starts with a rota in Excel or Google Sheets. It's free and flexible. But as your team grows, the spreadsheet takes more and more of your time. Here's how to get the most out of it — and when to move on.
Setting up a decent spreadsheet rota
- One tab per week, days as columns and shifts as rows.
- A separate staff tab: name, function, contract hours, hourly rate, date of birth.
- Drop-down lists (data validation) so only real names can be entered.
- A per-person total with
COUNTIForSUMIFto check contract hours. - Conditional formatting to highlight empty shifts.
Where spreadsheets fall short
- Availability arrives in chat messages you have to retype.
- Swaps happen outside the file, which falls behind reality.
- Versions multiply: "rota_week42_FINAL_v3.xlsx".
- Rest periods and youth rules are on you to track.
- Spreadsheets are unreadable on a phone, so staff screenshot an outdated copy.
- Hours worked and labour cost are nowhere to be found at month-end.
The real cost of a spreadsheet rota
Spend 3 hours a week on rotas, availability and swaps and that's over 150 hours a year. Even at €25 an hour, that's more than €3,900. Gedekt costs from €10 a month, flat — not per employee.
When to switch
A spreadsheet is fine for 3 to 5 regulars on the same shifts. Once you have more than 8 staff, on-call workers or students, frequent swaps, or you spend more than an hour a week on the rota, an app pays for itself. See how Gedekt works.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change and your collective agreement may contain different terms.