A UK staff rota has to do more than an American schedule. It has to respect the Working Time Regulations, give the right rest breaks, track holiday that accrues as people work, and, since October 2024, sit alongside a fair tips policy. Most rota templates you can download ignore all of that.
Below are two layouts that work for cafes, pubs, restaurants and shops, a worked example with the costs added up, and a checklist of the legal rules to build in. This reflects the rules as of autumn 2026. It is guidance, not legal advice.
Template 1: Weekly rota by person
The simplest layout and the one staff find easiest to read on a phone.
| Name | Role | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hannah | Supervisor | 07:00 to 15:00 | 07:00 to 15:00 | Off | 07:00 to 15:00 | 07:00 to 15:00 | 08:00 to 16:00 | Off | 37.5 |
| Callum | Barista | 07:00 to 13:00 | Off | 07:00 to 15:00 | 07:00 to 15:00 | Off | 08:00 to 16:00 | 09:00 to 15:00 | 34.5 |
| Aisha | Front of house | 11:00 to 17:00 | 11:00 to 17:00 | 11:00 to 17:00 | Off | 11:00 to 17:00 | Off | 09:00 to 15:00 | 30 |
| Ollie (17) | Weekend team | Off | Off | Off | Off | Off | 09:00 to 16:00 | 09:00 to 16:00 | 13 |
Hours are paid hours after a 30-minute unpaid break on every shift longer than 6 hours (longer than 4.5 hours for Ollie, who is 17).
Template 2: Rota by shift and position
Better for pubs and kitchens, where you need to see cover by station at a glance.
| Shift | Position | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open 07:00 to 15:00 | Bar / coffee | Callum | Hannah | Callum | Callum | Hannah | Callum | Callum |
| Mid 11:00 to 17:00 | Floor | Aisha | Aisha | Aisha | Hannah | Aisha | Ollie | Aisha |
| Close 16:00 to 23:30 | Bar | Ben | Ben | Ruth | Ruth | Ben, Ruth | Ben, Ruth | Ben |
| Close 16:00 to 22:00 | Kitchen | Tom | Tom | Jess | Jess | Tom, Jess | Tom, Jess | Jess |
Add a row underneath each block with the number of people needed, and colour it red when cover falls short.
The rules your rota must follow
Working hours
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, workers cannot be made to work more than an average of 48 hours a week, normally averaged over 17 weeks. Adults can sign an opt-out; workers under 18 cannot.
Rest breaks
| Rule | Adults (18+) | Young workers (16 and 17) |
|---|---|---|
| Break during the day | 20 minutes uninterrupted if working more than 6 hours | 30 minutes if working more than 4.5 hours |
| Daily rest | 11 hours between working days | 12 hours |
| Weekly rest | 24 hours a week, or 48 hours a fortnight | 48 hours a week |
| Maximum hours | 48 a week on average (opt-out possible) | 8 a day and 40 a week, no opt-out |
The 11-hour daily rest rule is the one rotas break most often. A close at 23:30 followed by an open at 07:00 gives 7.5 hours. That is a clopen. For an adult it breaks the 11-hour rule unless a specific exception applies, and even then you owe equivalent compensatory rest. For a 17-year-old it is simply not allowed.
Holiday
Full-time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, which is 28 days for someone working five days a week (bank holidays can be included). For irregular-hours and part-year workers, holiday for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024 can be accrued at 12.07% of hours worked each pay period. Your rota should show approved holiday so nobody is scheduled on it, and holiday pay should reflect normal earnings, including regular overtime.
Minimum wage
From April 2026, the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, and £10.85 for workers aged 18 to 20. Check every shift pattern against it, including after unpaid breaks, uniform costs and any deductions.
Tips
The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 requires employers to pass on all tips and service charges to workers fairly, with a written policy and three years of records. We cover how to split a pool in our tip pooling rules guide.
A worked example: what the week costs
Using Template 1 and assuming Hannah earns £13.50, Callum £12.71, Aisha £12.71, and Ollie £8.00 (the under-18 rate from April 2026):
| Name | Hours | Rate | Weekly pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hannah | 37.5 | £13.50 | £506.25 |
| Callum | 34.5 | £12.71 | £438.50 |
| Aisha | 30 | £12.71 | £381.30 |
| Ollie | 13 | £8.00 | £104.00 |
| Total | 115 | £1,430.05 |
Add employer National Insurance (15% on earnings above the secondary threshold of £96 a week from April 2025, or £5,000 a year) and pension contributions for eligible staff, and the loaded cost is roughly £1,580 to £1,640. If the cafe takes £5,300 that week, labour is around 30% of sales, right in the healthy range. Our guide to restaurant labor cost percentage has benchmarks by type of business.
Tips for a rota that works
- Publish two weeks ahead. There is no legal requirement in the UK yet, but the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a right to reasonable notice of shifts, and the regulations behind it are expected from 2027. Building the habit now costs nothing. See predictive scheduling laws for how this works in the US.
- Rotate weekends fairly. One full weekend off in three is a reasonable baseline in hospitality.
- Keep a separate availability sheet and check it before every rota.
- Write down your swap rules so changes go through you, not a group chat.
- Keep records for two years. Working time records must be kept for two years.
FAQ
Is there a legal requirement to give staff a rota in advance in the UK?
Not yet for most workers, but contracts often set a notice period, and new rights to reasonable notice of shifts are coming under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
How many hours between shifts is legal in the UK?
Adults are entitled to 11 consecutive hours of rest between working days. Workers aged 16 and 17 are entitled to 12.
How do I calculate holiday for zero-hours staff?
For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, irregular-hours workers can accrue holiday at 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period.
Build your rota in minutes
Shiftnest knows UK rules: it flags shifts that break the 11-hour rest rule, applies young worker limits automatically, accrues holiday at 12.07% for irregular-hours staff, and exports hours straight to Xero or QuickBooks. Free for up to 10 staff. Start your free rota.
