Deputy workforce research found that managers waste an average of 8 hours per week on scheduling without a system — one full working day, every week, on a problem a spreadsheet solves permanently. This Payroll gives that day back.

What’s inside this Payroll template

• Role-based colouring — colour-code shifts by position so the rota is readable at a glance
• Cover request log — record swap requests and replacements in a structured format
• Monthly cost summary — total wages for each period calculated from hours and hourly rates
• Compliance checker — flags shifts that violate minimum rest period rules automatically

How to use this Payroll template

1. Get access to the template and save a copy to your Drive.
2. Add your team members and their contracted hours in the employee configuration tab.
3. Build the first week’s rota by assigning shifts to each employee for each day.
4. Share the sheet with your team so everyone can see their schedule in real time.
5. Update the rota at the start of each week and archive the previous week for payroll reference.

Why Google Sheets for Payroll?

For teams of under 50 people, a Google Sheets schedule covers every scheduling need a dedicated rota app would solve — at no cost, with no onboarding, and with complete flexibility to add the columns your specific business requires.

Frequently asked questions

Is this employee schedule template free?

Yes. Enter your email above, receive the link, and make a copy to your Google Drive. Free to use for any team size.

Can staff view their schedule on their phones?

Yes. Share the Google Sheets link with your team and they can view their shifts on any device. For view-only access, share with ‘Viewer’ permission so staff can see but not edit.

How do I handle shift swaps?

The template includes a swap request column. When a team member requests a change, log it in the column with the new arrangement and mark the original shift as covered.