The same work, two ways
An illustrative café opens every day with two 8-hour shifts: an opener from 6 AM to 2 PM and a closer from 1 PM to 9 PM. That's 14 shifts and 112 hours a week, shared by four people. Split into four weekly “lines”, each day has exactly one opener and one closer:
| Line | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | Open | Open | – | – | Close | Close | – | 32 |
| Line 2 | Close | Close | – | – | – | Open | Open | 32 |
| Line 3 | – | – | Open | Open | Open | – | – | 24 |
| Line 4 | – | – | Close | Close | – | – | Close | 24 |
The workbook has both four-week rosters and a blank one for your own pattern. It counts hours and weekend shifts per person and checks that every day has one opener and one closer. We checked the formulas in LibreOffice Calc.
Fixed: same line every week
Ana always works Line 1, Ben Line 2, Cruz Line 3 and Dee Line 4. Everyone knows their days months ahead.
| Person | Every week | Hours per week | Weekend shifts in 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ana | Line 1 | 32 | 4 |
| Ben | Line 2 | 32 | 8 |
| Cruz | Line 3 | 24 | 0 |
| Dee | Line 4 | 24 | 4 |
Rotating: a new line each week
Each person moves to a different line every week, in the order 1, 4, 3, 2, and the cycle repeats every four weeks.
| Person | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Hours per week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ana | Line 1 | Line 4 | Line 3 | Line 2 | 32, 24, 24, 32 |
| Ben | Line 4 | Line 3 | Line 2 | Line 1 | 24, 24, 32, 32 |
| Cruz | Line 3 | Line 2 | Line 1 | Line 4 | 24, 32, 32, 24 |
| Dee | Line 2 | Line 1 | Line 4 | Line 3 | 32, 32, 24, 24 |
Side by side
| Fixed | Rotating | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours per person, 4 weeks | 128, 128, 96, 96 | 112 each |
| Weekly hours | The same every week | Changes between 24 and 32 |
| Weekend shifts per person | 4, 8, 0, 4 | 4 each |
| Shortest rest between shifts | 16 hours | 16 hours |
| Most days worked in a row | 4 | 4 |
| Knowing your days ahead | Easy | Needs the rotation calendar |
- Fixed suits people with classes, childcare or a second job, who need the same days every week.
- Rotating suits a team where weekends or closes are unpopular and everyone can work any line.
- Weekly hours that move between 24 and 32 can matter more to a part-timer than the fairness gain. Ask.
The order of a rotation matters
Rotating through the lines in the obvious order, 1, 2, 3, 4, covers the same hours, but whoever moves from Line 4 to Line 1 closes on Sunday at 9 PM and opens on Monday at 6 AM: nine hours later. The order 1, 4, 3, 2 avoids that, and the shortest rest stays at 16 hours.
Choosing
Start from availability: if most people can only work certain days, fixed shifts follow from it. Collect it first with the availability form. If several people can work any line, try a rotation for four weeks, then ask the team what to keep.