What a rota has to do
Cover busy services. Keep wage cost in line. Follow hours and rest law. Feel fair to the team. Most rotas manage two of the four — the template aims for all of them. Comparing apps instead? Read the rota software buyer's guide.
02The template
Example week — kitchen closed Mondays, seven staff. Hours are paid hours, excluding unpaid breaks.
| Role | Hours/week |
|---|---|
| Head chef | 44 |
| Sous chef | 43 |
| CDP (sauce) | 42 |
| CDP (larder) | 42 |
| Commis | 42 |
| KP 1 | 40 |
| KP 2 (part-time) | 33 |
| Total | 286 |
- E (Early) — 09:00–17:30, 30-min unpaid break, 8 paid hours.
- S (Split) — 10:30–15:00 and 17:30–22:00, 9 paid hours.
- L (Late) — 14:30–23:00, 30-min unpaid break, 8 paid hours.
- H — booked holiday · OFF — day off.
Spreadsheet setup: one row per person, one column per day, a formula summing paid hours per code, and a bottom row counting staff per day (Mon 0 · Tue 5 · Wed 5 · Thu 4 · Fri 7 · Sat 7 · Sun 6).
03Build it, step by step
- Start from covers and bookings, not names.
- Enter fixed items first: holiday, regular days off, restricted hours, under-18s.
- Cover the peaks — Friday and Saturday dinner, big Sunday lunch — with your strongest team.
- Make sure each section has someone who can run it.
- Fill quieter services, then check hours against contracts.
- Check rest gaps and wage cost against forecast sales.
- Publish at a fixed time each week — ideally two weeks ahead.
The UK rules
For workers 18 and over (per GOV.UK guidance): 11 hours' rest in a row between working days; a 20-minute break on shifts over 6 hours; 24 hours' uninterrupted rest a week (or 48 a fortnight); max 48 hours a week averaged over 17 weeks unless opted out in writing. Under-18s: 12 hours between days, 48 hours weekly rest, a 30-minute break over 4.5 hours, normally max 8 hours a day / 40 a week. Most workers get 5.6 weeks' paid holiday — put booked leave on the rota.
A Late finishing 23:00 followed by an Early at 09:00 gives only 10 hours' rest — below the 11-hour minimum. A Split starting 10:30 after a Late gives 11.5. Work from actual finish times when lates run long.
Fairness and wage cost
- Share splits and lates — no one gets every Saturday unless they asked.
- Keep days off consistent, paired where possible.
- Holiday requests in writing, first come first served, with a clear cut-off.
- Never use the rota as punishment.
- Watch part-timers drifting into full-time hours unnoticed.
Wage cost % = (total rota hours × average hourly cost ÷ forecast sales ex-VAT) × 100. Include employer's NI, pension and holiday pay. Example: 286 hours at £15 all-in = £4,290; against £28,000 forecast sales that's ~15.3%.
How Chef's Intelligence drafts it
Give the People & Training zone your staff list, contracted hours, unavailable days, booked holiday and expected busyness per service:
You get a draft in the template format with hours per person and a wage figure — then change it in plain language: swap two staff, model losing a chef. The zone also writes first-week training plans and trial-shift score sheets. It doesn't replace conversations with your team about their hours.
07Questions
How many hours' rest between shifts?
11 for adults, 12 for under-18s.
Are split shifts legal?
Yes — provided rest breaks, daily rest and weekly rest are still given, and contracts explain the pay.
How far ahead should I publish?
On a consistent schedule, as early as possible. Two weeks is a good target.
Zone 03
People & Training · 7 skills · £29/mo
Rotas, onboarding, training plans and reviews. Full Suite £89/month.