Still, it doesn’t have to be like that. To put your mind at ease and help you prepare effective schedules, we\u2019ll share some actionable tips and templates in this blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/How-to-Make-a-Work-Schedule-cover.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat\u2019s a work schedule?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An employee work schedule shows when employees are scheduled to work and gives additional information about their shifts and work hours. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Also known as a rota or roster, <\/strong>a <\/strong>work schedule helps businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A typical office schedule contains information such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating an employee shift schedule for work is referred to as scheduling. <\/strong>Project, operations, or HR managers, such as yourself, are typically the ones responsible for creating schedules. In fact, here are some of the businesses that require schedules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schedule tasks with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many benefits of creating an employee work schedule. To name a few, a proper work timetable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Create a work schedule<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although work schedules come in various shapes and sizes, we can still pick out 14 main types of work schedules. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A full-time employee work schedule requires employees to work between 35 and 40 hours per week. It\u2019s usually tied to job positions where the amount and type of workload require full-time specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many US states mandate that employees working on full-time schedules receive employee benefits. Most such employees work the same number of days per week and hours per day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, their exact working hours may be: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: An in-house designer scheduled to work 40 hours per week, 8 hours per day, from Monday to Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Need help creating an 8-hour workday schedule? Check out our article on this topic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A part-time working schedule requires employees to work less than the full-time equivalent schedule<\/a> prescribed by the company (e.g., in companies that count 35 hours per week as full-time, anything less counts as part-time). <\/p>\n\n\n\n A part-time schedule is usually tied to job positions where the type of workload permits several part-time employees to carry it out, or the workload doesn\u2019t require full-time employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees with part-time office schedules may not get employee benefits usually associated with full-time work. Such schedules may be: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A restaurant hostess who works 25 hours per week in total during the busy times of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to learn more about part-time and full-time employment, and see the differences between the two, check out our article on this topic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A fixed employee work schedule has a timetable with the same number of working days and hours per week. It may be used for any business that requires employees to work together simultaneously or be available to serve customers\/clients during fixed open hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A fixed schedule may involve full-time or part-time work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A team of HR specialists who are scheduled to work Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A flexible working schedule requires that an employee work a specific number of flex hours<\/a> per day as a minimum requirement (e.g., 6 hours). But the actual hours will depend on the employee\u2019s time of arrival at the workplace, for example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Track work hours with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Such schedules may be full-time or part-time. They may be used for any type of business that doesn\u2019t require employees to work together at the same time or be at service to customers\/clients during fixed open hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A customer support specialist is scheduled to work 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday, from the moment of arrival to the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A floating employee shift schedule involves: <\/p>\n\n\n\n In practice, floating schedules have been in use for some time. In particular countries, like Belgium, there are laws that regulate floating schedules. For instance, according to the Belgian Social Criminal Code<\/a>, it\u2019s mandatory for employers to track all working hours when applying such schedules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A maintenance technician is scheduled to replace a vital part of an ice cream machine after every 20,000 gallons of ice cream are produced, which happens every 2 weeks. While the ice-cream machine maintenance is a fixed assignment that occurs every 2 weeks, the maintenance technician performs other work in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A shift-based schedule is usually implemented in businesses that operate for 10 or more hours per day. If a business operates 24\/7, it typically implements a 3-shift approach \u2014 employees always work or take turns working: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: 3 gas station attendants who take turns working in three 8-hour shifts (7 a.m.\u2013 3 p.m., 3 p.m. \u2013 11 p.m., and 11 p.m. \u2013 7 a.m.) Monday through Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Track shifts with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A seasonal employee shift schedule is always limited to a specific season or time period (e.g., the winter holiday season in November and December).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This schedule can be: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: 2 Santa Clauses scheduled to work in a shopping mall throughout November and December in 2 shifts (Shift 1:<\/strong> 8 a.m. \u2013 2 p.m. and Shift 2:<\/strong> 2 p.m. \u2013 8 p.m.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Certain industries require varying amounts of work during specific seasons. For many, this is a great opportunity to get additional work. Learn more about seasonal work in our guide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n An overtime office schedule involves working more than the standard 40 hours per week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the day or length of overtime, as well as the US state where the worker is employed, overtime is paid either 1.5 or double the regular employee rate<\/a>. However, only employees not exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)<\/a> are entitled to overtime pay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A waiter scheduled to work 45 hours in one week \u2014 the 5 extra hours scheduled are considered overtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you need assistance with calculating overtime work hours? Our free overtime calculator can help you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A compressed employee shift schedule involves working the traditional 35-40 hours per week, but in fewer days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, employees can be scheduled to work 4 days a week, 10 hours a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A window washer scheduled to work 40 hours per week, 10 hours per day (7 a.m. \u2013 5 p.m.) Monday through Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A rotating schedule is usually tied to shift-based work. Employees are assigned rotating shifts<\/a> based on a predefined pattern, usually on a weekly or daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A doctor working in the ER is scheduled to work 12-hour day shifts on Mondays and Saturdays and 12-hour night shifts<\/a> on Tuesdays and Sundays. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A split working schedule involves parsing a workday into 3 distinct points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A taxi driver scheduled to work from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. takes a break from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then resumes work from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An on-call work timetable involves employees being available during specific times of day, or days in general, when they may (or may not) be called in to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: A firefighter scheduled to work on-call must be within a 5-minute vicinity of the fire station on the scheduled days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 9\/80 work schedule<\/a> is a variation of a compressed schedule, as it includes 80 work hours spread over 9 days rather than the usual 10 days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With this working schedule, employees have an extra day off every second week in addition to the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the first week, employees work 9 hours on Monday through Thursday and 8 hours on Friday, totaling 44 work hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second week, they work 9 hours on Monday through Thursday and have a day off on Friday, totaling 36 hours. In total, that\u2019s 44 work hours in the first week and 36 hours in the second week (44+36=80). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees can choose when to have a day off during the second week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: Clif Bar<\/a> is a company that offers this type of schedule. They believe that it fosters a healthy, stress-free work environment, allowing employees to do things they enjoy and spend time with their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 4\/10 work timetable means that employees work 10 hours per day for 4 working days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since a 4\/10 work schedule is considered a compressed schedule, after finishing a 10-hour shift 4 days in a row, employees usually have an extra day off (on top of the traditional 2) they can use to recover and rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: The 4\/10 work schedule can be used in many industries. For instance, a web developer can work for 10 hours a day, Monday through Thursday, and have a day off on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to learn more about a 4-day work week, check out our article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what is the best work schedule? There\u2019s no right or wrong answer, because it all depends on your preferences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter the schedule you choose for your business, keep in mind that you can customize it to your and your company\u2019s needs. For example, if you don\u2019t always have the same workload, consider employing both full-time and part-time workers to ensure proper task distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Assign tasks with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a proper employee work schedule requires careful preparation \u2014 at least if you want to avoid making additional changes and disrupting your team\u2019s productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why we\u2019ve carefully outlined each step you need to take to create a perfect work schedule for your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step in creating efficient office schedules is to know your team<\/strong>. Make a list that includes their:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With such a list, you\u2019ll be able to pick the ideal teammates for each shift\/task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: Tasking the extroverted full-stack developer, who tends to come in later and finish work later, with the 5 p.m. daily call with a client who\u2019s just starting their workday due to the time zone difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next step is to analyze your workload and the resources available to handle it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For this purpose, you can use an employee time clock app<\/a> to define your projects and assign tasks to each team member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you\u2019ll need to create projects for your team. For each project, you can set its estimated time and\/or budget. <\/p>\n\n\n For instance, if you set a time estimate of 200 hours for a project, you\u2019ll need to organize and delegate tasks that will last up to 200 hours. If you have 10 team members, this means you can delegate 20 hours of the project to each team member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Time tracking software used by millions. Clockify by CAKE.com is a time tracker and timesheet app that lets you track work hours across projects.<\/p>\n\n Once all the tasks are distributed, your team members can record their hours in 3 ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you opt for a time kiosk, your employees can log in using their PIN code on a shared device at the beginning of their shift and clock out at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n Moreover, the time kiosk<\/a> also allows you to see statuses such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the time entered can later be viewed in weekly reports that can assist you in creating even better schedules in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your employees log billable hours<\/a>, you can also use Clockify data for payroll<\/a> \u2014 since the tracker will automatically calculate how much you need to pay employees based on their tracked time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn more about how best to set up and carry out a clock-in clock-out system, check out our detailed blog post about it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although there\u2019s still much to be done to ensure employees can maintain a healthy work-life balance, Predictive Scheduling Laws<\/a> are one step further in protecting employees from overworking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These laws mandate certain scheduling practices to be followed, such as an advance notice of the office schedule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In case the employee wasn\u2019t timely notified about their upcoming schedule, they receive a guaranteed predictability payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the US, only Oregon has enacted this law statewide, while states like California and New York have enacted Predictive Scheduling Laws in particular cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need help creating your scheduling policy, you can follow the 10 scheduling rules<\/a> prescribed by these laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schedule fairly with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you shudder just thinking about shift swapping and last-minute schedule changes? Handling changes in schedules can be overwhelming for most project managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To manage scheduling effectively, you\u2019ll need to establish a well-organized communication system, which can involve business messaging apps<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensure that you always communicate any changes related to the employee\u2019s work schedule and give everyone a chance to reach out to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To establish an efficient communication system, don\u2019t forget to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us worry about your scheduling needs. With our Productivity Bundle, you\u2019ll optimize your communication and work schedule management.<\/p>\n\n In line with Predictive Scheduling Laws, employers must post new work schedules between 7 and 14 days before the first scheduled shift. However, apart from Oregon, these laws are mainly enacted in certain cities because they fall under local ordinances<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Federal employment laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, allow employers to change schedules without prior notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, when you inform your team members about their schedules days in advance, you should leave enough time in case someone: <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re using Clockify for scheduling<\/a>, you can easily notify team members about their work hours and any potential changes in the work schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n Try Clockify by CAKE.com today<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Posting an employee work schedule in advance reduces the likelihood of employees being unaware of their shifts and assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When scheduling, make sure you don\u2019t:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Overworking often brings more harm than good, but it can sometimes go unnoticed. Find out why recognizing this issue should be your top priority:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If certain employees prefer to work on certain hours or days, accommodate them if possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, when an employee asks for time off, try to agree to their request whenever possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, you should always implement a clear system for employees asking for preferred schedules<\/strong> and time off. This way, you\u2019ll make the request approvals\/denials transparent, making it clear there\u2019s no favoritism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you and your team are using Clockify by CAKE.com<\/a> to track work hours and plan tasks in advance, you can set a time off policy and approve your team\u2019s time off requests on the spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Why is work scheduling important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What are the types of work schedules?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. A full-time schedule \/ 40-hour work schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. A part-time schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. A fixed schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. A flexible schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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5. A floating schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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6. A shift-based schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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7. A seasonal schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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8. An overtime schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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9. A compressed schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10. A rotating schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
11. A split schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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12. An on-call schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
13. 9\/80 work schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
14. 4\/10 work schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How best to create work schedules?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/How-best-to-create-work-schedules.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n#1: Make the time to understand your team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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#2: Make the time to analyze the workload<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Setting](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Setting-a-time-estimate-in-Clockify-helps-you-organize-your-workload-1.jpg\")
![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/clockify\/landing-1@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n#3: Track employee clock-in and clock-out times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Using](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Using-a-PIN-code-employees-can-track-their-shifts-and-ensure-visibility-1.png\")
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![\"Time](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Time-kiosk-shows-you-statuses-to-see-whos-available-at-every-moment-1.png\")
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#4: Follow a set of rules to schedule employees fairly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#5: Establish an efficient team communication system<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/clockify\/bundle@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n#6: Post the work schedule at least 7 days in advance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Clockify](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Clockify-allows-you-to-easily-create-assignments-1.jpg\")
#7: Avoid common scheduling errors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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#8: Honor work preferences and requests for time off as much as you can<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Time](\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Time-off-requests-in-Clockify-ensure-transparency-within-the-team-1.png\")