Free roster templates
Download free, editable roster and employee schedule templates for Excel and Google Sheets. Weekly shift schedules, fortnightly and monthly rosters, rotating patterns and staff allocation sheets — designed for Australian small businesses. 100% free, no signup required.
Browse templatesThese roster and schedule templates use Australian date formats and reflect common scheduling practice at the time of publication. They are a general planning aid — always check shift times, breaks and overtime against the relevant modern award and Fair Work rules for your team. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
What are roster templates?
A roster template is a ready-made spreadsheet for planning who works which shifts. Instead of building a schedule from scratch every week, you drop in staff names, shift times and locations, then save or print. Most teams use them in Excel or Google Sheets, and the same file doubles as a free employee schedule template.
This library covers every common scheduling pattern — weekly, fortnightly and monthly rosters, daily shift plans, rotating shift patterns and multi-location scheduling. They suit any shift-based business, from hospitality and retail to healthcare and trades.
When spreadsheets start costing you time, rostering software automates the schedule, checks award rates and shares the roster with staff instantly. You can also build one online for free with our roster maker tool.
Free roster and schedule templates
12 ready-to-edit templates for Excel and Google Sheets — download instantly, no signup
Weekly staff roster
A simple Monday-to-Sunday staff schedule for planning weekly shifts. The everyday roster for most small teams.
Read moreFortnightly staff roster
A two-week schedule aligned with fortnightly pay cycles, so your roster and payroll periods line up cleanly.
Read moreMonthly roster template
Plan staff rosters across an entire month at a glance — ideal for forward planning and spotting coverage gaps early.
Read moreDaily shift roster
An hour-by-hour daily shift schedule for detailed coverage, handovers and busy single-day operations.
Read moreWeekend & part-time roster
A focused schedule for weekend-only or part-time staff, keeping casual coverage simple to plan and share.
Read moreEmployee availability template
Collect and track when staff can work, then use it to build conflict-free rosters everyone agrees to.
Read moreRotating shift roster
Manage fair rotating shift patterns across your team, so early, late and weekend shifts are shared evenly.
Read moreShift swap & coverage roster
Track shift swap requests and coverage changes in one place, so no shift slips through unstaffed.
Read moreCasual pool roster
Manage a pool of casual employees and their availability, then fill open shifts from the people who can work them.
Read moreMulti-location roster
Schedule employees across multiple sites or venues in one view — a practical staff allocation template.
Read moreEvent & peak period roster
A one-off roster for events, busy trading periods and seasonal peaks where you need extra hands on deck.
Read moreBlank roster template
A clean, printable roster you can customise for any business or schedule format — also available as a print-ready PDF.
Read moreWhat should a good roster template include?
The essentials of a clear, usable staff roster
Each template in this library is built around a different scheduling pattern — pick the one that matches how your team actually works.
Who these roster templates are for
Free shift schedule templates designed for shift-based Australian businesses
Explore other free template libraries
Browse the rest of the RosterElf free template collection
All free templates
Browse the full library of free roster, HR, payroll and compliance templates.
View allTime & attendance templates
Timesheets, clock-in records and attendance tracking sheets.
View templatesAward & payroll templates
Pay rate, payslip and award interpretation templates.
View templatesFree HR templates
80+ workplace policy, form and contract templates.
View templatesHelpful rostering guides & resources
Go beyond the spreadsheet with our wider rostering resources.
Roster templates by industry
Scheduling guidance for the Australian industries we serve.
Why a good roster matters
A clear, consistent roster is the backbone of any shift-based business. It makes sure every shift is covered, spreads work fairly across the team, and gives staff the certainty they need to plan their lives — which is one of the biggest drivers of retention.
A well-built roster also keeps a lid on labour cost and supports compliance. Getting shift lengths, breaks and overtime right is far easier when your schedule is laid out clearly. As your team grows, rostering software takes it further — automating award rates, live updates and staff notifications. For the fundamentals, see our guide on how to create a staff roster and the rostering glossary entry.
Ready for smarter rostering?
When spreadsheets stop keeping up, move to automation. RosterElf builds rosters in minutes, applies award rates, tracks attendance and shares schedules with staff — all in one place.
Roster and schedule templates FAQ
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Yes. Every roster template here is completely free to download — no signup, email or payment required. Download instantly and start using it in Excel or Google Sheets.
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Excel ships with a few generic schedule templates, but they are rarely built for Australian shift work. These RosterElf templates are purpose-built for staff rostering — weekly, fortnightly, monthly and rotating patterns — and open directly in Excel or Google Sheets.
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Yes. All templates are .xlsx files that open directly in Microsoft Excel and upload straight into Google Sheets. Just download and open in your preferred spreadsheet app.
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Word isn’t well suited to roster tables, so we don’t offer a Word version. Our blank roster template is available in Excel and as a print-ready PDF, which formats far better. Not sure which format suits you? See our guide to shift schedule template formats.
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Absolutely. Every template is fully editable — add your business name, adjust columns, change colours, enter staff names and set your own shift times to suit your needs.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.