Free monthly roster template (Excel)
Plan staff schedules across an entire month in one view. Uses simple shift codes (M/A/N/OFF) to show patterns at a glance — perfect for businesses that roster well in advance.
Monthly roster template
Excel format (.xlsx) • Ready to download
No signup required. Works with Excel and Google Sheets.
This monthly roster template is a general planning tool only. It does not calculate wages, penalties, overtime or award entitlements. For pay-aware scheduling and compliance support, use dedicated rostering software and check your obligations with Fair Work. 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's in this template
A full-month planning view
Employee name
One row per staff member down column A — add or remove rows as your team changes.
Dates 1–31
A column for every day of the month so you can see the whole roster at a glance.
Shift codes
Simple codes — M (morning), A (afternoon), N (night), OFF — to show patterns instantly.
Notes column
Capture annual leave, training days or special events alongside each person’s month.
Monthly hours tally
A formula column totals each person’s scheduled days so you can balance the month.
Colour-coded view
Conditional formatting highlights days off and shift types so coverage gaps stand out.
How the monthly view works
Each row represents an employee, with a column for every day of the month. Use shift codes to indicate morning (M), afternoon (A) or night (N) shifts, and OFF for days off. This high-level view helps you spot coverage gaps and plan leave around busy periods.
| Employee | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ... | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Jones | M | M | OFF | OFF | M | ... | AL 15–19 |
| James Smith | A | A | A | OFF | N | ... |
How to create a monthly roster in Excel
Four steps to build one from scratch
1. Lay out the dates
Put the start date in cell B1, then in B3 use =SEQUENCE(1, EOMONTH(B1,0)-B1+1, B1, 1) to auto-fill every day of the month. Custom-format the cells as "d" or "ddd".
2. Add your staff
List employee names down column A from A4. Freeze the top row and first column (View → Freeze Panes) so headers stay visible as you scroll across 31 days.
3. Create shift dropdowns
Add Data Validation dropdowns (Data → Data Validation → List) so you can assign M, A, N or OFF to any day with a click instead of retyping codes.
4. Highlight days off
Use Conditional Formatting to colour OFF days, night shifts or leave so the full-month pattern is readable at a glance before you publish it.
Prefer to skip the setup? The free template above already has the dates, dropdowns and colour-coding built in. For more on laying out a reusable grid, read our guide to designing roster templates.
How to use this template
Download and go in four quick steps
Download
Grab the Excel file — no signup, opens in Excel or Google Sheets.
Add your staff
Replace the sample names with one row per employee.
Fill the shift codes
Mark M, A, N or OFF against each day for the whole month.
Share or print
Post it for the team or export to PDF for the noticeboard.
Who uses this template
Ideal for advance planning
Planning ahead
Map out schedules weeks in advance and book leave around busy periods.
Salaried staff
Ideal for consistent monthly schedules with stable shift patterns.
Multiple teams
See coverage across departments and sites for the whole month.
Rostering across more than one site? See our guide to managing multi-site rosters and our tips on multi-location rostering.
When Excel stops keeping up
A monthly spreadsheet works for advance planning, but once you're tracking changes, juggling leave requests and keeping everyone updated, version control becomes a full-time job. RosterElf's drag-and-drop rostering builds the month for you, factors in availability, and shares it straight to your team's phones.
Rostering guides
Plan smarter shifts with these how-to guides
How to create a staff roster
A step-by-step guide to building a roster that balances coverage, cost and fairness.
Read the guideDesign roster templates that work
Lay out a reusable monthly roster template so planning takes minutes, not hours.
Read the guideRoster around public holidays
Plan coverage and entitlements around public holidays in your monthly schedule.
Read the guideMonthly roster template FAQ
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Set up a grid with employee names down column A and a column for every day of the month across the top. Put your start date in cell B1, then use =SEQUENCE(1, EOMONTH(B1,0)-B1+1, B1, 1) in B3 to generate every date automatically. Add Data Validation dropdowns for shift codes and Conditional Formatting to highlight days off. Our free template comes pre-built with this layout — or follow the step-by-step section above. For a deeper walkthrough see our guide on how to create a staff roster.
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Excel ships with a few generic schedule templates, but they are built for US workweeks and rarely suit Australian shift patterns or month lengths. This free monthly roster is purpose-built to show a full month at a glance and works in both Excel and Google Sheets. You can also compare free shift schedule template formats to pick the right one.
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The SEQUENCE + EOMONTH formula above automatically returns the correct number of days for the month you set in B1. If you are filling the grid by hand, simply leave the extra date columns blank or delete them for that month — the template is fully editable.
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No — this is a planning template only. It shows shift patterns across the month but does not calculate hours, pay rates, penalties or award entitlements. For automated, pay-aware calculations use rostering software instead of a spreadsheet.
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.