How to roster healthcare staff
Create compliant rosters for healthcare workers under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award (MA000027) and Nurses Award (MA000034).
Written by
Georgia Morgan
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General information only – not legal advice
This guide provides general information about rostering healthcare staff under Australian awards. 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.
Healthcare rostering in Australia
Rostering healthcare staff in Australia requires balancing patient safety, workforce compliance, and operational efficiency. This guide applies basic rostering guide principles to healthcare-specific requirements. Unlike other industries, healthcare rostering must ensure adequate skill mix, manage fatigue risks, and comply with strict award requirements under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award and Nurses Award.
Healthcare facilities operate 24/7 with varying patient acuity, requiring careful planning of shift patterns, breaks, and skill mix. Registered nurses must have adequate rest between shifts to prevent errors, while support staff need compliant meal breaks and penalty rates for shift work, weekends, and public holidays.
Industry reality: Healthcare employers face persistent workforce shortages, complex award requirements, and the need to balance care quality with labour costs. Poor rostering leads to staff burnout, increased sick leave, and reduced patient safety outcomes.
This guide provides a step-by-step approach to creating compliant healthcare rosters that meet award requirements, support staff wellbeing, and maintain quality patient care. Learn more about healthcare workforce management.
HPSS award vs nurses award comparison
Key differences between the two main healthcare awards affecting rostering requirements.
| Aspect | HPSS Award (MA000027) | Nurses Award (MA000034) |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Allied health professionals, support services, admin | Registered nurses, enrolled nurses, AINs |
| Ordinary hours | 38 per week or 76 per fortnight | 38 per week, 76 per fortnight, or 152 per 28 days |
| Maximum shift | 10 hours (day workers) | 10 hours (12 hours by agreement) |
| Roster notice | 2 weeks before roster period | 7 days before roster period |
| Change notice | 7 days (except emergencies) | 7 days (with limited exceptions) |
| Minimum break between shifts | 8 hours | 10 hours (8 hours by agreement) |
6 steps to compliant healthcare rostering
Follow these steps to create compliant and effective healthcare rosters.
Identify applicable awards and agreements
Determine which industrial instrument covers your healthcare workers—HPSS Award, Nurses Award, or enterprise agreement.
Key considerations:
- HPSS Award (MA000027): Allied health, medical receptionists, support staff
- Nurses Award (MA000034): Registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nurse practitioners
- Medical Practitioners Award: Doctors and medical officers
- Many healthcare organisations have enterprise agreements with additional provisions
Set up fortnightly roster cycles
Create rosters using the standard fortnightly period required under healthcare awards.
Key considerations:
- Display ordinary hours on a fortnightly roster
- Post roster at least 2 weeks before the roster period (HPSS)
- 7 days notice for roster posting (Nurses Award)
- Any roster changes require 7 days notice except emergencies
Structure shifts within award limits
Design shifts that comply with maximum hours, break requirements, and shift duration rules.
Key considerations:
- 38 ordinary hours per week (or 76 per fortnight)
- Maximum 10-hour shifts (excluding breaks) under Nurses Award
- 12-hour shifts available with agreement for nurses
- Minimum 8-hour break between shifts (10 hours for nurses)
Plan meal and rest breaks
Schedule mandatory breaks to ensure staff can rest during long healthcare shifts.
Key considerations:
- 30-60 minute unpaid meal break after 5 hours work
- 10-minute paid tea break for every 4 hours worked
- Tea breaks can be combined into 20 minutes by agreement
- Nurses: 10-minute breaks each half of shift, 30-60 min meal break
Apply correct shift loadings and penalties
Calculate penalty rates for shift work, weekends, and public holidays.
Key considerations:
- Afternoon shift (HPSS): 12.5% loading
- Night shift (HPSS): 15% loading
- Saturday: 150% for full/part-time, 175% casual
- Sunday: 175% full/part-time, 200% casual
Build in adequate staffing for patient safety
Ensure each shift has appropriate skill mix and coverage for safe patient care.
Key considerations:
- Match staffing levels to patient acuity
- Ensure adequate RN coverage for medication rounds
- Plan for handover periods between shifts
- Build contingency for unexpected absences
Healthcare penalty rates 2026
Current penalty rates under the HPSS Award and Nurses Award.
| Shift Type | HPSS Award | Nurses Award |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon shift loading | 12.5% | 15% |
| Night shift loading | 15% | 15% |
| Saturday (FT/PT) | 150% | 150% |
| Saturday (Casual) | 175% | 175% |
| Sunday (FT/PT) | 175% | 175% |
| Sunday (Casual) | 200% | 200% |
| Public holiday (FT/PT) | 250% | 250% |
Rates effective from 1 July 2025. Casual employees receive base casual loading plus applicable penalties. Use our penalty rate calculator for accurate cost planning.
Common healthcare shift patterns
Standard shift structures for healthcare facilities in Australia.
Day shift
Typical hours: 7am - 3:30pm
Nil (ordinary hours)
Afternoon shift
Typical hours: 3pm - 11:30pm
12.5-15% loading
Night shift
Typical hours: 11pm - 7:30am
15% loading
Rotating shift
Typical hours: Varies by roster
Applicable loading per shift
Common healthcare rostering mistakes
Avoid these costly errors that lead to compliance issues and staff burnout.
Insufficient break between shifts
Consequence: Fatigued staff, safety risks, penalty payments for inadequate breaks
Solution: Ensure minimum 8-10 hour gaps between shifts depending on award
Changing rosters without proper notice
Consequence: Overtime payments, staff grievances, potential disputes
Solution: Provide 7 days notice for changes unless genuine emergency
Not posting rosters in advance
Consequence: Non-compliance with award requirements, staff unable to plan
Solution: Post rosters 2 weeks (HPSS) or 7 days (Nurses) before period starts
Ignoring consecutive day limits
Consequence: Fatigue-related incidents, reduced care quality
Solution: Limit consecutive shifts and ensure adequate rest days
Fatigue management in healthcare
Protect staff wellbeing and patient safety through evidence-based fatigue management practices.
The Victorian Rostering Toolkit recommends limiting weekly work hours to 48 hours or less to prevent errors and promote sleep. Research shows that fatigue significantly increases clinical error rates and reduces patient safety outcomes.
Evidence-based fatigue management practices:
- Minimise consecutive night shifts: Limit to 3-4 maximum before rest days
- Adequate breaks between shifts: Minimum 10 hours for nurses (ANMF recommendation), 8 hours for HPSS staff
- Flexible shift lengths: Consider 6-10 hour shifts based on role intensity and individual needs
- Avoid quick turnarounds: Never schedule afternoon shift followed by morning shift (less than 10 hours rest)
- Forward rotation preferred: Day → afternoon → night rotation is easier to adapt to than backward rotation
Advanced healthcare rostering strategies
Strategies for complex healthcare rostering scenarios and workforce optimization.
Multi-site healthcare rostering
Healthcare providers operating multiple facilities need visibility across sites and the ability to deploy staff flexibly while maintaining skill mix requirements at each location.
- Central staffing pools: Maintain float pools of RNs and experienced staff who can cover across multiple facilities
- Site-specific compliance: Track award requirements and skill mix separately for each location
- Travel time allowances: Factor in travel time and mileage for staff working multiple sites in one day
Learn more: How to manage multi-site rosters
Managing patient acuity fluctuations
Patient care needs vary based on admissions, discharges, and acuity changes. Build flexibility into rosters to accommodate demand surges without excessive overtime costs.
- Flex staff positions: Schedule some staff with variable hours who can extend shifts during high acuity periods
- On-call arrangements: Maintain on-call rosters for RNs during nights and weekends when acuity spikes are common
- Agency partnerships: Establish relationships with quality nursing agencies for emergency cover while maintaining permanent staff core
Optimizing skill mix for patient outcomes
Research shows that higher RN-to-patient ratios improve patient outcomes. Balance skill mix based on ward type, patient acuity, and procedural requirements.
Recommended skill mix by shift (general medical ward):
- Day shift (AM): 40% RN, 30% EN, 30% AIN/HCA
- Afternoon shift (PM): 35% RN, 35% EN, 30% AIN/HCA
- Night shift: 30% RN, 40% EN, 30% AIN/HCA
Note: Intensive care, surgical, and emergency departments require higher RN ratios (60-80%).
Free healthcare rostering calculators
Essential calculators to help you manage healthcare staff costs, compliance, and shift planning.
Shift cost calculator
FEATUREDCalculate healthcare shift costs including penalty rates, shift loadings, and allowances for accurate budget planning.
Break compliance checker
Ensure meal breaks and rest periods comply with HPSS and Nurses Award requirements.
Penalty rate calculator
Calculate weekend, night shift, and public holiday penalty rates for healthcare staff.
Labour cost percentage
Track labour costs as percentage of revenue to maintain healthcare facility profitability.
Payroll cost calculator
Calculate total staff costs including super, penalty rates, shift loadings, and leave entitlements.
Roster cost forecast
Project labour costs for upcoming roster periods and high-acuity patient care needs.
View all 16 free rostering and payroll calculators including award misclassification, underpayment risk, and backpay exposure estimators.
Healthcare rostering software
How specialized rostering software simplifies healthcare workforce management and compliance.
Automatic award compliance
Built-in award interpretation applies HPSS and Nurses Award rules automatically—minimum breaks, shift limits, penalty rates, and roster posting requirements.
Skill mix management
Tag staff by qualification (RN, EN, AIN, HCA) and see coverage at a glance. Roster warnings flag gaps in nursing coverage before shifts start, preventing patient safety issues.
Live labour cost tracking
See real-time wage costs including all penalty rates, shift loadings, and allowances as you build rosters. Compare actual vs budget and adjust before publishing.
Qualification tracking
Track AHPRA registration, mandatory training, first aid, and specialty certifications with expiry reminders. Prevent rostering staff without current credentials.
Trusted by Australian healthcare providers
RosterElf helps hospitals, medical centres, aged care facilities, and allied health clinics manage complex healthcare rosters with built-in award compliance. Join 30,000+ Australian businesses rostering smarter.
Frequently asked questions
- Healthcare workers are covered by different awards depending on their role. The Health Professionals and Support Services Award (MA000027) covers allied health professionals, medical receptionists, and support staff. The Nurses Award (MA000034) covers registered nurses, enrolled nurses, and assistants in nursing. Medical practitioners have their own award. Many hospitals and healthcare organisations also have enterprise agreements that modify or add to award conditions.
- Under the HPSS Award, rosters must be displayed at least 2 weeks before the start of the roster period. Under the Nurses Award, rosters must be posted at least 7 days before the roster period starts. Rosters should be displayed in an easily accessible place. Any changes after posting generally require 7 days notice, with exceptions for emergencies and shift swaps.
- Yes, under the Nurses Award, 12-hour shifts are possible by mutual agreement between the employer and employee. Without agreement, maximum ordinary hours shift length is 10 hours (excluding meal breaks). When working 12-hour shifts, appropriate rest breaks must be provided and the minimum break between shifts still applies.
Regulatory sources & compliance
This guide is aligned with official Australian healthcare workplace regulations and clinical safety standards.
Simplify healthcare rostering
RosterElf helps healthcare providers manage shift patterns, qualifications, and compliance requirements with built-in HPSS and Nurses Award rules.
Related guides & resources
Learn more about healthcare rostering and workforce compliance.
How to create a roster
Learn roster creation basics using Excel, Sheets, or software.
HPSS Award rates
Current pay rates and penalty calculations.
Rostering software
Automate scheduling and compliance.
Track employee certifications
Manage staff qualifications and expiry dates.
Common roles in healthcare
Download free job description templates for your healthcare team
Ready to streamline your healthcare rostering?
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