How to roster retail staff
A complete guide to rostering retail staff in Australia, including General Retail Award compliance, weekend trading requirements, and roster change procedures.
Written by
Georgia Morgan
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General information only – not legal advice
This guide provides general information about rostering under the General Retail Award. 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.
Why retail rostering is different
Retail rostering requires balancing unpredictable customer demand with strict award compliance. This guide extends roster creation fundamentals with retail-specific strategies. Unlike office environments with fixed hours, retail operates on extended trading hours, weekend penalty rates, and fluctuating foot traffic that varies by day, season, and promotional events.
The General Retail Industry Award 2020 sets strict rules on minimum shift lengths (3 hours), maximum working days (5 per week), and minimum days off (2 consecutive per week). Weekend penalties significantly increase labour costs—Saturday at 125-150% and Sunday at 200% for all staff—making effective rostering essential for profitability.
Industry benchmark: Retail businesses typically target 20-30% labour costs as a percentage of revenue. Overstaffing by just one shift per day can cost $30,000-50,000 annually, while understaffing leads to lost sales and poor customer service.
This guide shows you exactly how to build retail rosters that match demand patterns, comply with the General Retail Award, and control labour costs—using proven strategies and specialized retail workforce management software.
Retail rostering challenges
The unique staffing challenges facing retail businesses in Australia.
Challenge
Weekend and evening peak demand
Impact
Overstaffing wastes budget on quiet days, understaffing loses sales during peak periods
Solution
Use POS data and forecasting analytics to predict traffic and align staffing levels
Challenge
High casual workforce turnover
Impact
Constant recruitment and training costs, inconsistent customer service
Solution
Build reliable casual pool with availability management
Challenge
Complex award with junior rates and penalties
Impact
Underpayment risk, compliance breaches, Fair Work claims
Solution
Use award interpretation software with Retail Award rules built-in
Challenge
Multi-location coverage gaps
Impact
Inconsistent customer service across stores, difficulty filling shifts
Solution
Use multi-site rostering with shared staff pools
Retail penalty rates
Key penalty rates under the General Retail Award for rostering calculations.
| Period | Full-time/Part-time | Casual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday-Friday (ordinary hours) | 100% | 125% | Within span of hours |
| Saturday | 125% | 150% | All hours |
| Sunday | 200% | 200% | All hours |
| Public Holiday | 250% | 275% | + day in lieu for FT |
| Early morning (before 7am) | 125% | 150% | Outside ordinary span |
| Evening (after 6pm Mon-Fri) | 125% | 150% | May vary by state |
Note: Sunday rates are 200% for ALL employees including casuals. This is different from some other awards where casuals have lower Sunday rates.
6 steps to retail staff rostering
Follow these steps to create compliant and effective retail rosters.
Understand trading hours and shift spans
Know your store's trading hours and the award's ordinary hours span.
Key requirements:
- Ordinary hours span: 7am-9pm (Mon-Fri), varies weekends
- Extended trading can extend span to 11pm
- Hours outside span attract overtime rates
- Minimum 12 hours between finishing and starting
Plan around minimum shift requirements
Ensure all shifts meet minimum engagement periods.
Key requirements:
- Minimum shift: 3 hours (most employees)
- Exception: 1.5 hours for school students (3pm-6:30pm)
- Maximum shift: 9 hours (11 hours once per week)
- Part-time: Agree on regular pattern in writing
Apply weekend penalty rates correctly
Calculate correct rates for Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays.
Key requirements:
- Saturday: 125% (full-time/part-time), 150% (casual)
- Sunday: 200% (full-time/part-time), 200% (casual)
- Public holidays: 250% + day in lieu for FT
- Track actual hours for accurate costing
Manage days off requirements
Ensure rosters comply with consecutive day and day off rules.
Key requirements:
- Maximum 5 days work per week
- 6 days one week = max 4 days next week
- Regular Sunday workers: 3 consecutive days off (incl Sat-Sun) per 4 weeks
- Minimum 2 consecutive days off per week
Handle roster changes properly
Follow consultation requirements when changing rosters.
Key requirements:
- 7 days' written notice for roster changes
- 14 days' notice if employee objects
- Consult and consider feedback
- Document all roster change discussions
Improve for peak trading periods
Align staffing to sales data and customer traffic patterns.
Key requirements:
- Analyse POS data for peak hours
- Staff up for late night shopping
- Plan for seasonal peaks (Christmas, EOFY sales)
- Build casual pool for flexibility
Simplify retail rostering
RosterElf helps retail businesses match staffing to trade patterns while managing award compliance. Built for Australian small businesses.
Day off requirements
Key day off rules under the General Retail Award.
Maximum days per week
5 days maximum
6th day one week means max 4 next week
Consecutive days off
2 consecutive days per week
Or 3 consecutive in 2-week period
Sunday workers
3 consecutive days (incl Sat+Sun) per 4 weeks
For employees who regularly work Sundays
Break between shifts
Minimum 12 hours
Between end of one shift and start of next
Roster change process
Steps to follow when changing employee rosters.
Give written notice
7 days before change takes effect
Consult with employee
Discuss the change and reasons
Consider feedback
Take employee circumstances into account
If employee objects
Extend notice to 14 days
Document outcome
Keep records of consultation
Retail rostering tips
Strategies for effective and compliant retail rostering.
Use sales data
Align staffing levels to historical sales data and foot traffic patterns.
Build master rosters
Create template rosters that automatically meet day-off and hour requirements.
Cross-train staff
Train employees across departments for flexible deployment.
Plan for peaks
Build casual capacity for Christmas, EOFY, and promotional periods.
Track weekend costs
Monitor Saturday and Sunday labour costs as percentage of sales.
Enable shift swaps
Let staff swap shifts to reduce callouts and improve coverage.
Common retail rostering mistakes
Avoid these costly errors in retail staff rostering.
Short-changing minimum shift length
Consequence: Must pay for 3 hours even if employee works less
Solution: Don't roster shifts under 3 hours unless school student exception applies
Missing Sunday day-off requirements
Consequence: Regular Sunday workers not getting required Sat+Sun off together
Solution: Track Sunday workers and ensure 3 consecutive days off (incl Sat-Sun) each 4 weeks
Insufficient break between shifts
Consequence: Employees rostered with less than 12 hours between shifts
Solution: Build 12-hour minimum gap into roster templates
Not paying Sunday penalties correctly
Consequence: Sunday rate is 200% for all employees (not the lower casual rate)
Solution: Apply 200% for full-time, part-time AND casuals on Sundays
Roster changes without proper notice
Consequence: Changing rosters with less than 7 days notice without agreement
Solution: Always give 7 days notice, extend to 14 if employee objects
Common retail shift patterns
Typical shift structures for retail businesses.
Opening shift
8:00am - 4:00pm
Suitable for: Full-time, part-time
Focus: Store setup, morning customers, restocking shelves
Mid shift
11:00am - 7:00pm
Suitable for: Full-time, part-time, students
Focus: Lunch crowd, afternoon peak, customer service
Closing shift
2:00pm - 10:00pm
Suitable for: Full-time, part-time, casuals
Focus: Afternoon/evening peak, late trading, store close-down
Weekend casual
Varies (min 3 hours)
Suitable for: Casual only
Focus: Weekend peak coverage with higher penalty rates
Late night shopping
5:00pm - 11:00pm
Suitable for: Part-time, casual
Focus: Extended trading hours (Thu/Fri), late penalties may apply
Tip: Stagger shift start times
Instead of having all staff start together, stagger times to match customer flow. For example, have floor staff arrive at 9am, additional staff at 11am for lunch rush, and extra cashiers at 2pm for afternoon peak. This optimizes labour costs while maintaining coverage.
Forecast staffing needs
Use historical data to predict how many staff you need and avoid over or understaffing.
Track historical sales patterns
Analyze your POS data to identify patterns: which days are busiest, which hours have most traffic, and seasonal variations. For example, you might find:
- Saturday sales are 150% of weekday average
- Late night shopping (Thu/Fri after 6pm) requires 30% more staff
- December sales are 40% higher than average
- Back-to-school period (Jan-Feb) requires extra floor coverage
Calculate sales per labour hour
Determine the optimal ratio of staff to sales volume. Track your actual performance to identify the sweet spot between service quality and cost efficiency.
Example calculation:
Optimal ratio: $300 sales per labour hour
Staff hours needed: $15,000 ÷ $300 = 50 hours
= 6-7 staff for 8-hour shifts
Use rostering software with analytics
Manual forecasting is time-consuming and error-prone. Rostering analytics software tracks historical patterns, shows labour cost per sale, and suggests optimal staffing levels based on your POS data. RosterElf's forecasting helps retail businesses reduce overstaffing by an average of 15%.
Control labour costs
With labour typically 20-30% of revenue, controlling rostering costs is critical for retail profitability.
Track costs as you roster
Don't wait until payroll runs to see what you spent. Use labour budgeting software that shows real-time wage costs including all penalty rates as you build rosters.
Target: 20-30% of revenue
Fashion retail 15-25%, Supermarkets 10-20%, Specialty 25-35%
Minimize penalty rate exposure
Plan rosters that optimize coverage while managing weekend and evening costs. Use staggered shifts and track penalty costs per day.
Example savings
Reducing one Sunday shift saves 100% penalty premium vs weekday
Calculate retail staff costs
Use our free Payroll Cost Calculator to estimate true employee costs including super, penalty rates, casual loading, and leave entitlements for accurate retail budget planning.
Technology solutions for retail rostering
Modern rostering software solves retail challenges that spreadsheets can't handle.
Sales-based demand forecasting
Analyze POS data to predict staffing needs and match labour to expected traffic
→ Reduce over/understaffing by 15-20%
Award-compliant calculations
Built-in General Retail Award interpretation with automatic penalty rates and junior scales
→ Eliminate underpayment risk and compliance issues
Real-time labour budgeting
See wage costs including all penalty rates as you build rosters
→ Control labour costs before publishing rosters
Multi-site rostering
Manage multiple stores from one dashboard with shared staff pools
→ Share staff between locations and compare costs
Mobile clock-in with GPS
Staff clock in via mobile app with GPS and photo verification
→ Eliminate time theft and ensure accurate timesheets
Shift broadcasting
Offer unfilled shifts to qualified staff instantly via mobile app notifications
→ Fill gaps faster without phone calls
Integrated payroll processing
The best retail rostering software integrates with Xero and MYOB for seamless payroll processing. Learn more about transitioning to digital rostering.
How RosterElf handles retail rostering
Built specifically for Australian retail businesses with General Retail Award compliance, demand forecasting, and live labour budgeting.
Live labour cost tracking
See real-time wage costs including all penalty rates, junior scales, and casual loading as you build rosters. Compare against your budget and adjust before publishing.
General retail Award automation
Built-in General Retail Award interpretation with automatic penalty rate calculations, junior rate scaling, and minimum shift enforcement. Eliminate underpayment risk.
Sales-based forecasting
Import POS data to analyze traffic patterns. RosterElf suggests optimal staffing levels based on historical sales, reducing overstaffing by an average of 15%.
Multi-store management
Manage multiple retail locations from one dashboard. Compare labour costs across stores. Share staff between locations. See coverage across your entire business.
Trusted by retail businesses across Australia
RosterElf manages rosters for thousands of retail stores nationwide with built-in General Retail Award compliance. Join 30,000+ Australian businesses rostering smarter.
Free retail rostering tools
Free calculators, templates, and tools to help you manage retail rosters, costs, and compliance.
Payroll cost calculator
FEATUREDCalculate true employee costs including super, penalty rates, and casual loading
Shift cost calculator
Calculate cost per shift including penalties and overtime
AI roster generator
Generate optimized retail rosters using AI
Labour cost %
Calculate optimal labour percentage for retail
Penalty rate calculator
Calculate Retail Award weekend and holiday rates
Break compliance
Check if your retail shifts meet break requirements
Frequently asked questions
- The minimum shift for most retail employees is 3 hours. There's an exception for secondary school students who can work a minimum of 1.5 hours if: they work between 3pm and 6:30pm, have parental consent, and longer shifts aren't feasible for the employer.
- Under the General Retail Award, employees can be rostered for up to 9 hours on any day. However, they can work up to 11 hours on one day per week. Hours beyond 9 (or 11 on the extended day) may attract overtime rates.
- Employees must receive a minimum of 12 hours between finishing one shift and starting the next. If an employee finishes at 9pm, they cannot start their next shift until 9am the following day.
- Employees cannot work more than 5 days per week. If they work 6 days one week, they can only work 4 days the following week. They must have at least 2 consecutive days off per week, or 3 consecutive days off in a 2-week period.
Regulatory sources
This guide is aligned with official Australian workplace regulations.
Common roles in retail
Download free job description templates for your retail team
Simplify your rostering today
Join thousands of Australian businesses using RosterElf to create compliant rosters in minutes. Built for Australian small businesses.