Free blank rota template (printable Excel)
An empty Monday-to-Sunday grid with 20 rows, already set to print on one landscape page. For when you want to fill it in by hand and pin it up.
Blank staff rota
Excel (.xlsx) • Print-ready
No signup required. Print it, or fill it in on screen.
This rota template is a planning tool, not legal or payroll advice. It does not check working time limits, rest breaks or minimum wage for you. Check GOV.UK, or take advice, before relying on a rota for compliance. 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
Deliberately empty
No sample data
Nothing to delete before you start. Every row is blank.
Monday to Sunday
The standard UK week, with name and role columns on the left.
Print-ready
Page setup is landscape and fitted to one page wide, so it prints without cutting off Sunday.
Formulas still there
Type hours as numbers and the totals work. Leave it blank and print it, and they simply show zero.
20 rows
Enough for most single-site teams, and rows can be inserted without breaking the totals.
Shift code legend
The Instructions tab defines OFF, AL, BH, SICK, TOIL and TR for whoever fills it in.
What you get
An empty grid. The formulas are in place but show nothing until you enter hours.
| Employee | Role | Mon | Tue | Wed | … | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| … | ||||||
| … | ||||||
| … |
If you would rather start from something filled in, the weekly rota template has sample staff and roles already in place.
How to use this template
Download and go in four steps
1. Download
Grab the Excel file — no signup, and it opens in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice.
2. Add your team
Replace the sample names and roles with your own staff.
3. Fill in the shifts
Enter start and end times, or hours, using the shift codes on the Instructions tab.
4. Share it
Print it, email it or pin it up — and give staff reasonable notice of their shifts.
When a blank rota is the right answer
Paper still wins in some places
Back-of-house noticeboards
A printed rota on the wall is still the fastest way to tell a kitchen who is on.
Sites without shared systems
Where staff have no work email or shared drive, a printed grid is the common ground.
Planning on paper first
Some managers think better with a pen. Draft it by hand, then type up the final version.
A printed rota tells people when to turn up, but it is not a record of when they did. That gap is what clock-in records close.
When the spreadsheet starts costing you time
A rota in Excel works until someone swaps a shift, calls in sick, or asks what they are owed. RosterElf keeps the rota, the clock-in record and the payroll export in one place.
UK rota guides
The rules that shape what you can put on a rota
Rota laws in the UK
The 48-hour week, the opt-out, rest breaks and the notice you owe staff before a shift.
Read the guideShift patterns explained
4 on 4 off, continental, Panama and DuPont — how each one covers the week.
Read the guideHoliday entitlement
The 5.6 weeks, what it comes to in days, and where bank holidays sit.
Read the guideOther free rota templates
Same conventions, different planning horizon
Weekly staff rota
A Monday-to-Sunday grid with roles, shift times and an automatic weekly hours total.
Get the templateMonthly staff rota
All 31 days on one row per person — for spotting leave clashes a month ahead.
Get the templateRolling rota (4 on 4 off)
Two rolling patterns worked out across four teams, with a live cover count.
Get the templateBlank rota template questions
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Yes. The page setup is already landscape and fitted to one page wide, so all seven days print without spilling onto a second sheet. Print it and fill it in by hand, or type into it first.
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That is what it is for. The rows are set to a height that leaves room to write in, and the shift code legend on the Instructions tab prints separately if you want it on the wall too.
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No. The Total hours cells contain a SUM formula but show nothing when the row is empty, so a blank printout looks blank.
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Insert rows anywhere inside the grid and the formatting carries. If you insert below the daily total row, extend its range so the new rows are included.
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.