Download professional scheduling templates for Excel and Google Sheets. Perfect for small businesses managing 5-50 employees.
Managing employee schedules doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. These free templates provide a simple, professional way to create work schedules using tools you already have: Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
✨ What's Included:
Most popular template for standard weekly scheduling
Restaurants, retail stores, healthcare facilities, and any business with daily operations and 5-30 employees.
Perfect for businesses with rotating shifts or 2-week pay periods
Manufacturing, security companies, call centers, and businesses with bi-weekly payroll.
Calendar-style view for long-term planning
Project-based work, professional services, and businesses that plan months in advance.
Track vacation days, sick leave, and PTO requests in one centralized sheet.
Calculate total labor costs, overtime, and budget variance automatically.
Ensure minimum staffing requirements are met for each shift and department.
Plan fair rotation of weekends, holidays, and night shifts.
XShift AI generates conflict-free schedules in 60 seconds with AI. No manual spreadsheet work required.
Try XShift AI Free →Choose Excel (.xlsx) if you use Microsoft Office, or Google Sheets if you prefer cloud-based collaboration. Both versions have identical features.
Fill in the yellow highlighted cells at the top of each template:
List each employee in the leftmost column. Include their role or department to make schedules easier to read (e.g., "Sarah - Server" or "Mike - Cashier").
For each employee and day, enter their shift using this format:
Simple: "9-5" or "9am-5pm"
With breaks: "9-5 (1hr break)"
Off day: Leave blank or write "OFF"
Multiple shifts: "6-2, 5-9" (split shift)
The template automatically calculates total hours, overtime warnings, and labor costs. Check the summary section on the right side or bottom of the sheet.
Options for distribution:
💡 Pro Tip:
Save each week's schedule with the date in the filename (e.g., "Schedule_Jan_15-21_2025.xlsx") to build a historical record and track patterns over time.
These templates are fully customizable. Here are common modifications:
Use colors to indicate shift types or departments:
Add a "Location" column or create separate sheets for each location within the same file.
Add a "Hourly Rate" column and the template will automatically calculate total labor cost per shift, day, and week.
Conditional formatting highlights cells red when an employee exceeds 40 hours (customizable threshold).
Group employees by department with subtotals for each group's hours and costs.
Add a notes column for shift-specific information like "training," "manager on duty," or "inventory count."
While these templates are great for basic scheduling, they have limitations:
Templates won't alert you if you schedule someone for two shifts at the same time or violate rest period rules. You must manually check.
When you share the schedule, employees see a static snapshot. If you make changes, you must re-send the entire schedule.
Employees can't easily check their schedule from their phone unless you share a Google Sheets link (which can be confusing to navigate on mobile).
You have to track time-off requests separately and remember to check them when creating the schedule.
If employees want to trade shifts, they must text you, and you manually update the spreadsheet.
If multiple managers create schedules, you risk version control issues ("Which is the most recent file?").
While you can save old schedules, analyzing trends (like "Who works the most Saturdays?") requires manual data compilation.
Beyond 30-40 employees, spreadsheet scheduling becomes extremely tedious and error-prone.
Free templates work well when you're just starting out, but consider upgrading when you experience:
Scheduling takes more than 2 hours per week
Managing 15+ employees
Frequent scheduling errors or conflicts
Employees constantly asking "What's my schedule?"
Multiple locations or departments
Need to track actual hours worked vs. scheduled
Experiencing high overtime costs
Want employees to request time-off digitally
Need to allow shift swaps with approval
Want mobile schedule access for your team
Compliance concerns with labor laws
Need to generate payroll reports quickly
AI creates schedules in 60 seconds instead of 4-8 hours manually
Zero double-bookings, labor law violations, or overtime surprises
View schedules, request time-off, and swap shifts from any device
Optimize staffing levels and eliminate unnecessary overtime
Employees get instant alerts for new schedules and changes
Track labor costs, overtime trends, and scheduling patterns
Free 30-day trial • Full feature access • Cancel anytime
A: Yes, 100% free to download and use. No credit card required, no hidden fees. Use them for as long as you need.
A: If you use Google Sheets, yes—you can share the link and allow multiple people to edit simultaneously. With Excel, you'll need to use OneDrive or SharePoint for real-time collaboration, or pass the file back and forth (which can cause version control issues).
A: The templates can technically handle 100+ employees, but become impractical beyond 30-40 people. At that scale, scheduling software is much more efficient.
A: Absolutely! The templates are fully editable. Add columns for certifications (healthcare), tables/stations (restaurants), or any other industry-specific needs.
A: Yes, Excel templates work on both Windows and Mac. Google Sheets works in any web browser on any device (including tablets and phones).
A: Each template includes built-in instructions on the first sheet. If you need additional help, check our guide on "How to Make a Work Schedule" or contact our support team.
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