Event shift and break planner
Event-day posts need people on them at all times, and the break times that keep a shift fair also open gaps nobody has counted.
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The short answer
The planner cuts the day at every shift start, shift end and break, and shows how many people are on each post in each slice against the headcount you said it needs. Any period where a post has fewer people than needed is listed, with the time and the numbers.
A role or slot that appears on two overlapping shifts is reported as a double-booking and counted only at its first listed shift, so it cannot hide a gap. Breaks are only the ones you type.
What to enter
- Required posts: each post that must be staffed, the window it must be staffed and how many people it needs at once. A post with no window or no headcount is listed as unknown, not checked.
- Shifts: a role or slot label (Registration 1, Usher A), not a personal name, with the post it covers, a start and an end.
- Breaks: a break start and end for any shift that has one. The tool does not say when a break is due or how long it should be.
- Availability, if known: when each role or slot can work. A role with no row is availability unknown, not available.
How coverage is counted
For each post and each slice of the day, the tool counts the distinct roles on a shift for that post who are not on a break. If the number is below the headcount needed, the slice is marked short and the period is listed, with how many of those short are on a break you entered.
Adjacent slices with the same result are merged, so the matrix stays readable.
Double-bookings and breaks
If one label is on two overlapping shifts, the overlap is reported with the times and posts. In the matrix that label counts only at the first listed shift, so cover at the other post is not overstated.
A break that leaves a post short is reported against that time. A break outside its shift is ignored with a warning. Roles with no break entered are listed, because the tool does not know whether any break is needed.
Totals and what they are not
The tool also shows each role's scheduled minutes, which is the shift length minus the breaks you entered. This is arithmetic only.
It does not show that the roster complies with any labour, rest or break rule, and no hours limit is applied. Check those rules with the people responsible for them.
Limits
Times are on one day and a shift cannot cross midnight. The matrix reflects only what you enter. For programme timings use the programme duration checker, and for cues and owners use the run-of-show builder.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional morning registration roster
Fictional posts and roles, to show what the matrix flags.
A fictional event needs two people at the registration desk from 08:00 to 12:00 and one at the main hall door from 08:30 to 12:00. Six shifts are entered. One usher, Usher A, covers the door and also helps at registration from 10:00 to 10:30.
The planner reports three short periods: the registration desk from 10:00 to 10:20 (0 of 2, with one on a break), from 10:20 to 10:30 (1 of 2), and the door from 09:45 to 10:00 (0 of 1, on a break). It reports one double-booking for Usher A, lists three roles with no break entered, and flags one shift outside entered availability.
| Post | Period | On duty / needed |
|---|---|---|
| Main hall door | 09:45 to 10:00 | 0/1 (on a break) |
| Registration desk | 10:00 to 10:20 | 0/2 (one on a break) |
| Registration desk | 10:20 to 10:30 | 1/2 |
Use this yourself
Shift and break worksheet
List the posts first, then each shift with its break. Count people on duty in each period against the headcount needed.
| Role or slot | Post | Shift start | Shift end | Break start | Break end | Double-booked? Short post? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Periods where a post has fewer people than needed | ||||||
| Roles with no break entered |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A handful of posts, a small team and a supervisor who can adjust the roster on the day.
- The rules that apply to your staff or volunteers are known and checked by the person responsible.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Many posts, several teams and agency staff, and a change in one shift opens a gap somewhere else.
- Several people each hold part of the roster and nobody sees the whole picture.
- The roster must be tied to the run-of-show, the venue's access times and the supplier schedule.
Need event-day staffing coordinated?
A project lead can hold the staffing plan with your team, test posts and breaks against the run-of-show and chase the people who own each shift. Compliance with labour rules and final roster decisions stay with you and the people responsible.
Questions organisers ask
Does the planner say my roster is compliant?
No. It is arithmetic on the times you enter. It applies no hours limit or break rule and never labels a roster compliant.
Why is a role counted only once when it is double-booked?
So that a double-booking cannot hide a gap. It counts at its first listed shift and the overlap is reported.
What if I leave out the breaks?
Cover is worked out without them and the roles with no break entered are listed. The tool does not know whether any break is needed.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.