Template
Shift planning: spreadsheet template
A month matrix: people in the rows, days in the columns, shift codes in the cells. You define the codes yourself: early, late, night, or whatever your company uses. Free, no sign-up.
No email, no registration. The download starts immediately. · Excel file (.xlsx), opens in LibreOffice Calc too · 34 columns · 15 prepared rows · 30 formulas
- €0 · forever
- No sign-up
- No email address
- German & English
| # | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | … |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shift plan | … | ||||||||
| 2 | … | |||||||||
| 3 | Month: | Year: | … | |||||||
| 4 | … | |||||||||
| 5 | Employee | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | … |
| 6 | Example rows, please overwrite | F | F | S | S | N | - | - | F | … |
| 7 | … | |||||||||
| 8 | … | |||||||||
| 9 | … |
Ready in three minutes
How to use it
Enter your shift codes and their times on the “Legend” sheet.
On the “Shift plan” sheet, set the matching code per person and day.
The columns on the right count shifts and absence days per person automatically.
For a new month, copy the file rather than overwriting the existing plan. Otherwise the record of what was actually planned is gone.
When the spreadsheet stops being enough
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Honestly
Where this template runs into limits
A shift plan in a spreadsheet plans, but it checks nothing and distributes nothing. Know these points:
No check on rest periods
Under § 5 ArbZG, eleven hours of uninterrupted rest must generally follow the end of daily working time; § 3 ArbZG caps daily working hours. A spreadsheet will not point out that a late shift now sits directly before an early one.
Distribution and versions
As soon as the plan is emailed or printed, it exists in several versions. Short-notice changes do not reliably reach everyone, and in a dispute it is hard to show which version applied.
No reconciliation with absences
Leave, sick notes and blocked periods appear in this file only if somebody enters them. Double bookings surface only when a human notices them.
Co-determination
Where a works council exists, the scheduling of working time is subject to co-determination under § 87(1) no. 2 BetrVG. The template covers neither that process nor its documentation.
As of: 2026-08-18 · All information without warranty. This page is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the template for two-shift or three-shift operations?
Both. Shift codes are freely definable, so the same matrix works for two, three or irregular shifts.
How far in advance must a shift plan be known?
There is no general statutory deadline; collective agreements, works agreements and the employment contract govern it. For on-call work, § 12 TzBfG sets a four-day notice period.
Can I define target staffing levels?
Not in this template. It counts shifts per person but does not check whether a shift is adequately staffed. That depends too much on the individual company to prescribe.