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How Rostering Works

A roster is the plan of who works when. In Microkeeper you build each week on the Roster Calendar, lock it so your staff can see it, and they clock on and off for the shifts you gave them.

Diagram of the rostering workflow in four stages. 1 Create: add the shifts with the Roster Calendar, templates, roster cycles, shift bidding or Import CSV. 2 Check: catch clashes with availability, leave, skills and other shifts, and check hours and cost. 3 Publish: lock the week so staff can see it, and notify them by app, email, SMS or calendar feed. 4 Record: staff clock on and off, their timesheets are approved, and they are paid in the pay run. For changes after publishing, unlock the week, edit it, then lock it and notify staff again.

Rostering workflow in Microkeeper

Create the roster

Build the week's shifts.

  • Add shifts on the Roster Calendar, in a list under each Location or Role, or on a grid by Location or by employee.
  • Optional: clone a standard week from a roster template or an earlier week.
  • Optional: repeat a rotating pattern with a roster cycle, or fill open shifts with shift bidding.

Check it

Catch problems before your staff see them.

  • Use the filters above the roster to find shifts that clash with availability, leave, skills or another shift, and shifts with short rest, no break or too many hours.
  • Compare the week's hours and cost with your budget. Shift costs are worked out from your pay rules.

Publish it

Make the week visible to your staff.

  • Lock the week, so staff see it on the Employee Console and the Microkeeper app. You can lock several weeks at once.
  • Notify them by app, email or SMS. See SMS Rosters.
  • Optional: staff add their shifts to their own calendar. See Calendar Feed.

Record the shifts

The roster becomes the hours worked.

Adjust when plans change

Change a week after it's published.

  • Unlock the week, make your changes, then lock it again.
  • Notify only the staff whose shifts changed.
  • Shifts during an employee's leave can be hidden instead of deleted, so they're costed as leave pay.


Rostering guides

Roster Calendar

Add and move shifts, find clashes, check your budget, lock and notify, clone, import and print.

Roster Templates

Build a standard week once and clone it into any week.

Roster Cycles

Repeat a pattern of days on and off, such as 7 on and 7 off.

Shift Bidding

Offer open shifts for staff to bid on, or let Microkeeper fill them.

SMS Rosters

Text each employee their week, and see who replied OK.

Calendar Feed

Show rosters in Google, Apple or Outlook calendars.

What rostering relies on

  • Locations: each shift is at a Location, and managers roster only the Locations they manage.
  • Roles: optional rows under each Location, such as Kitchen and Front of House.
  • Groups: decide which staff can be rostered at each Location.
  • Managers and Access: who can build rosters, and who can only view them.
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