https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog Rostering, hours and the week before the pay run, for Australian small businesses. en-au https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/christmas-trading-rosterhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/christmas-trading-rosterSun, 11 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMTA Christmas roster checklist for small businesses: public holidays by state, leave requests, shutdown notice, public holiday requests and pay, and new casuals. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/clear-shift-instructionshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/clear-shift-instructionsMon, 14 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTWrite shift instructions people follow: one action per line, clear done-when checks, kept where the work happens and attached to the shift. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/when-someone-resignshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/when-someone-resignsSun, 13 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhen someone on a small team resigns: map what they cover, roster the notice period and handover, share out their hours within the award. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/drivers-and-store-staffhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/drivers-and-store-staffFri, 11 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTPlan delivery drivers and counter staff as one roster: forecast orders by hour, work out drivers from run times, use the time between runs and check the award. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/late-finishes-and-transporthttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/late-finishes-and-transportThu, 10 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTSet finish and start times staff can travel from: map how each person gets home, roster the close around the last service, and check award transport clauses. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/staff-who-want-more-hourshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/staff-who-want-more-hoursWed, 09 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhen an employee asks for more hours: find out what they need, check where the hours would come from and the award rules, choose an answer and put it in writing. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/predictable-hourshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/predictable-hoursTue, 08 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTGive staff hours they can plan around: a steady core pattern set from your quietest weeks, a flexible layer for busy ones, and the award rules for part-time hours. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/pre-shift-briefinghttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/pre-shift-briefingSun, 06 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTRun a five-minute pre-shift briefing staff use: what to cover, who runs it, putting it on the roster as paid time, one safety point and a timed Friday example. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/weather-and-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/weather-and-rostersSat, 05 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTPlan rosters around weather swings: learn what rain and heat do to trade, build for the likely week, add hours from the forecast and plan for heat and storms safely. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/two-venue-food-business-rosterhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/two-venue-food-business-rosterFri, 04 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTA worked week for a bakery cafe and a catering kitchen: one weekly rhythm, the order sheet, shared staff, travel between venues, costs by venue and one publish. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/roster-review-each-monthhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/roster-review-each-monthWed, 02 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTA monthly roster review: what to gather, six measures to compare, what the differences can mean, and how to turn them into next month’s roster, with an example. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/reduce-roster-adminhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/reduce-roster-adminTue, 01 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTCut the time the roster takes each week: tally where it goes, start from a pattern, set deadlines, publish once, handle changes by rule and approve by exception. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/recurring-shifts-and-patternshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/recurring-shifts-and-patternsMon, 31 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTTurn the shifts that repeat into a pattern: fixed and rotating shifts, week types, the award rules on agreed hours and changes, and how to handle the exceptions. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/planning-breaks-on-busy-shiftshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/planning-breaks-on-busy-shiftsSun, 30 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTTime meal and rest breaks around the rush: the break windows in three awards, staggering and cover, what to do when service runs long, and a worked lunch roster. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/geofenced-clock-inshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/geofenced-clock-insFri, 28 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhat a geofence checks when staff clock in on a phone, where it helps and where it gets in the way, how to set and test the radius, and what to check first. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostering-family-and-ownershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostering-family-and-ownersThu, 27 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTPut owners and family on the roster fairly: whether family helpers are employees, super and records, sharing hard shifts, owner days off and a worked bakery week. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/first-roster-new-businesshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/first-roster-new-businessWed, 26 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTPlan the first roster for a new cafe, shop or venue: the award, staffing without sales history, paperwork, paid training, opening week shifts and a worked fortnight. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/seven-day-trading-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/seven-day-trading-rostersMon, 24 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTTrade seven days without wearing out your best people: days off first, award rules on days off, Sunday and public holiday rates, fatigue and a worked cycle. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostering-studentshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostering-studentsSun, 23 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTRoster school, uni and TAFE students around their timetables: availability each term, exams, short shifts, junior workers, visa hour limits and a worked cafe week. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/staff-with-second-jobshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/staff-with-second-jobsSat, 22 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to roster employees who also work elsewhere: what to ask, weekly hours under the NES, fatigue, minimum shifts in four awards and a worked week. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/market-stall-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/market-stall-rostersFri, 21 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTRoster a market stall or pop-up from loading to unloading: setup, trade, breaks, travel pay, early starts and short shifts under three awards. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/deliveries-and-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/deliveries-and-rostersWed, 19 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTPut deliveries on the roster: who receives them, how long checking takes, early starts and the span of hours, minimum shifts, safe lifting and a worked Tuesday. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/bakery-early-morning-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/bakery-early-morning-rostersTue, 18 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTRoster a bakery that starts before dawn: which award applies, early morning shift rates, breaks, the gap between shifts, fatigue and a worked weekday. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/catering-job-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/catering-job-rostersMon, 17 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTRoster an off-site catering job from loading the van to unloading it: travel, setup, service, packdown, the award rules to check and a worked lunch for 80. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/sale-day-and-stocktake-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/sale-day-and-stocktake-rostersSat, 15 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTRoster a retail sale day and a stocktake count: forecasting the peak, staggered shifts and breaks, and the General Retail Award rules on hours and overtime. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/late-night-trading-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/late-night-trading-rostersFri, 14 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to roster late-night trading: whether the hours pay, the span of ordinary hours, evening penalty rates, night fill, breaks and the gap before the next shift. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/when-the-supervisor-is-awayhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/when-the-supervisor-is-awayThu, 13 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTCover for a small team’s only supervisor: who runs the shift, what they can decide, keys and contacts, higher duties pay and a worked fortnight of leave. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/shift-handover-noteshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/shift-handover-notesWed, 12 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhat opening and closing crews should put in a shift handover note: a simple format, what to leave out, fitting it into the roster and making sure it is read. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/opening-and-closing-dutieshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/opening-and-closing-dutiesMon, 10 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to put opening and closing duties on the roster: list and time the tasks, roster the real start and finish, name who is responsible and check the award. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/skills-matrix-rosteringhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/skills-matrix-rosteringSun, 09 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTBuild a simple skills matrix for your team, use it to cover every station and required role on each shift, and turn the gaps it shows into a training plan. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/training-shifts-and-wage-budgethttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/training-shifts-and-wage-budgetSat, 08 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to plan paid training for new staff inside the wage budget: shadow and supported shifts, quiet hours, minimum shifts and a worked three week example. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/prevent-accidental-overtimehttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/prevent-accidental-overtimeThu, 06 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhere unplanned overtime comes from on a staff roster, the triggers in four common awards, and the checks that stop it before it reaches the pay run. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/roster-publishing-checklisthttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/roster-publishing-checklistWed, 05 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTA checklist to run before a staff roster goes out: cover, availability, leave, award rules, weekly hours, breaks, cost and clarity, with a worked example. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/group-chat-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/group-chat-rostersTue, 04 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhy rosters run through a group chat break down: buried changes, no current version, messages at all hours and no record. What to keep in the chat. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/communicate-roster-changeshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/communicate-roster-changesMon, 03 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTTell the right people about a roster change: sort changes by urgency, message each person directly, get a reply and follow the award rules on notice and agreement. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/staff-confirm-shiftshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/staff-confirm-shiftsSat, 01 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to get every shift seen and confirmed: a fixed publish time, one place to look, a confirm-by deadline inside working hours and a short follow-up list. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/new-employee-first-rosterhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/new-employee-first-rosterFri, 31 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTPut a new starter on the roster the right way: settle the paperwork first, roster short paid shifts with a buddy, meet the minimum shift and check in after week one. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/moving-from-excel-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/moving-from-excel-rostersThu, 30 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to move a staff roster out of Excel: list what the sheet does, clean the data, keep the records, pick the week to switch and bring your team across. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostering-mistakes-wage-billhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostering-mistakes-wage-billTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTSeven rostering habits that push up the wage bill, from short shifts and part-time overtime to uncosted Sundays and missed breaks, and how to fix each one. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/overstaffing-and-understaffinghttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/overstaffing-and-understaffingMon, 27 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTOverstaffing shows up in the wage bill and understaffing hides in lost sales. How to put both on the same scale, find the hours that are wrong and fix them. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/cafe-labour-cost-percentagehttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/cafe-labour-cost-percentageSun, 26 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTThere is no official figure for a good cafe labour cost percentage. How to work out yours, what pushes it up or down, and how to set a target from your own weeks. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostered-vs-actual-labour-costhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostered-vs-actual-labour-costSat, 25 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTCompare what the roster said the week would cost with what payroll paid: what to include, a worked example, and how to split the gap into hours and rates. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/forecast-staffing-from-saleshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/forecast-staffing-from-salesThu, 23 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTForecast next week’s staffing from your sales history: daily and hourly sales forecasts, a sales per labour hour target and shifts that follow the trade. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/roster-to-a-wage-budgethttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/roster-to-a-wage-budgetWed, 22 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTSet a weekly wage budget from forecast sales, turn it into hours, build the roster to fit, and check minimum shifts and guaranteed hours before you publish. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/labour-cost-by-venuehttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/labour-cost-by-venueTue, 21 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTTrack labour cost for each venue: what to include, how to split shared staff and managers, a weekly report per site, and what to check when one venue runs high. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/multi-location-rosteringhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/multi-location-rosteringSun, 19 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to roster staff across two or more locations: shared staff, cross-site double bookings, total hours, travel rules in the awards, costs and publishing. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fair-weekend-rotationshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fair-weekend-rotationsSat, 18 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTShare Saturdays, Sundays and closing shifts fairly: count who works them, build a rotation, and keep to the award rules on breaks between shifts and days off. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/annual-leave-and-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/annual-leave-and-rostersFri, 17 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTPut annual leave on the roster before shifts: a simple request process, fair approvals, covering the gaps, Christmas shutdowns and large leave balances. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/stop-missed-shiftshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/stop-missed-shiftsThu, 16 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhy employees miss shifts and how to stop it: a roster people see, confirmed changes, a clear call-in rule, and a fair process when it keeps happening. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fill-open-shiftshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fill-open-shiftsTue, 14 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTA better way to fill an open shift: define it, work out who is eligible, offer it in a fair order with a deadline, check the award rules and confirm it. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/employee-calls-in-sickhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/employee-calls-in-sickMon, 13 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhat to do in the hour after a sick call: what to ask, how to find cover in order, the award rules for the replacement, sick pay, evidence and records. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/shift-swap-requestshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/shift-swap-requestsSun, 12 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTA simple process for shift swap requests: the rules to set, the checks to make before you approve, the award rules that apply and how to record the change. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/availability-and-leavehttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/availability-and-leaveFri, 10 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to collect staff availability, handle leave requests and roster around both, with part-time availability rules, NES leave, notice, evidence and records. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/prevent-double-bookinghttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/prevent-double-bookingThu, 09 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTStop double bookings before they reach the floor: how they happen, a spreadsheet check for overlapping shifts, and simple rules for swaps, cover and venues. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/when-to-publish-the-rosterhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/when-to-publish-the-rosterWed, 08 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow far in advance to publish a staff roster: what the awards require, why two weeks is a sound default, and how to set a publishing rhythm that sticks. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rotating-roster-without-double-bookinghttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rotating-roster-without-double-bookingTue, 07 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTBuild a rotating roster that repeats cleanly: design the shift lines, rotate people through them and check each week for double bookings and short breaks. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/part-time-and-casual-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/part-time-and-casual-rostersSun, 05 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTBuild one roster for part-time and casual staff: place guaranteed part-time hours first, fill the gaps with casuals and check the award rules for each. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fair-roster-for-casualshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fair-roster-for-casualsSat, 04 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTShare casual shifts fairly: record what each casual wants, write down how shifts are offered, rotate weekends and closes, and follow the award rules. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/hospitality-sick-callshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/hospitality-sick-callsFri, 03 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTHandle sick calls and roster changes in a cafe, restaurant or pub: cover by station, the leave and award rules, what each option costs and a worked Saturday. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostering-functions-and-eventshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/rostering-functions-and-eventsWed, 01 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTRoster a function, wedding or busy event from the run sheet: roles by stage, service style, award rules for long nights and a worked wedding for 120 guests. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/pub-and-club-rosteringhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/pub-and-club-rosteringTue, 30 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to roster a pub or club: bar, bistro and late closes, the Hospitality and Clubs awards’ roster rules, breaks, split shifts and a worked Friday night. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fix-missing-clock-inshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fix-missing-clock-insMon, 29 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTFind missing clock ins early, confirm the real times, correct the record properly and still pay on time, with a worked fortnight and a cut-off that protects pay day. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/record-unpaid-breakshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/record-unpaid-breaksSun, 28 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTRecord unpaid meal breaks on timesheets so paid hours are right: what to capture, four ways to record breaks, a worked week and what to do when a break is missed. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fortnightly-hours-from-timesheetshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/fortnightly-hours-from-timesheetsFri, 26 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTAdd up two weeks of timesheets for a fortnightly pay run: minutes first, each week kept separate, hours split by rate, and a worked part-time fortnight. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/timesheets-breaks-paid-hourshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/timesheets-breaks-paid-hoursThu, 25 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTWhat a timesheet should record, which breaks are paid under three common awards, how to turn start and finish times into paid hours, and how to approve them. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/restaurant-staff-per-shifthttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/restaurant-staff-per-shiftWed, 24 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTWork out how many staff a restaurant needs on each shift, from guests by the half hour to shifts that meet the award, with a worked Saturday and a wage cost check. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/kitchen-and-front-of-house-rostershttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/kitchen-and-front-of-house-rostersMon, 22 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTRoster the kitchen and the floor so they meet at the pass: staggered starts, breaks that keep service moving, cross-trained staff and the award rules that apply. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/cafe-rosteringhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/cafe-rosteringSun, 21 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to roster an Australian cafe: early openers, the morning rush, weekend brunch, breaks on a short day and the Restaurant Award rules that shape the week. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/restaurant-rosteringhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/restaurant-rosteringSat, 20 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to build a restaurant roster that covers every service: forecasting covers, kitchen and floor, breaks, split shifts and the Restaurant Award’s roster rules. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/staff-roster-google-sheetshttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/staff-roster-google-sheetsFri, 19 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTBuild a staff roster in Google Sheets: a layout that adds up, formulas for shifts past midnight, weekly totals, checks, and sharing it with the team safely. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/weekly-roster-in-excelhttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/blog/weekly-roster-in-excelWed, 17 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTBuild a weekly staff roster in Excel step by step: a layout that adds up, shift hours past midnight, weekly totals, a cost estimate, checks and printing. https://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/staff-rostering-australiahttps://www.rosterflow.com.au/guides/staff-rostering-australiaTue, 16 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMTHow to build a staff roster for an Australian small business: the rules to check first, covering the trade, availability, cost, publishing and the pay run.