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What are Rosters?

Rosters are live schedules tied to real dates that are published to your employees. Unlike templates, which are reusable patterns, rosters represent actual working weeks that employees can view. Before you can create a roster, you must first create a template on the Templates page — templates define the structure (positions, employees, and areas) that rosters are built from.

Main View Structure

The roster page has two sidebars on the left and one infinite scrolling area on the right. The left sidebar shows a collapsible Templates section at the top for creating new rosters, and a list of employees or positions below it that updates based on whichever roster is currently selected. A second context sidebar updates to show the positions or employees specific to the selected roster.

Position View and Employee View

Both view types exist simultaneously on screen — you are not locked into one or the other. Position View rosters display rows as positions, showing which employee fills each role on each date. Employee View rosters display rows as employees, showing each person's full schedule across their positions. You can scroll through both types in the same infinite scroll area.

Typical Workflow

The general workflow on the rosters page is: drag in a template (which represents the structure that stays mostly the same week to week), make the necessary changes for that specific week such as replacing employees on leave or adjusting shift times, then publish the roster.

Starting Point

When you open the Rosters page, the view always starts centred on today's date. The roster area is infinitely scrollable, meaning you can view past rosters or build rosters as far into the future as you like.

Ways to Move Around

There are several ways to navigate the roster grid. Scroll up and down to move vertically through rows. Hold Shift and scroll your mouse wheel to move left and right through dates. You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard. To jump to a specific date, click the Go to Date button and select a date from the calendar sidebar — the view will instantly scroll to that date.

Arrow Navigation Buttons

The toolbar includes left and right arrow buttons. Click and hold either button to scroll continuously in that direction — the scroll runs while held and stops when you release.

Today Button

The Today button in the toolbar scrolls the view back to centre on today's date. Use this any time you have navigated far from the current date and want to quickly return.

Date Headers

Each column shows a date header displaying the year, month, abbreviated day name, and date number. Today's date column is highlighted so you always know where you are. Date headers for published (live) rosters are highlighted green — this is the clearest at-a-glance indicator that those dates are currently visible to employees.

Auto-Selection as You Scroll

As you scroll through the roster area, whichever roster is most central on the screen will automatically become selected. You will see a border around the selected roster while the others are faded out. Any actions you take — such as deleting, publishing, or unpublishing — apply only to the currently selected roster. The one exception is the save button, which saves all rosters that have unsaved changes regardless of which is selected.

Finding Your Templates

The left sidebar has a collapsible Templates section at the top. Click the section header to expand or collapse it. Each template card shows its name, duration (e.g. "1 week" or "14 days"), and view type (Position or Employee).

Dragging a Template onto the Roster Area

To create a new roster, click and hold on a template card in the sidebar and drag it over to the date headers in the main area. As you drag, the date column headers highlight to show where the roster will be placed. Drop it on the date the roster should start on. The roster is then created spanning the number of days defined in the template.

What Gets Created

Dropping a template creates a complete, independent copy of that template starting at the chosen date. Changes you make to this roster will not affect the original template or any other rosters created from the same template.

Dropped on the Wrong Date

If you accidentally drop a template on the wrong date, scroll to select that roster and click the Delete button, then drag the template in again to the correct date.

Overlapping Rosters

Two rosters cannot occupy the same date range. If you try to drop a template onto dates already covered by another roster, you will see a message explaining the overlap. Remove the existing roster first or choose a start date that does not overlap.

Selecting a Roster

A roster is automatically selected as it becomes the most central one on screen while you scroll. You can also click directly on a roster table to select it. The selected roster is indicated by a border around it while other rosters are faded out. Only one roster can be selected at a time.

Publishing a Roster

Once you have selected a roster, the Publish button appears in the top-right area of the toolbar. Click it to make the roster live and visible to employees. When published, the date column headers for that roster's date range turn green. Any unsaved changes are automatically saved before publishing.

Live Edits Are Instant

Once a roster is live, any changes you make are reflected instantly in the employee app and in emailed rosters as soon as those changes have been saved. You do not need to unpublish and republish for updates to apply.

Unpublishing a Roster

If the selected roster is already live, the toolbar shows an Unpublish button instead of Publish. Click Unpublish to take the roster offline. The date headers return to their normal colour and employees will no longer see that roster. All shift requests associated with the roster are also removed on unpublish.

Deleting a Roster

With a roster selected, click the Delete (trash icon) button in the toolbar. A confirmation dialog appears before anything is deleted. Confirming removes the roster from the date area. If the roster was newly dragged from a template and not yet saved, it is removed from screen only. If it was a saved roster, it is permanently deleted from the server.

Email and Mobile Notifications on Publish

The toolbar contains two icon toggle buttons: an envelope icon for email notifications and a phone icon for mobile push notifications. When toggled on (they highlight to show they are active), employees will be notified when you publish. These preferences are saved in your browser between sessions. Toggle them off if you want to publish without notifying employees — this is useful if you have staff who have not yet signed up to the app, which you can check from the Manage page.

What Sidebar Hours Show

The sidebar displays hour totals for employees in the selected roster. Hours are only shown for the currently selected roster, not for all rosters visible on screen at once.

Separate Hours by Position

You can control how hours are displayed from Settings. In the General tab, there is a toggle called "Separate Hours by Position". When this is off, the sidebar shows the total hours an employee works each day across all their positions. When it is on, the sidebar breaks down the hours per position per day, making it easier to see how much time each employee spends in each role.

Overnight Shifts

For overnight shifts that cross midnight, hours are not split across days in the roster view — the full shift duration appears on the start date. However, for payroll purposes, overnight hours are correctly split across the two days they span.

How Leave Conflicts Work

After dragging in a template, you may notice warning indicators on some cells. The system automatically checks whether employees assigned to shifts have approved or pending leave for those dates and flags any conflicts so you can address them before publishing.

Types of Indicators

A red indicator means the employee has approved leave on that date — they will be unavailable to work and you should replace them with someone else. A yellow indicator means the employee has requested leave but it has not yet been approved — these shifts may still need attention depending on whether the leave is approved.

Highlighted Days When Clicking an Employee

When you click on an employee in the sidebar, entire days may highlight in red or yellow. This is another visual cue showing which days that employee is on leave, so you can avoid scheduling them on those dates.

Resolving Conflicts

To resolve a conflict you can remove the employee from that shift using the Eraser Tool, reassign the shift to a different employee who is not on leave, or convert the cell to a shift request so that any qualified employee can pick up the shift once the roster is published.

Viewing Conflict Details

Hover over or click on a leave conflict indicator to see details including the leave type, the dates it covers, and the approval status.

The toolbar includes four editing tools that work across both Position View and Employee View rosters. All tools used in templates — changing shift times, editing individual cells, adding, duplicating, deleting or moving rows, blocking shifts, assigning employees, and using the time, eraser, and block tools — work exactly the same way in live rosters. Only one tool can be active at a time; activating a new one automatically deactivates the current one. When a tool is active, its button is highlighted and a cursor icon follows your mouse.

Block Tool

The Block Tool marks cells as unavailable. Click the block icon in the toolbar to activate it, then click any cell to block it. Blocked cells display a crossed-out pattern. Click the button again or press Escape to deactivate.

Eraser Tool

The Eraser Tool removes data from cells. Click the eraser icon to activate it, then click any cell to clear its contents. In Position View, clicking removes the assigned employee and times. In Employee View, you can click individual position badges to remove just that position, or click the empty area of a cell to clear everything. Deactivate by clicking the button again or pressing Escape.

Time Tool

The Time Tool lets you apply the same shift time to many cells quickly. Click the time icon to open a modal where you enter start and end times, then click Activate Tool. A clock cursor appears and clicking any cell applies those times instantly. Deactivate by clicking the button again or pressing Escape.

Shift Request Tool

The Shift Request Tool marks cells as open shifts that need to be filled by any qualified employee. Activate it, then click any cell that already has a position and times set to convert it to a shift request. A badge appears on the date column header showing how many open requests exist for that date. Click the badge to view shift request details. Deactivate by clicking the button again or pressing Escape.

Undo (Ctrl+Z)

Press Ctrl+Z to undo the most recent change. The undo history is maintained for the current session and resets if you navigate away from the page.

Position View rosters display rows organised by position. Each row represents one position and the cells show which employee fills that role on each date.

Assigning Employees via Sidebar

When a Position View roster is selected, the left sidebar shows a list of employees. Click an employee's name and they attach to your cursor. Click any cell to place them — you can continue clicking multiple cells to assign the same employee across many shifts before pressing Escape or selecting someone else.

Assigning via Modal

Click on any empty cell or on an existing employee name to open the employee selection modal. The modal shows a searchable list of employees qualified for that position and area. Type to filter, then click a name to assign.

Right-Click Context Menu

Right-click on any cell to open a context menu listing employees qualified for that position and area. Click an employee to assign them directly without opening the full modal.

Drag and Drop Employees

Click and hold on an employee name within a cell and drag it to another cell to copy or swap the assignment.

Setting Shift Times

Click the clock icon in any cell to open the time picker. Set start and end times for that specific shift and click Set Time to apply.

Set Row Times

Right-click on a position row in the sidebar and select Set Row Times to apply the same start and end times to every cell in that row at once — useful for positions that work consistent hours every day.

Row Management

Right-click on a position row in the sidebar to access Duplicate Row, which creates an identical copy, and Delete Row, which removes the row and all of its shift assignments.

Employee View rosters display rows organised by employee. Each row represents one person and their cells show all position assignments across dates.

Assigning Positions via Sidebar

When an Employee View roster is selected, the left sidebar shows a list of positions. Click a position's name to select it — it highlights and a cursor indicator appears. Click any cell in an employee row to add that position to that day. Continue clicking cells to add it to more days, or press Escape to stop.

Right-Click Context Menu

Right-click on any employee cell to see a context menu of positions that employee is qualified for. Click a position to add it without using the sidebar.

Multiple Positions Per Day

Employees can hold more than one position on a single day. Each position appears as a separate badge in the cell with its own individual start and end times.

Setting Position Times

Click the clock icon next to any position badge to set its specific times for that position on that day.

Drag and Drop Positions

Click and hold on any position badge and drag it to another cell in the same employee row or to a different employee's cell to move or copy that shift.

Copy and Paste Shifts

Right-click on a cell and select Copy Shift to copy all positions and times from that cell, then right-click another cell and select Paste Shift to apply the copied data. Keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V also work after clicking a cell to select it.

Fill Down and Fill Across

Right-click a cell with positions and times to access Fill Down, which copies that cell's content to all subsequent days in the same employee row, and Fill Across, which copies it to all days in the week.

Row Management

Right-click on an employee row in the sidebar to access Remove Employee, Duplicate Row, and Clear Row, which removes all positions while keeping the employee assigned.

What Are Areas?

Areas are organisational groups that separate rows into labelled sections within a roster — for example, Nurses, Doctors, and Admin Staff. Areas appear as section dividers in the roster table with rows grouped beneath each one.

Reordering Rows

In the sidebar, click and hold on any row and drag it to a new position to reorder it. A blue line indicator shows where the row will land when you release. Rows can be moved within the same area or dragged to a different area section.

Adding Rows to Areas

Each area section has a + button. In Position View, clicking + adds a new position row to that area. In Employee View, clicking + adds a new employee row. You can then assign the position or employee using the selection modals.

What Are Shift Requests?

Shift requests are open shifts that any qualified employee can claim through the app. When a roster is published, employees who match the area and position of a shift request will see those shifts listed as available on their app homepage. The first eligible employee to accept the shift gets it automatically and is instantly added to the roster.

Creating Shift Requests in Position View

Activate the Shift Request Tool from the toolbar, then click on any cell that already has a position and times set. The cell converts to a shift request and a badge appears on the date column header showing the count of open requests for that date.

Creating Shift Requests in Employee View

Click on a date column header to open the shift request modal. Select an area, select a position, and set start and end times, then click Add Shift Request. A badge appears on that date header showing how many requests exist.

Viewing and Managing Shift Requests

Click on a shift request badge in any date header to open a details modal listing all requests for that date. From the modal you can remove individual requests or add additional ones.

When Requests Become Visible

Shift requests only become visible to employees after the roster is saved and published. Unpublishing a roster removes all of its associated shift requests.

Email Notification

If you published with the Email Roster on Publish option enabled, employees receive an email letting them know a new roster has been published. When they click the link in the email, they are taken to a page where they can view their current and future rosters.

App Notification

Employees who use the Roster Mate app receive a push notification when a new roster is published. From the app, the homepage shows their next 7 days of shifts, and the Rosters page shows their full schedule.

What Employees Can See

Depending on their permissions, employees may be able to see other employees' shifts, see when others are on leave, or even approve leave requests. You can control all of this from the Roles and Permissions settings.

Claiming Shift Requests

Employees who match the area and position of a shift request will see those shifts listed as available on their app homepage. When an employee accepts a shift request, they are instantly added to the roster for that shift. The first eligible employee to accept gets it automatically.

Checking Who Has the App

You can check which employees have signed up to the app from the Manage page. For staff who have not yet signed up, using the email notification on publish ensures they still receive their roster.

When to Save

Save after making any changes — assigning employees or positions, setting times, blocking cells, adding or removing rows, or reordering areas. There is no auto-save, so save regularly to avoid losing work.

How to Save

Click the green save icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. A success notification confirms when the save is complete. The save button saves all rosters that currently have unsaved changes, not just the selected one.

Saving vs Publishing

Saving stores your changes on the server but does not make the roster visible to employees. Publishing is a separate step done via the Publish button in the toolbar after selecting a roster. Save first, publish when ready. Once a roster is live, saving any further changes applies them to employees immediately without needing to republish.

Sidebar Search

The left sidebar includes a search bar to filter the employee or position list. Type a name to instantly filter the list to matching items, making it faster to find who or what you are looking for when assigning shifts.

Sidebar Content by Selected Roster

When a Position View roster is selected, the sidebar shows a list of employees to assign. When an Employee View roster is selected, the sidebar shows a list of positions to assign. The sidebar switches automatically based on whichever roster is currently selected.

Collapsible Templates Section

The Templates section at the top of the sidebar can be collapsed to give more room to the employee or position list below. Click the Templates header to toggle it open or closed. The state is remembered between sessions.

No Templates Showing in the Sidebar

If the Templates section is empty, no templates have been created yet. Go to the Templates page, create and save at least one template, then return to Rosters.

Can't Drop a Template onto a Date

If dropping a template does not create a roster, the target date range may already be covered by an existing roster. Check for overlapping rosters and either remove the existing one or choose a start date that does not overlap.

Publish Button Not Showing

The Publish and Unpublish buttons only appear when a roster is selected. Scroll to bring a roster to the centre of the screen or click it directly — the border appears around it — and the toolbar buttons will update.

Date Headers Not Turning Green After Publishing

If date headers do not turn green after publishing, check that the save completed successfully before publishing. Try refreshing the page if the headers still do not update.

Context Menu Shows No Employees

If right-clicking a Position View cell shows an empty employee list, no employees are assigned to that position and area combination. Go to Management, then Employees, and the Assignments tab to assign the required employees, then refresh the Rosters page.

Leave Conflicts Not Showing

Leave conflict indicators only appear in Employee View rosters. Scroll to or select an Employee View roster to check for conflicts.

Changes Not Saving

If changes disappear after refreshing, you likely did not save or the save failed. Always wait for the success notification after clicking save. Check your internet connection and try again if no confirmation appeared.

Drag and Drop Not Working

Make sure you are clicking and holding before moving the mouse rather than just clicking. If the feature appears completely broken, try refreshing the page.

If you are still having issues, contact support with the roster name and date range, what you were trying to do, what happened instead, any error messages, and your browser and version.

Follow the Workflow

The most efficient way to use the Rosters page is: drag in your template, make the specific changes needed for that week (replacing leave conflicts, adjusting times), then publish. Keeping this consistent pattern makes roster management fast and predictable.

Handle Leave Conflicts Before Publishing

After dragging in a template, scan for red and yellow leave conflict indicators before making other edits. Replace conflicted employees or convert their cells to shift requests so the roster is clean before it goes live.

Use the Time Tool for Repeating Hours

If many shifts share the same start and end times, the Time Tool saves significant effort. Set the time once and click rapidly through all the cells that need those hours rather than opening the time picker individually for each one.

Save Frequently

There is no auto-save. Click the save icon regularly as you work, especially before publishing. The save covers all rosters with unsaved changes in one operation.

You Don't Need to Republish After Edits

Once a roster is live, saving any edits automatically updates what employees see. You do not need to unpublish and republish. Only unpublish if you want to take the roster entirely offline.

Use Notifications Selectively

The email and mobile notification toggles persist between sessions. Leave them off by default and enable them only when you want to actively alert employees — for example, when publishing a roster for the first time or after significant changes. Avoid sending repeated notifications for minor corrections.

Use Ctrl+Z to Undo Mistakes

If you make a mistake, press Ctrl+Z to undo rather than correcting it manually. The undo history is maintained for the current session so you can step back through multiple changes.