Guides and free tools
Written for businesses whose staff work shifts. Free, no sign-up, and no email address required to read any of it.
Free calculators
Holiday entitlement calculatorAny working pattern, including rolling shifts most calculators get wrong by eight days.Bradford Factor calculatorThe score, the usual trigger points, and when using it becomes a legal risk.Overtime pay calculatorAny rate and multiplier, with a check that the average still clears minimum wage.
Guides
The 4 on 4 off shift pattern explainedHow four-on-four-off works, the hours it averages, what holiday entitlement it earns, and why leave on a rolling rota should be counted in shifts rather than days.Setting minimum staffing levels for a rotaHow to set a safe minimum for each team, why it belongs in the rota rather than in somebody's head, and how to stop approving leave that quietly leaves you short.Clocking in when staff have no work email or smartphoneHow to record hours for staff without company email or a phone — shared devices, PINs, and why biometrics are usually the wrong answer for a small business.
Honest comparisons
Each one leads with where the other option is better.
Rotasmith vs a spreadsheet rotaAn honest comparison of running your rota in Excel or Google Sheets against dedicated software — what a spreadsheet does well, and the three things it cannot do.Rotasmith vs HR software for shift businessesHow dedicated HR systems and rota software differ, why most shift businesses end up paying for both, and how to work out which one you actually need.