How to Use the Shift Coverage Calculator 🧮
Managing shifts for a 24/7 operation — or any schedule with multiple shifts per day — can get messy fast. This calculator helps you figure out how many people to schedule per shift based on your available workforce and setup.
🔧 Step-by-step
1. Enter the total number of people on your team
This is your full headcount, regardless of contract type.
2. Set the number of hours each person works per week
Most full-time contracts are 40 hours, but adjust as needed for part-timers or flexible roles.
3. Define the length of a single shift
This could be 8 hours, 12 hours, or whatever your setup requires.
4. Enter how many shifts you run per day
For 24/7 operations, this is usually 3 shifts (morning, evening, night). For other setups it might be 2 (e.g., early + late), or even just 1.
5. Choose number of days your operation runs each week
Usually 7 for round-the-clock businesses, but feel free to set it to 5 or 6 if you don’t operate on weekends.
6. Adjust the number of shifts per week each employee is allowed to work
This helps you account for union rules, fatigue, or internal agreements on workload distribution.
7. Set the minimum number of people you need per shift
The calculator will flag you if your current setup doesn’t meet this minimum with the available team.
✅ What You Get
The calculator instantly shows you:
- The optimal number of people per shift
- The total number of shifts your team can realistically cover
- A calendar-style breakdown of coverage across each day
- Warnings if your setup falls short of required staffing levels
🧠 Why It’s Useful
This tool is great for:
- Workforce planners trying to optimize staff distribution
- Managers of customer support, call centers, healthcare, logistics, or hospitality teams
- Anyone trying to avoid understaffing or wasting paid hours
💡 Pro tip: Try different values to test new shift patterns, or simulate what happens when you add or lose team members.
⚡ Want Real Scheduling Power?
This calculator gives you a great starting point. But if you want a real scheduling tool that does all this — and actually builds and manages the schedule for your team — check out Soon.
It's built to handle dynamic shift planning, team collaboration, and forecasting with minimal hassle.
