Shifts on the phone
Each person opens their page in the browser and sees their shifts. Nothing to install.
Rota and shift planning
Rota and shift planning software for teams that work in shifts
Omega People is rota software (employee scheduling software, in the US) for shops, kitchens, workshops, care teams and any company that works in shifts. Build the week from templates, publish it when it’s ready, and staff see their shifts in the browser on their phone. The rota warns you when a shift breaks the rest or weekly-hours rules of your country.
Build the rota
A week’s rota in five steps
- Set up shift templates — early, late, night — each with the number of people it needs.
- Copy last week if this one looks much the same, then change only what differs.
- Fill the gaps with availability in front of you: who has said they can work, who is on approved leave, which days are public holidays.
- Read the warnings: too little rest, too many hours, too many days in a row.
- Publish. Until then the rota is a draft only planners see; once published, everyone on it is notified in the product.
What staff see
The rota in everyone’s pocket, without printing it
Told when it’s published
When a rota is published, everyone on it gets a notification inside the product.
Shift swaps
Two colleagues agree a swap from their own pages; you choose whether a manager has to approve it.
Availability
Staff say when they can and can’t work, and planners see it while building the week.
More than one site
Plan each site on its own rota, with its own public holidays, and limit managers to their own site or team.
Through to payroll
The month-end payroll file carries ordinary hours, overtime, absences and shift premiums.
Working-time warnings
What the rota checks before you publish
The limits come from the working-time rules of the country you chose for the company.
| Check | What it warns about | Example from the rules |
|---|---|---|
| Daily rest | Too few hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next | A late shift followed by an early one |
| Weekly rest | No proper break in the week | Seven days planned without a day off |
| Maximum weekly hours | Planned hours over the weekly limit | 48 hours on average in the UK, 38 in Australia, 45 in Switzerland |
| Consecutive days | Too many working days in a row | A long run across two weeks |
The country rules were last reviewed against official sources on 5 October 2026. They are a starting point, not legal advice: contracts, awards and collective agreements can differ, and you can change every value. The warnings help you plan; they do not replace your own check against the contract, award or agreement that applies.
Where it stops
What this rota does not do
It is a planning grid with rules, not a forecasting engine. Three things you may be used to from dedicated scheduling products are not here:
- No open shifts for staff to pick up: a planner assigns each shift, and staff can swap.
- No automatic scheduling from sales or demand forecasts: you build the rota from templates and last week’s copy.
- No award interpretation: for Australian modern awards, and pay rules in general, the product counts hours and premiums but does not calculate what they are worth.
If those are what you need most, a specialist tool will suit you better; our comparison with Deputy sets it out. If you want the rota next to leave, timesheets and employee records, it is included in every band from £35 a month.
Questions
What people ask us about this
How do staff see their rota?
In the browser on their own phone or computer. Each employee opens their page and sees their published shifts; when a rota is published they get a notification inside the product. There is nothing to install.
Can employees swap shifts?
Yes. A signed-in employee proposes a swap with a colleague from their own page. You decide whether swaps go through on their own or wait for a manager’s approval, and the rota updates once the swap is agreed.
Does the rota check rest periods and maximum hours?
Yes. It checks daily rest, weekly rest, maximum weekly hours and consecutive working days against the working-time rules of your country, and warns you before you publish. The rules were last reviewed on 5 October 2026 and are a starting point, not legal advice.
How much does rota software cost?
Omega People costs £35 a month for a company of up to 25 employees and £69 for up to 75, excluding tax. Shift planning is included with every other module, and you don’t pay per user, so managers and planners cost nothing extra. The first month is free.
Get started
Publish next week’s rota from here
Create a workspace, add your shift templates and invite the team. The first month is free, no card needed.
- No credit card required
- Nothing is charged unless you add a card