6 shifts a month2 people a night
Security teams
Security guard shift scheduling
For security teams the rota's first job is coverage: every hour has to be staffed. Its second job is splitting the load evenly, because shift pay depends on it directly.
Example setup: an 8-person team · one 24-hour shift with 2 guards · 24/48 pattern · 45-hour weekly cap · no more than 3 holiday shifts per person.
A typical setup
Either a single 24-hour shift or two 12-hour shifts. Which days count as weekend follows the site's own working pattern, and public holidays are applied from the calendar automatically.
Which constraints apply
- Rest after a 24-hour shift
- Weekly total hour cap
- Holiday shift ceiling per person
- People who should not be paired on the same shift
The result
The monthly roster prints as a single PDF for the post. Weekday and holiday shift counts per person are listed, which makes overtime and holiday pay calculations straightforward.
How you set it up
- Pick the pattern first. 12/24 or 24/48 changes everything downstream. Set the shift length and how many guards each post needs before anything else.
- Define each post separately. A site with three posts is three coverage requirements, not one. Each can carry its own headcount and hours.
- Set the weekly hour cap. Shift pay usually depends on it, so the weekly total is the rule people check first. Put the real number in.
- Use the holiday ceiling. Cap holiday shifts per guard so the same people do not absorb every public holiday.
Common questions
Does it handle 24/48 and 12/24?
Yes. Define a single 24-hour shift or two 12-hour shifts; the rotation follows from the rest rule you set after each shift.
Can I stop two specific guards sharing a post?
Yes. Pairing preferences are set per person, and the schedule treats them as rules rather than suggestions.
How do I show overtime at the end of the month?
The distribution list gives weekday and holiday shift counts per person, which is what overtime and holiday pay are calculated from.
Can different posts have different patterns?
Yes — each post is its own shift set, so a gate on 12/24 and a control room on 24/48 live in the same monthly plan.
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