| name | shift-schedule-builder |
| description | Build a staff shift schedule that matches coverage to demand while hitting a labor-cost target. Use when asked to build a shift schedule, staff a rota, plan coverage for a restaurant/retail/shift-based team, or balance labor cost against service. Produces a day-part coverage plan mapped to forecast demand, role-by-role assignments, the projected labor cost vs. target, and the fairness/compliance guardrails (rest between shifts, overtime, availability). |
| homepage | https://mohitagw15856.github.io/pm-claude-skills/skill/shift-schedule-builder.html |
| metadata | {"openclaw":{"emoji":"🧠"}} |
Shift Schedule Builder Skill
A schedule is a bet on demand: overstaff and you burn margin, understaff and service (and your best people) walk. This skill builds coverage from the demand curve out — enough hands at the rush, lean in the lulls — then checks the labor cost and the human constraints before it's posted.
Working from a brief
Given the team, hours, and demand pattern, produce the full schedule — infer the day-part demand shape from the business type if no forecast is given (label it). Respect stated availability and time-off; never schedule someone into a conflict you were told about.
Required Inputs
Ask for (if not provided, else infer and label):
- Team — names/roles, pay rates or an average, and availability/time-off
- Operating hours and the demand pattern (covers by day-part, peak times, events)
- Labor-cost target (% of revenue or a dollar cap) and any rules (max hours, required rest, minors)
Output Format
Coverage plan
Demand mapped to required heads per role per day-part:
| Day-part | Forecast demand | Cooks | Servers | Support | Notes |
|---|
The schedule
Person-by-person shifts across the week (start–end, role, station), with total hours per person.
Labor cost check
Projected labor hours × rates → labor cost, as a % of forecast revenue vs. the target, with the gap and where to trim/add.
Guardrails flagged
Overtime risk, insufficient rest between close/open ("clopening"), availability conflicts, minor-hour limits, and anyone over/under their expected hours.
Quality Checks
Anti-Patterns
- Flat staffing that ignores the rush-and-lull demand curve
- Posting a schedule without checking the labor-cost %
- Scheduling "clopens" or overtime by accident
- Ignoring stated availability (the fastest way to lose staff)
- Cutting so lean that service and food quality collapse at peak
