How Far in Advance Should You Post the Roster? Rules and Best Practice
30 October 2026 · The Rosterly team · 5 min read
Post schedules at least two weeks in advance where you can. In parts of the US, covered large employers must post them 14 days ahead (72 hours for New York City retail). In Australia, awards such as the Hospitality Award allow roster changes by agreement or with 7 days' notice. Even where no rule applies, two weeks gives staff time to plan and you time to fix gaps through swaps.
"When does the roster come out?" is one of the most common questions in any shift team. The answer shapes everything from childcare to second jobs. This post summarises the rules in a few places, then gives a practical rhythm.
United States: predictive scheduling laws
There's no federal rule, but several cities and one state require advance notice for covered employers:
Place
Who's covered (summary)
Notice
Oregon
Who's covered (summary): Retail, hospitality and food services employers with 500+ employees
Notice: 14 calendar days
New York City, fast food
Who's covered (summary): Covered fast food employers
Notice: 14 days
New York City, retail
Who's covered (summary): Covered retail employers
Notice: 72 hours before the first shift
Seattle
Who's covered (summary): Large retail and food service employers
Notice: 14 calendar days
Chicago
Who's covered (summary): Covered employers in seven industries
Notice: 14 days (since July 2022)
Los Angeles
Who's covered (summary): Retail employers with 300+ employees globally
Notice: 14 calendar days
Most also require premium pay for late changes. Our full guide to predictive scheduling laws covers coverage tests and pay.
Australia: award notice rules
Australian awards don't usually set a "post by" date for every roster, but they do regulate changes:
•
Hospitality Industry (General) Award: a roster can be changed by mutual agreement at any time, or by the employer giving 7 days' notice; where practicable, two weeks' notice of rostered days off should be given.
•
General Retail Industry Award: permanent roster changes for employees other than part-timers need at least 7 days' written notice, extended to 14 days if the employee disagrees.
•
Consultation: many awards require consultation before changing a regular roster or ordinary hours.
There's no general legal minimum notice period for publishing rotas in the UK; contracts often set expectations. See our guide to UK rota laws. Working time rules still apply to the rota itself: rest breaks, 11 hours' daily rest and weekly rest. Publishing early makes those easier to check and fix.
Why two weeks works
Even without a legal requirement, a two-week habit pays off:
•
Fewer no-shows. People can see their shifts well before they happen.
•
Fewer last-minute swaps. Clashes surface early, while there's time to swap properly.
•
Better retention. Predictable rosters let people plan childcare, study and other jobs.
•
Compliance by default. You're already meeting most notice rules.
A practical publishing rhythm
1.
Base week. Keep a standard week that covers your normal demand.
2.
Two weeks out: copy the base week forward, apply approved leave and known events, and fill gaps.
3.
Publish on the same day each week, for example every Friday for the week after next.
4.
After publishing: treat changes as exceptions, made by agreement or swap, with notice.
5.
One week out: check for open shifts and fill them.
A rotating shift pattern can let you publish months ahead for teams with regular cycles.
Publish two weeks ahead, every week
Copy your base week forward in Rosterly, apply leave and publish to every phone at once. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Publishing early only helps if the roster is clear. Each person should be able to see:
•
Their own shifts: day, start, finish and location.
•
Their role or skill on each shift, such as opener, bar or kitchen.
•
Unpaid breaks, so nobody is surprised by paid hours.
•
Who else is on, so people know who to ask about swaps.
•
How to request a change, in one place, not a group chat.
Send it through a channel everyone checks, and tell people when it's out. A roster published on time but buried in a busy chat isn't really published.
When you can't publish early
Some businesses genuinely can't: event caterers, venues booked late, seasonal businesses in their first year. If that's you:
•
publish a provisional roster early and mark it clearly
•
confirm shifts as soon as bookings are firm
•
give people the option to decline late additions
•
check whether any local rules require premiums for late changes
How Rosterly helps
•
Plan ahead: build and publish rosters weeks ahead by location.
•
Notifications: staff see their shifts on their phones as soon as you publish, and are notified about changes.
•
Next week: copy the week forward, and the copies arrive unassigned for you to fill or auto-fill.
•
Changes: swaps and cover go through manager approval, and actions are kept in the audit trail.
Rosterly doesn't track legal notice windows or calculate predictability pay, so covered US employers need to apply those rules themselves. See retail scheduling for a typical publishing rhythm.