How Many Staff Do You Need per Shift? A Simple Coverage Method
30 October 2026 · The Rosterly team · 4 min read
To work out how many staff you need per shift, start with your minimum crew (the people you need even when it's quiet), then add people for demand using your sales per labour hour target: forecast sales for the block divided by the target gives the labour hours you need. Round to whole people, add peak cover for rushes, and check the result against service and labour cost.
"How many people should I put on?" is the question behind every roster. Guessing leads to quiet afternoons with four people standing around and Saturday rushes with two. Here's a simple method that works for cafés, restaurants, quick service and retail.
Step 1: Set your minimum crew
The minimum crew is the smallest team that can safely and legally run the business, regardless of demand. For example:
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café: one barista and one person on the register and floor
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restaurant kitchen: one cook and one dishwasher once service starts
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retail store: one keyholder plus one other person for breaks and safety
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venue serving alcohol: at least one person holding the required certificate
Write it down for each part of the day. It's your floor; you never go below it.
Step 2: Map demand by hour
Use four weeks of sales by hour from your till, or transactions, covers or footfall if that's what you track. Average each hour by day of the week, because Tuesdays and Saturdays are different businesses.
Hour
Avg Tuesday sales
Avg Saturday sales
7–8am
Avg Tuesday sales: $180
Avg Saturday sales: $260
8–9am
Avg Tuesday sales: $420
Avg Saturday sales: $510
9–10am
Avg Tuesday sales: $380
Avg Saturday sales: $640
12–1pm
Avg Tuesday sales: $300
Avg Saturday sales: $580
2–3pm
Avg Tuesday sales: $120
Avg Saturday sales: $260
Step 3: Turn demand into labour hours
Pick a sales per labour hour (SPLH) target: the sales one person can handle in an hour at the standard of service you want. The best target is your own, from busy hours where service still felt good. Our sales per labour hour post explains how to find it.
People needed in an hour = Forecast sales for the hour ÷ SPLH target
Use your own target, measured from hours where service went well.
With a target of $120:
Hour
Tuesday
People
Saturday
People
7–8am
Tuesday: $180
People: 1.5
Saturday: $260
People: 2.2
8–9am
Tuesday: $420
People: 3.5
Saturday: $510
People: 4.3
9–10am
Tuesday: $380
People: 3.2
Saturday: $640
People: 5.3
12–1pm
Tuesday: $300
People: 2.5
Saturday: $580
People: 4.8
2–3pm
Tuesday: $120
People: 1.0
Saturday: $260
People: 2.2
Step 4: Round sensibly and apply the minimum
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Round to whole people, usually up during rushes and down in quiet hours.
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Never go below the minimum crew. Tuesday 2–3pm needs 1.0 by the numbers but two by the minimum.
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Watch shift lengths. Minimum engagement rules or contracts may mean a one-hour shift isn't possible, so shape demand into shifts of sensible length.
Tuesday becomes: 2 at 7am, 4 from 8 to 10am, 3 at lunch, 2 in the afternoon. Saturday: 3 at 7am, 5 from 8 to 10am, 5 at lunch, 2 or 3 in the afternoon.
Step 5: Shape it into shifts
Turn the hour-by-hour numbers into shifts:
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opening shift from before open until mid-afternoon