Staff rota software for small business
Simple Staff Rota Software for UK Small Businesses
Create rotas, share shifts, track attendance and prepare payroll-ready hours without relying on spreadsheets, group chats or expensive clocking equipment.
WorkPilotAI is for owners and managers of small, shift-based teams — the people who currently rebuild the rota every week, chase replies and fix hours by hand before payday.
Card required to start. Nothing charged for 30 days. Your selected plan begins automatically unless cancelled.
The small-business rota problem
In most small businesses the rota lives in a spreadsheet, a photo of a whiteboard or a message thread. Every sick day or swap means editing the file, re-sending it and hoping everyone sees the new version. Small slips add up: a holiday approved twice, a Saturday left short, a few extra minutes of paid time every day because someone clocked in early.
By the end of the month, the owner is checking timesheets line by line before sending hours to the accountant — and it gets harder again once a second site opens.
- Hours spent updating spreadsheets
- Rota changes lost in group chats
- Staff working from an old version
- Holiday clashes on busy days
- Shifts nobody noticed were uncovered
- Overtime that creeps up unnoticed
- Early clock-ins adding paid hours
- Payroll corrections after payday
- Juggling more than one location
Everything in one place
WorkPilotAI brings the rota, the time clock and the holiday calendar together. Staff tell you when they're available, you build and publish the week, and leave or swap requests arrive as approvals rather than messages. Clock-ins are matched against the rota so exceptions stand out, and approved hours can be exported in one step. See the full feature list.
- Rota creation and publishing
- Staff availability
- Leave requests and approval
- Shift swaps
- Clock-in and clock-out
- Attendance exceptions
- Overtime visibility
- Estimated labour costs
- Payroll-ready exports
- Manager-approved AI suggestions
Reduce avoidable labour costs
While you plan, WorkPilotAI shows scheduled hours for each person and the week, flags overtime risk and estimates labour cost from the pay rates you enter. After the week, attendance exceptions — missed clock-outs, unusually long shifts, early clock-ins — are listed for review before anything goes to payroll.
That visibility helps you spot avoidable hours before they're paid. How much difference it makes depends on your business; we don't promise a particular saving.
Easy for staff
Employees use a supported phone, tablet or computer to view their upcoming shifts, clock in and out, check their holiday balance, request leave and ask to swap a shift. They see their own information, and every request goes to a manager for a decision.
Built for growing businesses
Start with a small team and move up as you grow. Starter covers up to 10 active employees, Team up to 25 and Growth up to 50, each at one site. Professional covers up to 250 employees across up to 3 separate sites, and Enterprise supports up to 10 sites for larger organisations. Every plan includes the full product.
If a payment fails after your trial, your account moves to a limited Free plan for up to 5 active employees, with your data kept, until you update your card. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Suitable business types
WorkPilotAI suits any business that runs on shifts. Running a care home? See our care home rota software page.
- Cafés and restaurants
- Independent retailers
- Cleaning businesses
- Security companies
- Salons and personal-care businesses
- Garages and workshops
- Warehouses
- Small healthcare and care teams
- Other shift-based businesses
How it works
- Step 1
Create the rota
Build the week by hand, reuse a saved template, or start from an AI-suggested draft based on availability and approved leave.
- Step 2
Publish it to staff
When you're happy, publish. Everyone sees the latest version of their own shifts — no more screenshots in group chats.
- Step 3
Track attendance and changes
Staff clock in and out on their own devices. Leave, swaps and exceptions come to you for approval.
- Step 4
Review and export approved hours
Resolve missed clocks and unusual shifts, approve timesheets, then export the hours for payroll.
Product demonstrations
Week of 3 August · Corner Café
Draft · awaiting manager review| Team member | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aisha K.Supervisor | 07:00–15:00 | 07:00–15:00 | 07:00–15:00 | Off | 07:00–15:00 | 07:00–15:00 | Off |
| Tom B.Barista | 14:00–22:00 | 14:00–22:00 | Off | 14:00–22:00 | 14:00–22:00 | Off | Off |
| Grace O.Server | 07:00–15:00 | Off | 07:00–15:00 | 07:00–15:00 | Off | 07:00–15:00 | 07:00–15:00 |
| Daniel R.Kitchen | Off | 14:00–22:00 | 14:00–22:00 | Off | 14:00–22:00 | 14:00–22:00 | 14:00–22:00 |
Availability, booked leave and weekly hours are checked while you build. Nothing reaches staff until a manager publishes it.
Attendance · Mon 3 August
| Person | Clock in | Clock out | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aisha K.Mon | 06:58 | 15:02 | On time |
| Tom B.Mon | 13:55 | 22:04 | On time |
| Grace O.Mon | 07:12 | 15:00 | Late 12 min · reviewed |
| Daniel R.Tue | 13:41 | — | Missed clock-out · exception |
Missed clocks, overlaps and unusual durations are flagged for a manager to review before payroll.
Labour cost · week of 3 August
186 h
Scheduled
9 h
Overtime
3 h
Early clock-ins
- Scheduled hours186 h
- Overtime flagged9 h
- Early clock-ins3 h
Forecast labour vs budget
£2,140 of £2,300 budget
Estimates use your own pay rates as you build the week. They are projections, not promises of cost or savings.
Next shift
Today · 07:00 – 15:00
Corner Café · Morning
- Wed 5 Aug07:00 – 15:00
- Thu 6 AugOff
- Fri 7 Aug07:00 – 15:00
Staff see their own shifts only. Holiday balance: 8.5 days.
Frequently asked questions
Is WorkPilotAI suitable for a very small business?
Yes. The smallest paid plan covers up to 10 active employees at one site, so a café, shop or small cleaning team can run its whole rota, attendance and leave in one place without paying for features built for large organisations.
Can staff use their own phones?
Yes. Staff sign in from a supported phone, tablet or computer to see their shifts, clock in and out, and send leave or swap requests. There is nothing extra to install on a till or terminal.
Do I need to purchase a clocking machine?
No. Clocking in and out happens on the devices your team already has. If you prefer, you can add optional location checks and clock-in windows for each site.
Can employees request leave and shift swaps?
Yes. Employees send leave and shift-swap requests from their own account. A manager approves or declines each one, and approved changes update the rota.
Can I monitor overtime and estimated labour costs?
Yes. As you build the week, WorkPilotAI shows scheduled hours, highlights overtime risk and estimates labour cost from the pay rates you enter. These are estimates to help you plan, not guarantees.
Does WorkPilotAI run payroll?
No. WorkPilotAI prepares approved hours and lets you export them as a CSV for your payroll provider or accountant. It does not process payroll or make payments.
Can I manage more than one business location?
Yes. Single-site plans suit one location; the Professional plan covers up to 3 separate sites and Enterprise up to 10, each with its own rota and managers limited to the sites they look after.
What happens after the 30-day trial?
Card required to start. Nothing charged for 30 days. Your selected plan begins automatically unless cancelled. You can cancel before the trial ends from your account settings.
Can I export my workforce data?
Yes. Approved hours can be exported as CSV, rotas and timesheets can be downloaded, and the account owner can export the organisation's workforce records.
Does AI make decisions automatically?
No. The AI can suggest a draft rota or point out gaps, but nothing is saved or published until a manager reviews and accepts it. Managers make every decision.
Read our privacy notice or contact us with any other questions.
Save time managing rotas and spot avoidable labour costs before payroll.
Card required to start. Nothing charged for 30 days. Your selected plan begins automatically unless cancelled.