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Automatically Build Rosters with the Roster Agent

Learn how to use Workforce's AI-powered Roster Agent to automatically build, review, and adjust your weekly roster.

What's covered in this guide?

What is the Roster Agent?

The Roster Agent is an AI-powered tool that helps you build weekly rosters automatically.

Simply select a location and week, and the agent will review information such as:

  • Regular Hours of Work

  • Previous rosters

  • Employee availability

  • Approved leave

  • Labour budgets

  • Public holidays and events

  • Compliance rules

The agent will generate a proposed roster for you to review before any shifts are created.

You can then:

  • Approve the proposed roster

  • Request changes

  • Continue chatting with the agent

  • Make manual adjustments yourself

📝 Important to note: No shifts are created until you approve the proposed roster.

Access the Roster Agent

To open the Roster Agent:

  1. Navigate to Time & Attendance > Rosters

  2. Select the location and week you want to roster

  3. Click Roster Agent

From the Roster Agent sidebar, you can:

  • Start a new roster build

  • Continue a previous session

  • Chat with the agent about an existing roster

Build a Roster

Step 1: Review Pending Requests

Before starting, the Roster Agent displays any outstanding leave or availability requests for the selected week.

It's recommended that these requests are reviewed before building your roster to ensure the agent has the most accurate information available.

Step 2: Choose a Source

Select how you would like the roster to be generated.

Available options include:

Source

Description

Regular Hours of Work

Uses each employee's regular hours as the starting point.

Roster Template

Builds from one or more existing roster templates.

Copy from Previous Week

Uses a past week's roster as the starting point.

Roster Pattern

Uses configured roster patterns as the base roster.

You can also choose whether to clear existing shifts before building or have the agent work around existing shifts.

Step 3: Add Custom Instructions

Optionally, provide additional instructions for the agent.

Examples include:

  • "Keep labour costs below £3,000"

  • "Don't roster Sam on Mondays"

  • "Add extra coverage during lunch service"

Step 4: Review the Proposed Roster

When you click Build Roster, the agent reviews your roster data and generates a proposed roster plan.

The plan summary includes:

  • Staffing recommendations

  • Budget information

  • Potential conflicts

  • Compliance considerations

Review the summary before continuing.

Step 5: Approve the Build

Once you're satisfied with the proposal:

  1. Click Approve

  2. The agent creates the shifts

  3. Validation checks are run automatically

  4. A summary of the completed roster is displayed

Roster Agent Settings

You can configure standing instructions that apply automatically to future roster builds.

To configure settings:

  1. Open the Roster Agent

  2. Click the Settings icon

You can create:

Organisation-Wide Instructions

Instructions applied across all locations.

Example: "Roster new employees alongside experienced team members."

Location-Specific Instructions

Instructions that apply only to a selected location.

Example: "Maintain two team members on close shifts."

Custom Event Instructions

Instructions that apply when a roster overlaps with a custom event.

Example: "Increase front-of-house coverage during festival weekends."

💡 Tip: If you want instructions enforced as mandatory rules rather than guidance, consider using Natural Language Validation Rules.

What the Agent Considers

The Roster Agent reviews a range of information when building a roster:

Factor

Description

Regular Hours of Work

Employee contracted or standard hours

Previous Rosters

Historical roster patterns from previous weeks

Availability & Leave

Approved availability and leave requests

Public Holidays & Events

Public holidays and custom events

Labour Budgets

Budgeted hours, labour percentages, and cost targets

Compliance Rules

Active roster validations and compliance settings

New & Returning Employees

Employees requiring additional review

Weather

Weather forecasts where relevant to configured instructions

Budget Awareness

If labour budgets have been configured, the Roster Agent automatically checks the proposed roster against those targets.

If the roster exceeds budget targets, the agent will attempt to adjust the roster before presenting it for approval.

The roster summary will display whether the proposed roster is within budget.

You can also provide specific budget targets as part of your custom instructions.

Make Adjustments After the Build

Once a roster has been created, you can continue chatting with the Roster Agent to make changes.

Examples include:

  • "Move Tuesday's opening shift from Jordan to Alex"

  • "Add an additional close shift on Friday"

  • "How many hours are scheduled for the kitchen team?"

  • "Remove all casual shifts on Sunday"

You can also use the Roster Agent to review and adjust rosters that were created manually.

FAQs and Troubleshooting

Will the Roster Agent publish my roster automatically?

No. The Roster Agent only creates shifts after approval. Publishing remains a manual action.

Can the Roster Agent roster any employee?

The agent only rosters employees assigned to the selected location who are available to work and do not have conflicting leave requests.

What happens if a roster validation is breached?

The Roster Agent attempts to resolve validation issues automatically. Any unresolved issues are highlighted for review.

Can I cancel a build?

Yes. You can cancel the build at any point before approving the roster.

Does the Roster Agent consider Working Time Regulations and compliance settings?

Yes. The agent applies the same compliance rules, validations, and restrictions configured on your account.

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