What's covered in this guide?
What is the Rota Agent?
The Rota Agent is an AI-powered tool that helps you build weekly rota automatically.
Simply select a location and week, and the agent will review information such as:
Regular Hours of Work
Previous rotas
Employee availability
Approved leave
Labour budgets
Public holidays and events
Compliance rules
The agent will generate a proposed rota for you to review before any shifts are created.
You can then:
Approve the proposed rota
Request changes
Continue chatting with the agent
Make manual adjustments yourself
📝 Important to note: No shifts are created until you approve the proposed rota.
Access the Rota Agent
To open the Rota Agent:
Navigate to Time & Attendance > Rotas
Select the location and week you want to rota
Click Rota Agent
From the Rota Agent sidebar, you can:
Start a new rota build
Continue a previous session
Chat with the agent about an existing rota
Build a Rota
Step 1: Review Pending Requests
Before starting, the Rota Agent displays any outstanding leave or availability requests for the selected week.
It's recommended that these requests are reviewed before building your rota to ensure the agent has the most accurate information available.
Step 2: Choose a Source
Select how you would like the rota to be generated.
Available options include:
Source | Description |
Regular Hours of Work | Uses each employee's regular hours as the starting point. |
Rota Template | Builds from one or more existing rota templates. |
Copy from Previous Week | Uses a past week's rota as the starting point. |
Rota Pattern | Uses configured rota patterns as the base rota |
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 rota Sam on Mondays"
"Add extra coverage during lunch service"
Step 4: Review the Proposed Rota
When you click Build Rota, the agent reviews your rota data and generates a proposed rota 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:
Click Approve
The agent creates the shifts
Validation checks are run automatically
A summary of the completed rota is displayed
Rota Agent Settings
You can configure standing instructions that apply automatically to future rota builds.
To configure settings:
Open the Rota Agent
Click the Settings icon
You can create:
Organisation-Wide Instructions
Instructions applied across all locations.
Example: "Rota 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 rota 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 Rota Agent reviews a range of information when building a rota:
Factor | Description |
Regular Hours of Work | Employee contracted or standard hours |
Previous Rotas | Historical rota 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 rota 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 rota Agent automatically checks the proposed rota against those targets.
If the rota exceeds budget targets, the agent will attempt to adjust the rota before presenting it for approval.
The rota summary will display whether the proposed rota is within budget.
You can also provide specific budget targets as part of your custom instructions.
Make Adjustments After the Build
Once a rota has been created, you can continue chatting with the Rota 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 Rota Agent to review and adjust rotas that were created manually.
FAQs and Troubleshooting
Will the Rota Agent publish my rota automatically?
Will the Rota Agent publish my rota automatically?
No. The Roster Agent only creates shifts after approval. Publishing remains a manual action.
Can the Rota Agent schedule any employee?
Can the Rota Agent schedule 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 rota validation is breached?
What happens if a rota validation is breached?
The Rota Agent attempts to resolve validation issues automatically. Any unresolved issues are highlighted for review.
Can I cancel a build?
Can I cancel a build?
Yes. You can cancel the build at any point before approving the rotas.
Does the Rota Agent consider Working Time Regulations and compliance settings?
Does the Rota Agent consider Working Time Regulations and compliance settings?
Yes. The agent applies the same compliance rules, validations, and restrictions configured on your account.