Roster notice period

A roster notice period is the amount of warning a business gives staff of their confirmed shifts, or of a change to a shift they already have, before the shift takes effect.

Where notice applies

Notice usually comes into play at more than one point in a roster's lifecycle:

• When the roster is first published: how far ahead the confirmed roster is shared once allocation is final.
• When a confirmed roster changes: how much warning is given if a shift is added, moved or cancelled after confirmation.
• When a worker cancels: how much notice a worker is expected to give if they can't make a shift. This is part of what separates a no-show from a fair cancellation.

Longer notice gives both sides more room to plan and to fill any gap. Shorter notice gives up some planning time in exchange for reacting to demand that arrives late, which matters in fast-changing places like event and hospitality venues.

Rules on notice

Some jurisdictions set minimum notice, or compensation, for last-minute roster changes as part of wider "fair scheduling" or "secure work" protections. The intent is to stop businesses pushing all the scheduling risk onto casual staff with no warning. Whether such rules apply, and what the minimums are, depends on the jurisdiction, the employment agreement and current law.

This is a general description, not legal or employment advice. Check current NZ (Employment New Zealand) or AU (Fair Work) guidance for any minimum notice requirements that may apply to your business before setting policy.

In Chronomancer

Chronomancer's roster states make notice visible and auditable instead of informal. Request windows have a fixed close, confirmations go out when the roster is confirmed, a move in Revise is logged and tells the people it affects, and a change on the night through Live Ops is logged without messaging anyone. There's always a record of the notice that was given.