Shift scheduling for NGOs and trusts

Round-the-clock rosters for shelters and care homes

A children's home with 40 residents might need two caregivers on each of three 8-hour shifts, plus a counsellor on the day shift and a guard at night. Rotate staff through the shifts on a fixed cycle so nobody is stuck on nights for months, and stagger weekly offs so every shift keeps its minimum. Women's shelters need women caregivers at night, which requires their consent and the safety conditions the government sets; see the rules on night shifts for women.

• Morning: 6 am to 2 pm, two caregivers and a counsellor
• Evening: 2 pm to 10 pm, two caregivers
• Night: 10 pm to 6 am, two caregivers and a guard
• Weekly offs staggered so each shift keeps its minimum

Helplines and call rosters

A helpline that runs 24 hours needs counsellors or call handlers on every shift, with more cover at the hours when calls peak, often in the evening. Build the roster from call patterns in your own records rather than guesswork. Keep night shifts manageable, with transport home or a safe rest room for staff who finish late. Allow counsellors to swap shifts with approval, since personal emergencies are common and a gap on a helpline cannot be left open.

Flexible hours for field teams

Field staff do not fit a 9:30 am to 6 pm day. A mobiliser may hold a women's group meeting at 7 am before farm work, visit an anganwadi at noon and attend a gram sabha at 7 pm. Use a flexible shift with minimum hours instead of fixed timings, and treat a later start after a long field day as normal. Give each field worker a weekly off, and when the programme needs weekend work, move the off to a weekday for that week rather than skipping it.

How to set it up in ZeniaHR

1. In Shifts & Roster, create three 8-hour care shifts, a general office shift and a flexible shift with minimum hours for field staff.
2. Set up rotation templates for shelter and helpline teams, with each person's start staggered, so everyone takes a fair share of nights.
3. Set the night shift flag on the 10 pm to 6 am shift, so punches after midnight are filed to the shift's day.
4. Give each caregiver and helpline counsellor a personal weekly off, staggered so every shift keeps its minimum cover.
5. Use Shift Swaps for care and helpline staff: a swap needs the colleague's acceptance, then manager and HR approval, before the roster changes.
6. Check the day grid for each shelter a week ahead, and fill any shift below minimum cover before the week starts.

Read more about shifts and rosters in ZeniaHR.

Roles this applies to

Frequently asked questions