Check your rota against the working time rules
Upload a rota from your rota software or your own spreadsheet. ShiftLens checks rest, breaks, hours and the extra rules for under-18s, and explains anything worth a second look.
- Free, with no sign-up and no email needed.
- Your rota never leaves your browser.
- Plain English, with a link to the rule behind every finding.
- Alex finishes at 23:00 on Monday and is back at 08:00 on Tuesday: only 9 hours' rest.
- Jo is 17 and the Wednesday shift runs past midnight.
Upload your rota
Not sure your file will work? See the formats we read, or download a rota template.
No rota to hand? Try a sample
Made-up staff and venues, checked exactly like an upload.
- 3 weeks, 5 staff, including a 17-year-old on late shifts
- 2 weeks, 4 staff, including a 16-year-old on long days
- 2 weeks, 4 staff, one of them working at both sites
How it works
- Export your rota as a CSV or Excel file, from your rota software or the spreadsheet you already use.
- Upload it here and check we've read your columns correctly.
- Get your report straight away: a summary, then person by person and shift by shift, with a week view and how you could fix each thing we find.
What ShiftLens checks
Rest between working days: 11 hours for adults, 12 hours for under-18s.
Source: gov.uk guidance and under-18s
Weekly rest: 24 hours off each week for adults (or 48 hours a fortnight), and 48 hours a week for under-18s.
Source: gov.uk guidance and under-18s
Breaks: 20 minutes for adults working more than 6 hours a day, and 30 minutes for under-18s working more than 4.5 hours.
Source: gov.uk guidance and under-18s
Under-18s' hours: no more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.
Source: gov.uk guidance
Under-18s at night: no work between midnight and 4am, and usually not between 10pm and 6am.
Source: gov.uk guidance
The 48-hour week: an early warning if someone's hours look likely to average more than 48 a week, unless they've opted out.
Source: gov.uk guidance
Night workers: an early warning if their hours look likely to average more than 8 in every 24.
Source: gov.uk guidance
Read the rules in plain English, including the changes expected for zero-hours workers.
Your rota never leaves your browser
ShiftLens reads your file and runs every check on your own computer or phone. Your staff names, shifts and dates aren't uploaded to us or anyone else, and they're gone when you close the page.
There's no sign-up, no cookies, and we don't ask for your email. We count visits anonymously on our own server, to see how people find ShiftLens, and nothing from your rota is ever part of that. Read our privacy notice.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. The summary and the full report are both free, with no sign-up and no email address needed.
Do you see my staff's details?
No. Your rota is checked in your browser and never sent to us. We can't see your staff's names, shifts or anything else in your file.
What files can I use?
A CSV or Excel (.xlsx) file up to 5 MB. Each row should be one shift, with a name or staff ID, a date, and start and end times. A column for breaks, and dates of birth for anyone under 18, help us check more.
Can it tell me for certain whether my rota is legal?
No. A rota shows planned shifts. It can't show contracts, workforce agreements, opt-outs, or the hours people actually worked, and some rules have exceptions. Treat what ShiftLens finds as things to check, not final answers.
Does it cover Northern Ireland?
No. Northern Ireland has its own working time rules. ShiftLens covers England, Scotland and Wales.
What about the new rights for zero-hours workers?
New rights for zero-hours and low-hours workers, including notice of shifts and payment for shifts cancelled at short notice, are expected but aren't in force yet. Our explainer sets out what's confirmed so far.
ShiftLens provides guidance, not legal advice. It checks your rota against the Working Time Regulations, but it can't see everything about your business, such as contracts, agreements or the hours people actually worked. For advice on your situation, contact Acas or an employment solicitor.