How to Create a Shift Pattern

Steps

1. Go to the Shifts page and focus on the Shift Patterns section.

2. Click New Shift Pattern.
   
   

3. Enter a Name for the pattern (e.g. “2-Week Day/Night Rotation”).

4. Toggle Is Default on if this should be automatically applied to new employees.
   
   
   

5. Choose the pattern length: Weeks/Days

6. Set the Number of Weeks/Days and a Start date.

7. For each day in the pattern, select the appropriate shift from the dropdown.

8. Click Save.

   • Weeks — Define the pattern in full-week blocks (e.g. 1 week, 2 weeks).
     
     

   • Days — Define the pattern by a specific number of days.
     
     

    

Weeks vs Days — What's the Difference?
When creating a shift pattern, you choose between two modes: Weeks and Days. Both create a repeating cycle of shifts, but they are designed for different scheduling needs.

Weeks
Use Weeks when your schedule follows a standard weekly structure.

- The pattern is built in full-week blocks (7 days each), aligned to your company's configured start-of-week day.

- Each slot is labelled by its weekday name — e.g. 1st Monday, 1st Tuesday, … 2nd Monday, 2nd Tuesday, etc.

- Setting the number to 1 creates a 7-day pattern. Setting it to 2 creates a 14-day pattern, and so on.

- Start Date is optional for a 1-week pattern but required for 2 weeks or more.

Best for: Standard Monday-to-Friday schedules, alternating fortnightly rosters, or any pattern that repeats on a weekly basis.

Example — 2-Week Rotation
A nursing home rotates staff between day and night shifts every other week:

This 14-day pattern repeats continuously. Week 1 is always day shifts, week 2 is always night shifts.

Days

Use Days when your schedule doesn't follow a standard week — for example, rotating cycles that are shorter or longer than 7 days.

- The pattern length is the exact number of days you enter (e.g. 3 days, 4 days, 8 days).

- Each slot is labelled sequentially — Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc.

- A Start Date is always required so Timecloud knows when the cycle begins.

- The pattern repeats from Day 1 after the last day is reached.

Example — 4-On / 4-Off Rotation
A security team works 4 days on, then 4 days off:

This 8-day cycle repeats regardless of which day of the week it falls on. After Day 8, the employee returns to Day 1.

Tips

• Set up a default shift pattern so new employees are automatically scheduled without manual setup.

• Use weeks for standard rotations and days for irregular schedules.