Visual timeline
See the whole day hour by hour, and drag shifts into place directly in the plan.
Shift plans and work schedules – plan the whole team in minutes
Get a full overview of who works when. Plan shifts on a visual timeline, spot overlaps and gaps in staffing, and send the plan to employees with one click – fully in line with Norwegian working-time rules.
Completely free for one user, forever. Affordable for businesses – no credit card, no lock-in.
What is a shift plan – and what must it show?
A shift plan – called an arbeidsplan in the Working Environment Act – shows which weeks, days and times each employee is to work. When work takes place at varying times of the day, § 10-3 requires such a plan, so everyone knows when they are working and when they are off.
In practice the shift plan is the hub of operations: it distributes staffing, prevents anyone from being double-booked, and gives employees predictability. With everything digital, you avoid spreadsheets that go out of date the moment someone swaps a shift.
Build your first shift plan → A good shift plan shows
- Who works, hour by hour
- Working and free time for each person
- Staffing per day and department
- Overlaps and gaps at a glance
Link to: Client Project Workplace
Everything you need to plan the shifts
Planning that is quick to use – and that catches the mistakes before they reach employees.
Detects overlaps
The system automatically warns about double-booking and overlapping working hours.
Send the plan to the team
Share the finished shift plan with one click, so everyone sees their shifts on their phone.
This is what the Working Environment Act § 10-3 says
14 days’ notice
The shift plan must be discussed with employee representatives and ready at the latest two weeks before it takes effect. If it is changed later, at least 14 days’ notice applies as a rule. With the plan in real time in Timelista, both manager and employees see updates immediately.
Lovdata § 10-3 · Labour Inspection Authority on working time
- A work schedule is required when employees work at varying times of the day
- The plan shows weeks, days and times for each person
- Must be discussed with employee representatives, at the latest two weeks before it takes effect
- Must be easily accessible to employees
- Changes require at least 14 days’ notice
Excel or Timelista?
What most people plan with today – and what you get instead.
Excel and paper
- Shifts puzzled together by hand every week
- Double-bookings spotted too late
- Out of date the moment someone swaps a shift
- Employees do not know when they work
- Hard to see gaps in staffing
With Timelista
- Drag shifts on a visual timeline
- Warns about overlap before the plan is sent
- Always up to date in real time
- The plan is sent straight to employees’ phones
- See staffing per day and department
Get next week’s shift plan ready in minutes
Set up the team once, and planning goes fast – week after week.
From an empty week to a finished plan
Four steps – and the team knows when they work.
1
Add the team
Register employees, workplaces and roles once.
2
Set the shifts
Drag shifts onto the timeline – copy a whole week when the pattern repeats.
3
Check overlaps
The system warns about double-booking and gaps before the plan is sent.
4
Send to the team
Share the plan with one click – everyone sees their shifts on their phone.
Shift plans, rotas and working time – briefly explained
For many businesses, staffing is the biggest daily headache. Some go on holiday, some fall ill, and customers do not arrive evenly across the week. A shift plan is therefore not just about filling hours into a sheet, but about assigning the right skills at the right time – without breaking working-time rules or wearing out employees.
The Working Environment Act § 10-3 sets requirements for the work schedule when people work at varying times of the day. It must show each person’s working and free time, be discussed with employee representatives and be ready in good time. The point is predictability: employees should be able to plan their lives, and the business should keep control of staffing.
Shift plan or rota (turnus)?
In everyday speech, “shift plan” and “turnus” are used interchangeably. A turnus is usually a work schedule that repeats over several weeks – for example a rolling plan in healthcare where employees alternate between day, evening and weekend. A shift plan can be simpler and cover one week at a time. Both must meet the requirements of § 10-3 when work takes place at different times.
Averaging and rest periods
Some weeks are busier than others. Working hours can then be averaged by agreement, so you work more some weeks against less in others – without exceeding the statutory limits on average. At the same time, rest periods must be respected: as a rule at least 11 hours of continuous rest within a 24-hour period, and one weekly day off. A shift plan that calculates this automatically makes it far harder to slip up.
From plan to actual time
A shift plan shows what is planned. What actually happened is captured by the timesheet. When the two connect in the same system, you can compare plan against reality, see deviations and use the experience to plan better next time. This is where Timelista differs from a standalone spreadsheet.
Shift plan, timesheet and personalliste
Three tools that each solve their own task – best when they play together.
Shift plan
Shows planned working time ahead, and who is scheduled when.
Working Environment Act § 10-3Timesheet
Shows the hours actually worked, with breaks and overtime.
For payroll and inspection Who is at workPersonalliste
Shows who is actually present now – required in certain industries.
Bookkeeping RegulationTimelista combines all three in one system – plan, record and document in the same place.
Less planning, fewer mistakes
Plan from your phoneCreate and adjust shifts anywhere – no app to download.
Right staffingSee gaps and peaks, and assign people where the need is greatest.
Fewer mistakesAutomatic warnings about double-booking and overlap.
Everyone knows their shiftsSend the plan with one click – employees see it on their phone.
Connects to timesheetsCompare plan against actual time and learn for next round.
In line with Norwegian rulesBuilt for the Working Environment Act’s requirements for work schedules and rest.
Frequently asked questions about shift planning
What is a shift plan or work schedule?
A shift plan – called an arbeidsplan in the law – shows which weeks, days and times each employee is to work. Under the Working Environment Act § 10-3, such a plan must be drawn up when employees work at varying times of the day, so everyone knows when they are working and when they are off.
When must an employer draw up a work schedule?
The duty applies when work is performed at different times of the day, for example shift, rota or weekend work. The schedule must then show each employee’s working and free time, cf. § 10-3. For fixed daytime positions the requirement is less relevant.
How far in advance must the shift plan be ready?
The work schedule must be discussed with employee representatives as early as possible, and at the latest two weeks before it takes effect. It must also be easily accessible to employees. With Timelista you send the finished plan to the whole team with one click.
Can the shift plan be changed after it is set?
Yes, but changes must as a rule be discussed. By agreement or unforeseen circumstances requiring change, the plan can be changed with at least 14 days’ notice. It therefore helps to keep the plan in one system where both manager and employees see updates in real time.
What is the difference between a shift plan and a rota (turnus)?
The terms are often used interchangeably. A turnus is usually a work schedule that repeats over several weeks (rolling), while a “shift plan” often refers to the plan for a single week or period. Both must meet the requirements of § 10-3 when work takes place at varying times.
Must employees have access to the shift plan?
Yes. The work schedule must be easily accessible to employees. In Timelista each employee sees their own shifts on their phone, and the whole team receives the plan as soon as it is ready.
What is averaging of working hours?
Averaging means ordinary working hours can be arranged so that on average they do not exceed the statutory limit, even if some weeks are longer and others shorter. This requires an agreement, and a good shift plan makes it easy to keep track of the limits.
How does Timelista help with shift planning?
You plan shifts on a visual timeline, instantly see who works when, and the system warns about double-booking and gaps in staffing. When the plan is ready, you send it to the team with one click – and it connects with timesheets and the personalliste in the same system.
Want to go deeper? See more articles on working time and shift planning →
From the founder
As an authorised Norwegian accountant, I see every day how much Norwegian companies struggle to keep their personalliste in order. We built Timelista precisely to make that simple – and at the same time give you a complete tool for timesheets and shift planning, all in one place. Simple enough to use on mobile, tablet and PC, and 100% adapted to Norwegian regulations and the everyday reality of Norwegian businesses.
Aleksander Authorised Norwegian accountant & co-founder of Timelista Ready for easier shift planning?
Plan the team, spot the mistakes before they happen, and send the plan to everyone with one click.
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