A free holiday staff rota for Christmas and New Year 2026. Plan who works each day of the two busiest weeks, see unfilled shifts at a glance, and give the team one clear page. Pick the week, change the names and times, then print it or share a link.
Free, no sign-up. Change anything, then print, save as PDF or share a link.
Updated
Christmas week rota
21–27 December 2026
2 to check
Name
Mon21
Tue22
Wed23
Thu24
Fri25
Sun27
Anna30 h
8am–4pm8a–4pFront
8am–4pm8a–4pFront
8am–4pm8a–4pFront
8am–2pm8a–2pFront
Off
Off
Ben24 h
Off
11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen
11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen
Off
Off
11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen
Cara21 h
9am–5pm9a–5pManager
9am–5pm9a–5pManager
Off
9am–2pm9a–2pManager
Off
Off
Dev24 h
Off
10am–6pm10a–6pFront
10am–6pm10a–6pFront
Off
Off
10am–6pm10a–6pFront
Eli16 h
Off
Off
11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen (to check: asked for Sun off)
Off
Off
11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen (to check: asked for Sun off)
Unfilled1 shift
10am–2pm10a–2pKitchen (to check: no one yet)
Name
MMonday
TTuesday
WWednesday
TThursday
FFriday
SSunday
Anna
8am–4pm Front
8am–4pm Front
8am–4pm Front
8am–2pm Front
Off
Off
Ben
Off
11am–7pm Kitchen
11am–7pm Kitchen
Off
Off
11am–7pm Kitchen
Cara
9am–5pm Manager
9am–5pm Manager
Off
9am–2pm Manager
Off
Off
Dev
Off
10am–6pm Front
10am–6pm Front
Off
Off
10am–6pm Front
Eli
Off
Off
11am–7pm Kitchen
Off
Off
11am–7pm Kitchen
Unfilled
Off
Off
Off
10am–2pm Kitchen
Off
Off
Front
Kitchen
Manager
Pick a dayDetails below
Monday21
Anna8am–4pm8a–4pFront
Cara9am–5pm9a–5pManager
Off: Ben, Dev, Eli
Tuesday22
Anna8am–4pm8a–4pFront
Ben11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen
Cara9am–5pm9a–5pManager
Dev10am–6pm10a–6pFront
Off: Eli
Wednesday23
Anna8am–4pm8a–4pFront
Ben11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen
Dev10am–6pm10a–6pFront
Eli11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen (to check: asked for Sun off)
Off: Cara
Thursday24
Anna8am–2pm8a–2pFront
Cara9am–2pm9a–2pManager
Unfilled10am–2pm10a–2pKitchen (to check: no one yet)
Off: Ben, Dev, Eli
Friday25
Nobody scheduled
Sunday27
Ben11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen
Dev10am–6pm10a–6pFront
Eli11am–7pm11a–7pKitchen (to check: asked for Sun off)
Off: Anna, Cara
To checkEli, Wed, Sun: asked for Sun offKitchen, Thu: no one yet
title: Christmas week rota
week: 2026-12-21
note: Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Swaps: ask Cara
Anna Mon,Tue,Wed 8am-4pm Front; Thu 8am-2pm Front
Ben Tue,Wed,Sun 11am-7pm Kitchen
Cara Mon,Tue 9am-5pm Manager; Thu 9am-2pm Manager
Dev Tue,Wed,Sun 10am-6pm Front
Eli Wed,Sun 11am-7pm Kitchen !asked for Sun off
Unfilled Thu 10am-2pm Kitchen
title: New Year week rota
week: 2026-12-28
note: Closed New Year's Day. Swaps: ask Cara
Anna Mon,Tue,Wed 8am-4pm Front; Thu 8am-2pm Front
Ben Tue,Wed,Sat 11am-7pm Kitchen
Cara Mon,Tue 9am-5pm Manager; Thu 9am-2pm Manager
Dev Wed,Sat,Sun 10am-6pm Front
Eli Sat,Sun 11am-7pm Kitchen !asked for Sun off
Unfilled Thu 10am-2pm Kitchen
At a glance
Christmas Day
Friday
Boxing Day
Saturday
New Year's Day
Friday
Christmas week
Dec 21–Dec 27
New Year week
Dec 28–Jan 3
Shows
Unfilled shifts and requests
Key dates for Christmas 2026
Which days are public holidays in the US and in England and Wales, and when the day off falls if the holiday is on a weekend.
Holiday dates, Christmas 2026 and New Year 2027
Day
Date
US
UK (England and Wales)
Christmas Eve
Thursday December 24
Not a holiday
Not a holiday
Christmas Day
Friday December 25
Federal holiday
Bank holiday
Boxing Day
Saturday December 26
Not a holiday
Bank holiday, day off Monday December 28
New Year's Eve
Thursday December 31
Not a holiday
Not a holiday
New Year's Day
Friday January 1 2027
Federal holiday
Bank holiday
Making a fair holiday rota
Ask for preferences early (by mid-November), and say when the rota will be final.
Rotate the big days: whoever works Christmas Day this year gets it off next year. Write it in the note line so nobody forgets.
Put opening hours first: closed days, short days and late openings decide how many shifts you need.
Leave a shift as "Unfilled" rather than guessing; it shows as an empty box so everyone can see the gap.
Mark requests with "!" (for example "!asked for Sun off") so they're visible on the page, not lost in a message thread.
Check your local rules on holiday pay and rest between shifts.
Make it yours
One line per person: name, days, hours, then their role.
A second shift goes after a semicolon.
"Unfilled" in place of a name is a shift nobody has yet.
"!" and a few words flag a shift for attention.
Or paste your list of names and hours into ChatGPT or Claude and ask for Schedule Gizmo lines.
title: Christmas week rota
week: 2026-12-21
note: Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Swaps: ask Cara
Anna Mon,Tue,Wed 8am-4pm Front; Thu 8am-2pm Front
Ben Tue,Wed,Sun 11am-7pm Kitchen
Cara Mon,Tue 9am-5pm Manager; Thu 9am-2pm Manager
Dev Tue,Wed,Sun 10am-6pm Front
Eli Wed,Sun 11am-7pm Kitchen !asked for Sun off
Unfilled Thu 10am-2pm Kitchen
Questions
How do I make a fair Christmas rota?
Collect preferences early, rotate the big days from year to year (whoever works Christmas Day this year gets it off next year), and share the rota as soon as it's final so people can plan.
When is the Boxing Day bank holiday in 2026?
Boxing Day is Saturday December 26. Because it falls on a weekend, the bank holiday in England and Wales is Monday December 28.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday?
Not in the US or the UK, though many businesses close early. Use a short shift on that day and put the closing time in the note line.
Can I show shifts nobody has taken yet?
Yes. Write "Unfilled" in place of a name. It shows as an empty dashed box and is listed under "To check".
Do my staff need an account or app?
No. Print the rota or send the link; it opens on any phone. Pro adds a live link that always shows the latest version and can email people when it changes.
