Salon staff rota: every chair covered, late nights included
Salons schedule chairs as much as people: the colour bar, each stylist's chair and the front desk all need covering, with a late night or two and part-timers on fixed days. Rotasprig lets you put a chair or station on each shift, mark the days each stylist cannot work, and shows how many people are on at every hour so the desk is never empty. Owners without an hourly rate stay out of the labour cost.
A real Rotasprig salon week (Studio Nine example data, hours after unpaid breaks, 2 Oct 2026)
| Staff | Role | Chair / station | Shifts | Paid hours | Labour cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Bell | Owner, senior stylist | Chair 1 | 5 | 40 | no rate |
| Mia Torres | Stylist | Chair 2 | 5 (late Thu) | 40 | $800.00 |
| Kai Morgan | Stylist | Chair 3 | 4 (3 late) | 32 | $640.00 |
| Zoe Carter | Colourist | Colour bar | 4 | 32 | $704.00 |
| Lily Evans | Junior stylist | Chair 4 | 4 (incl. half day) | 28 | $420.00 |
| Ben Wright | Reception | Desk | 5 | 40 | $640.00 |
Source: Rotasprig salon example (6 staff, 27 shifts, 212 paid hours, $3,204.00 labour, no warnings), generated 2 Oct 2026.
Rotasprig vs the alternatives
Published prices, each checked on the date shown; prices change, so confirm on each site.
| Product | Price | Free | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotasprig Pro | $6/month or $49 once | up to 8 staff and 1 saved week | live |
| Homebase | Basic free (up to 10 employees); Essentials $30, Plus $70, All-in-One $120 per location a month | Basic plan, up to 10 employees | 2026-10-02 |
| When I Work | From $2.50 per user a month | not checked today | 2026-10-02 |
| Sling | Premium $2, Business $4 per user a month | free up to 30 users | 2026-10-02 |
Why teams pick Rotasprig
- Chairs and stations on every shift (Chair 1-4, Colour bar, Desk) and coverage by station.
- Late nights and half days as your own templates (Day 9:00-17:30, Late 12:00-20:30, Half day 9:00-13:00).
- Days off per person, with a warning if you book someone on one.
- Leave the owner's rate blank and labour cost covers employees only.
How it works
- Add your stylists, colourists and reception, with the days each one cannot work.
- Set Day, Late and Half-day templates and tap them onto the week, with a chair or station on each.
- Check coverage by hour, then print the rota for the back room or copy each stylist's week as a text.
FAQ
Can I schedule by chair?
Yes. Put the chair or station on each shift, and filter the coverage view by station to see when each chair is staffed.
What about late nights?
Make a Late template (for example 12:00-20:30) and tap it onto the late-opening days; coverage shows who is on until close.
Do I need a rate for every stylist?
No. Rates are optional; anyone without one is left out of the labour cost, which suits owners and commission-only stylists.
Can each stylist get their own schedule?
Yes. Copy each person's week as a text for the team chat; Pro adds a PNG for each person.
Is my data private?
Yes. Everything stays in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Why not Homebase or Sling?
They are full apps with staff accounts, time clocks and shift swaps, and both have free plans (Homebase Basic up to 10 employees, Sling up to 30 users; checked 2 Oct 2026). Rotasprig is the fast, private, printable rota with labour cost and no accounts.