Top 8 Labor Scheduling Software for December, 2021 (Free Plans Included)

Scheduling shifts can drive any business owner insane, for multiple reasons. Seriously, how many times did you allocate a shift and your employees simply didn’t show up? 

And imagine calculating all those hours you wasted building schedules with just pen and paper, manually allocating millions of shifts and repeating the same process over and over again.  

Or maybe you already use a scheduling software solution, but it doesn’t include all of the features your company needs (or it’s too expensive or too hard to use). Whatever the case may be, we know some apps that might solve your labor scheduling problems.

In a Hurry? The Best Labor Scheduling App for December, 2021

Listen, you don’t want to lose another second on messy, complicated schedules. We get it. So after detailed research, we’ve come to the conclusion that the best labor scheduling app on the market is Connecteam.

It’s easy to use and doesn’t require any training. What’s more is that it scales with your company. Not to mention that the scheduling features are an absolute time-saver!

Here are just some of the labor scheduling benefits that Connecteam brings:

• Includes everything you need to quickly and easily get your labor scheduling sorted, like preparing a job schedule in multiple ways. 
• Save time and effort by creating and allocating shifts (recurring and ongoing), and even templates. 
• Auto reminders and notifications will make sure that your employees never miss their shifts. 
• You can do all of this on the go, from your phone.

While we did find other labor scheduling software tools with valuable features, they simply didn’t come close to the level of all-round functions that Connecteam provides.

And if you still find yourself in a rush, jump to our comparison table to compare all of our labor scheduling app recommendations.

The Benefits Every Labor Scheduling App Should Bring

While they can offer a variety of benefits, there are a handful of basic essentials that all good labor scheduling apps should offer. 

Here’s what you need to look for when choosing labor scheduling software:

• It’s easy to schedule shifts in various ways (like templates, recurring shifts, etc.)
• Scheduling information is easily accessible, on mobile and desktop
• Labor scheduling apps save time and reduces business costs

With this in mind, we put together a list of the very best labor scheduling apps out there to help you make the most of your manpower, while also saving you time and money. 

Or, if you want to learn more about labor scheduling, in general, take a look at our guide on how to create the perfect work schedule for your team.

8 Best Labor Scheduling Apps For 2022

Connecteam’s labor scheduling app makes everything quicker and simpler for you and your employees. 

Managers can easily plan, dispatch and oversee flexible work schedules – while also sending reminders to ensure that every shift is covered. With the ability to create different kinds of shifts (recurring, ongoing, templates, etc.), you will be able to allocate jobs quickly, saving time and effort. And you can manage all of this from your phone while on the go (a desktop version is available too). 

Your employees will also benefit from Connecteam’s labor scheduling capabilities. Workers have all of the information they need regarding their shifts, such as the location, date, time and important documents, on the go and at any time they need. They can even clock in and out directly from their shift. Also, employees can accept and claim shifts depending on their availability to make collaboration more efficient. 

For Whom?

Connecteam is an ideal labor scheduling solution for businesses of all sizes, remote workers, deskless employees, and frontline workers. This all-in-one, labor scheduling solution is used by over 90 industries, benefitting fire departments, construction teams, retail outlets and security companies, to name a few. 

Key Features

• Real-time scheduling oversight

• Recurring and ongoing shifts

• Create drag & drop templates

• Open shift claiming

• Internal chat, updates, employee directory

• Automatic reminders and notifications

• Attach notes, files and shift-tasks

• Quick reference employee availability

• Scheduling conflict notifications

• Overtime notifications

Pros and Cons

• All-in-one labor scheduling & management

• Easy to use

• Quick-to-respond customer support

• Affordable solution

• Quickly access all schedule information

• Easily schedule employees across departments

• Limited integrations

Pricing

• Premium plans starts at $29/month for the first 30 users

• 14-day free trial

• Free plan: For up to 10 users, without limitations

With the Wrike labor scheduling app, managers can easily customize schedules for employees. It’s easy to see when employees are scheduled to start their shifts. Workers can request PTO (paid time off) and vacations, while also setting their general availability through the app. The app integrates with Gmail, MediaValet, and more. 

For Whom?

Wrike is a useful solution for teams of 20+, as well as SMBs and large enterprises. It is also ideal for managing remote teams.

Key Features

• Automated scheduling

• Real-time chat

• Shift templates

• Calendar management/syncing

• Employee directory

Pros and Cons

Based on customer reviews

• Easy to use and set up

• Poor customer service

• Expensive labor scheduling solution

Pricing

• Professional plan is $9.80/user per month (up to 200 users)

• Free trial: 14-day

• Free plan: Yes

Humanity is a labor scheduling app that makes it easy to edit and oversee schedules straight from a mobile device. A rostering software solution that allows managers to check employee availability easily, manage schedules, manage overtime and trade shifts between employees. Humanity integrates with the likes of Workday, Oracle and QuickBooks. 

For Whom?

An ideal retail scheduling solution, as well as for SMBs and large enterprises. Also useful for a wide variety of industries such as hospitality, healthcare and transportation.

Key Features

• Automated scheduling

• Drag & drop shift templates

• Shift reminders and notifications

• Internal messaging

• Manage attendance and availability

• Access on mobile and desktop

Pros and Cons

Based on customer reviews

• Attractive user interface

• Shift trading is prone to bugs and crashes

• Expensive solution for large teams

• An overwhelming amount of settings

Pricing

• Starter plan is $3.50/user per month ($100 monthly minimum)

• Free trial: 30-day

• Free plan: No

7shifts is a labor scheduling app that helps improve various aspects of making shifts such as overtime tracking and employee availability. Employees (both full-time and part-time) have easy access to their schedule via their mobile device. Moreover, managers can edit and oversee shift schedules while on the go. 

For Whom?

7shifts is particularly popular with restaurant owners who want to improve efficiency in their shift scheduling. But 7shifts can also benefit many other shift-centric businesses.

Key Features

• Automated scheduling

• Reminders and notifications

• Employee directory

• Internal messaging

• Group scheduling

Pros and Cons

Based on customer reviews

• Easy to use

• Quality customer service

• Unable to show shifts across departments

• Slow loading times

Pricing

• Appetizer plan is $19.99/location per month for up to 20 employees

• Free trial: 14-day

• Free plan: Yes (Up to 10 users and 1 location)

When it comes to increasing workplace productivity and saving money, Paycor Scheduling is a great option. Managers can get much-needed insight into shift hours through its inbuilt reporting feature. The app’s intuitive layout also makes it easy to create shift templates. Paycor allows managers to accept PTO, sick leave and vacation from employees.

For Whom?

Paycor is an ideal labor scheduling app for companies of all sizes. It is also a great nurse scheduling software solution, and useful in industries such as retail and hospitality.

Key Features

• Automated scheduling

• Set availability updates in real time

• Automated reports to forecast expenses

• PTO management

Pros and Cons

Based on customer reviews

• Easy to use

• Quick to set up

• Lack of pricing transparency

• Poor customer service

• Prone to delays

Pricing

• Basic plan is $99 per month (plus $5/user per month)

• Free trial: No

• Free plan: No

Sling is an effective app for managers who want a multi-faceted staff scheduling software tool. Whether you need to manage time off, accept absence requests, swap shifts or schedule overtime, Sling ticks most boxes. This software also integrates with apps such as Shopify, Gusto and ADP, amongst others.

For Whom?

Sling is an ideal labor scheduling app for companies of all sizes from industries that require shift work. An ideal healthcare staff scheduling software tool, and also useful in retail, hospitality and education.

Key Features

• Absence, vacation, sick leave requests

• Oversee employee availability

• Payroll reporting

• Manage overtime and scheduling conflicts

• Shift swapping Internal messaging

Pros and Cons

Based on customer reviews

• Easy to use on desktop

• Quick to distribute schedules

• Not the best solution for large teams

• Messaging can’t be monitored

• Recurring shifts expire after 1 year

Pricing

• Premium plan is $2/user per month

• Free trial: 14-day

• Free plan: Yes

Deputy is a unique solution in the labor scheduling world. This company takes your pen and paper timesheets and digitizes them for you, before training you in how to use this work schedule maker app. Users can easily auto-schedule, swap and replace shifts to suit their business’s needs. Deputy also integrates with more than 35 payroll/accounting apps. 

For Whom?

Deputy is a useful labor scheduling solution for SMBs in a variety of industries. An ideal construction scheduling software solution, and useful in childcare, retail, hospitality, security and education too.

Key Features

• Automated scheduling

• Calendar management

• Employee directory

• Drag & drop features

• Shift reminders and notifications

Pros and Cons

Based on customer reviews

• Many payroll integrations

• Customizable timesheets

• Difficult to use

• Some technical issues and bugs

• Poor customer support

Pricing

• Scheduling plan is $2.50/user per month. Other features such as time and attendance also each cost $2.50 per user per month.

• Free trial: 31-day

• Free plan: No

While there are better scheduling solutions on this list, Google Calendar also works effectively as a labor scheduling app. This is because users have the ability to view their schedules in daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly formats. Managers can create employee shift calendars and share with the rest of the workforce, easily adding events and reminders so that employees don’t miss shifts. 

For Whom?

Google Calendar works for companies, freelancers, remote employees and households. It’s particularly useful for companies that need to schedule many meetings.

Key Features

• Address book

• Sync with events/contacts

• Integrates with other apps

• Task management options

• Event reminders

Pros and Cons

Based on customer reviews

• Syncs with all other Google software

• Easily share calendar with other users

• Compatible with Android and iOS

• Not user-friendly

• Prone to crashes

• Limited integrations with other calendars

Pricing

• Business plan is $5/user/month

• Free trial: 30-day

• Free plan? Yes

Quick Comparison Of The Best Labor Scheduling Apps

Frequently Asked Questions On Labor Scheduling Apps

Do labor scheduling apps eradicate scheduling mistakes?

In short? Yes they do. Ideally, labor scheduling apps will eradicate a variety of scheduling mistakes. These include:

• Over-scheduling
• Absenteeism in the workplace
• PTO clashes
• Lack of availability
• Employee shortages
• General disorganization

Connecteam is a prime example of an app that solves all of your common employee scheduling problems, and then some. It also saves time, prevents users from having to juggle scheduling duties using multiple apps, alleviates tedious back and forth communication, and makes shift information easy to find.

Can a labor scheduling app be customizable to my business?

Effective labor scheduling apps like Connecteam allow managers to customize their scheduling features depending on their business needs. 

Here are some of the features that scratch the surface of Connecteam’s capabilities when it comes to customizing labor scheduling:

• Create schedule templates for specific departments, jobs and employees. 
• Drag and drop shifts as you go.
• Create recurring and ongoing shifts.
• Edit individual shifts, attaching notes, files, images, videos and documents.
• Set filters, color code tags, and smart groups to assign tasks to selected employees.

The Bottom Line On Labor Scheduling Apps

From the labor scheduling apps that we have listed above, you are bound to find one that helps to eradicate your scheduling problems, depending on your company’s specific needs.

If you are looking for a solution that saves time, reduces labor costs, makes it easier to schedule shifts in a variety of ways, and allows users to easily access schedule information, both on mobile and desktop, then look no further than Connecteam.

But before you select your ideal scheduling app, we recommend playing around with some of these apps and making the most of the free trials they offer. This will help you work out exactly which solution is the best fit for your business.