Matt Stephens
Matt Stephens is the founder of Shiftbrook. Shiftbrook is built by Helix Platforms Ltd, company number 17032196.
He writes the Shiftbrook guides on rotas, holiday, breaks and UK employment rules for shift teams. When a guide states a legal rule, it links the GOV.UK, ACAS or legislation.gov.uk page it relies on.
Guides
How to choose the best rota app in the UK
Five questions for choosing a rota app in the UK, with Deputy, RotaCloud, Planday and Timetastic prices as printed on 21 October 2026. No rankings.
22 October 2026 · 6 minHow to plan a fair Christmas rota
Plan a fair Christmas rota: who works which days, how to handle clashing holiday requests, bank holiday pay rules in the UK and a simple way to share the week.
22 October 2026 · 6 minHiring Christmas temp staff and other seasonal staff
Taking on seasonal staff for Christmas? Right-to-work checks, contracts, holiday accrual, minimum wage and how to rota temps alongside your regular UK team.
22 October 2026 · 5 minEmployment Rights Act shift workers: what changes
What the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes for shift workers, which duties are planned for 2027, and which holiday, rest and sick-pay rules already apply.
22 October 2026 · 5 minNight shift rules in the UK
Night shift rules in the UK: who counts as a night worker, the eight-hour average, the free health assessment, and why a night premium is not statutory.
22 October 2026 · 5 minHow to fill open shifts fast
How open shifts fill a last-minute gap: publish the hours with no name, then put a person on them. What a draft hides, and what the product will not decide.
22 October 2026 · 6 minIs a lunch break paid on an 8 hour shift?
Are breaks paid in the UK? The 20-minute rest on a shift over six hours, the 8 hour shift, young workers, and the 11 hours that sit between working days.
22 October 2026 · 6 minA cafe rota and a pub rota for a small week
How to build a cafe rota or a pub rota for one week: the open, the close and the gap between services, without hiding the holes or guessing the wage.
22 October 2026 · 5 minStatutory sick pay 2026 from the first day
Statutory sick pay in 2026: from 6 April it can be due from day one, at the lower of £123.25 and 80% of average weekly earnings, for up to 28 weeks.
22 October 2026 · 7 minZero hours contract holiday pay and the 12.07% rule
Holiday pay for zero-hours staff: when 12.07% accrual applies, when the 52-week average applies, and when rolled-up holiday pay is allowed in the UK.
22 October 2026 · 6 minClock in methods compared
Clock in methods compared for a UK shift team: a signed-in phone on a site pin, and the shared tablet, QR, NFC, printed code and face scan others use.
22 October 2026 · 7 minHow to make a rota that's fair
How to make a rota that covers the work and shares weekends, opens and closes. A step-by-step for UK shift teams before you publish the week.
22 October 2026 · 5 minShift swapping without the chaos
How shift swapping works without losing cover: a written rule, a check that the person can do the job, and a published week that matches the agreement.