> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://kb.logicerp.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://kb.logicerp.com/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-setups/shift-roster/how-generating-the-roster-works.md).

# How Generating the Roster Works

**Available on:** Desktop · Web · Phone

**Generating** turns each employee's roster lines into a day-by-day roster: the shift for every day, and which days are week-offs or half-day week-offs. It runs when you answer **Yes** after saving in [Allocate Roster](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-entry/allocate-roster.md), and from [Generate Roster](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-entry/generate-roster.md).

## Which line applies on a day

An employee can have several roster lines. On each day, of the lines that cover that day, the one with the **latest Date From** applies. (Two lines of one employee cannot start on the same date.) A day that no line covers gets no roster day.

> **Example —** Sunita has two lines: GENERAL SHIFT from 1 April with no end date, and NIGHT SHIFT from 1 November to 30 November. In November the night shift applies, because its Date From is later. From 1 December, GENERAL SHIFT applies again: it is the only line covering those days.

## Where the week-offs come from

Each day takes its week-offs from **one** pattern:

| Line type    | Pattern used                                                                                                     |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **SHIFT**    | The line's **Week-off Pattern**; when it is (SHIFT'S OWN), the shift's own pattern from Setup Payroll Shifts     |
| **ROTATION** | The pattern of the **rotation step** running that day; when it is (SHIFT'S OWN), that step's shift's own pattern |

With no pattern found, the day has no week-off. If a pattern gives both a full day off and a half-day off on the same date, the full day off wins.

### **Rotations and cycles**

* A **rotation** starts on the line's **Anchor Date** (or its Date From when blank), on the **Anchor Step**, and then runs its steps in order, round and round.
* A **rotating cycle** week-off pattern (for example 6 days on, 1 off) counts its day 1 from the same anchor date: the line's Anchor Date, or its Date From when blank. On a rotation, the cycle counts from the line's anchor, not from the start of each step.

> **Example —** A rotation has two steps: DAY SHIFT for 7 days, then NIGHT SHIFT for 7 days — a 14-day cycle. Ravi's line starts on 1 November with **Anchor Step** 2. So he works NIGHT SHIFT from 1 to 7 November, DAY SHIFT from 8 to 14 November, NIGHT SHIFT again from 15 November, and so on.

## Branch holidays and the employee's holiday list

Generating writes the full-day week-offs into the **employee's own holiday list** — the list payroll and attendance already read for employee-wise holidays. Half-day week-offs are kept on the roster day only; they are not added to the holiday list. When attendance is saved for a half-day off, the off half is charged to a leave — see [Setup Week-off Patterns](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-setups/setup-week-off-patterns.md).

* **Follow Branch Holidays = Yes** on the line: the branch's holidays (**Setup Holidays**) are added to the employee's list too. On a rostered day a branch holiday counts — it takes the place of any week-off that day — but a branch **weekly-off** does not: the roster decides the week-offs.
* **Follow Branch Holidays = No**: no branch holidays are added. The employee gets only the roster's week-offs and any holidays entered by hand.
* **The first time** an employee is rostered, they switch to **employee-wise holidays**. This payroll year's branch holidays are copied into their own list first, so the days already passed keep the holidays they had.
* Holidays entered by hand in **Setup Employee Wise Holidays** are never changed or removed by generating, and on such a date no week-off is added.

## Days that are never changed

Generating never changes:

* days **before today** (today itself is generated again),
* days in a **payroll period already processed** for the employee,
* days **before the employee joined** or **after they left**.

Days **changed by hand** in [Roster Calendar](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-entry/roster-calendar.md) keep the shift and week-off set by hand.

If an employee cannot be generated — for example a shift, rotation or week-off pattern their line uses can no longer be found — **nothing** is changed for that employee, and the others still go through. The message says why.

## When you change something

* **Changing a pattern, shift, rotation or line does not change days already generated.** Generate again for the employees concerned. Save in [Allocate Roster](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-entry/allocate-roster.md) offers this, and [Generate Roster](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-entry/generate-roster.md) does it for many employees at once.
* **Deleting all of an employee's lines** keeps the days already generated. To put the employee back on the branch's holidays, use **Switch to Branch Holidays** in [Allocate Roster](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-entry/allocate-roster.md). It removes their roster days from today on (or from after the last processed payroll period), and is refused while they still have holidays entered by hand from today on.
* **A new payroll year:** generating proposes to run up to the end of the payroll year that covers today; in [Generate Roster](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-entry/generate-roster.md) you can change that date. At the start of a new year, run [Generate Roster](/logic-erp-learning-hub-tutorials-and-best-practices/payroll/payroll-entry/generate-roster.md) with **All Rostered Employees** to extend everyone's roster.


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