Free monthly availability form template
Weekly availability forms miss the thing that actually breaks schedules: the one-off exception. This form captures both — the employee’s standing weekly pattern, and a month calendar where they flag the specific dates that differ. One page per person per month, and you stop being surprised mid-week.
Download free templateExcel (.xlsx) · printable · opens in Excel & Google Sheets · No signup required
What’s inside
Part 1: a recurring weekly pattern grid — available days, earliest start, latest end
Part 2: a month calendar where employees write date-specific exceptions (X = unavailable, A = all day, or a time window)
A one-off requests section for appointments, exams, and fixed commitments
Printable single-page layout that also works filled in digitally
How to use this template
Download the form
Open the .xlsx in Excel or Google Sheets, or print copies — the layout works on paper.
Record the usual week
Each employee fills Part 1 once: which days they generally work and their earliest start / latest end per day.
Mark this month’s exceptions
In the calendar grid, they write the date number plus a code: X for unavailable, A for available all day, or a time window like “14: 4p–close”.
Capture one-offs
Appointments, exams, and other fixed commitments go in the requests section so nothing lives only in a text thread.
Collect before you schedule
Gather the forms before building the month’s schedules — or let staff keep availability current themselves in EpicShifts, so exceptions reach you the moment they exist.
When to use it
Use the monthly form when your team’s availability is mostly stable but pocked with exceptions — students around exam weeks, parents around school events, anyone juggling a second job. It beats re-collecting a full weekly form every week, because people only write down what changed. Its limit is the same as any paper process: the calendar is accurate the day it’s handed in and decays from there, so the manager still has to chase late changes.
Skip the spreadsheet
Already filled it in? Upload the file to EpicShifts and we’ll import it into a live schedule — your team sees their shifts on mobile, swaps and picks up open shifts, and gets reminders automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a weekly and a monthly availability form?
A weekly form records a single week’s availability and has to be re-collected constantly. A monthly form records the employee’s standing weekly pattern once, plus a calendar of date-specific exceptions for that month — less re-collection, and the exceptions (the thing that actually breaks schedules) are explicit.
How far in advance should employees submit availability?
A common rule is a submission deadline about a week before you build the next schedule — for a monthly form, collect it in the last week of the prior month. Put the deadline on the form and enforce it consistently; late availability is the top cause of rewrites.
Can I use this form in Google Sheets or on paper?
Both. The .xlsx imports cleanly into Google Sheets (File → Import → Upload), and the layout is designed to print on a single page for teams that still collect availability by hand.
Dustin Hanke, Founder, EpicShifts — Dustin builds EpicShifts and writes about scheduling, labor cost, and shift-work operations for restaurants and other hourly teams.
We Value Your Privacy
We use cookies to improve your experience on our platform. Essential cookies are required for the site to function properly (authentication, security). Optional cookies help us understand how you use the site and improve our services. Learn more about cookies