Automating Restaurant Scheduling, Time-Off, and Payroll with Google Sheets

I recently came across a forum post where someone asked about creating a scheduling system using Google Sheets. As I thought about it, I realized that while scheduling is important, why stop there? A complete system should also handle time-off requests, payroll calculations, and paystub distribution—all while keeping things simple and automated.

That idea led to this restaurant workforce automation system, which uses Google Sheets and Google Apps Script to streamline staff management. This system automatically assigns shifts, manages vacation requests, and handles payroll processing, ensuring a fully automated workflow for restaurant owners and managers.

Key Features of the System

1. Automated Shift Scheduling

Instead of manually assigning shifts, this system automatically schedules employees based on:

• Availability (set in the Employee Roster)
• Job roles (e.g., cook, server, manager)
• Max weekly hours (to prevent over-scheduling)
• Time-off requests (approved vacations or sick leave)
• Company-wide holidays (no shifts assigned on these days)

Once the scheduling script runs, shifts are automatically populated in the Shift Schedule sheet, ensuring fair workload distribution.

2. Dynamic Time-Off Requests

Managing employee time-off can be a challenge, especially when requests come in through emails, texts, or paper forms. To solve this, we use a Google Form where employees can submit requests for vacation, sick leave, or last-minute call-outs.

The system then:

• Logs the requests in Google Sheets
• Allows managers to approve or reject requests
• Automatically updates the schedule (removing shifts for approved time off)
• Sends email notifications to employees about their request status

This eliminates manual tracking and scheduling conflicts while keeping everyone informed.

3. Automated Payroll Processing

At the end of each week, payroll is processed automatically:

• The system calculates total hours worked per employee
• It applies hourly rates to determine total pay
• It generates paystubs as PDFs
• Paystubs are saved in Google Drive
• Employees receive their paystubs via email

This removes the need for manual calculations and ensures employees get paid accurately and on time.

How It Works

The entire system runs with three automated scripts, which can be triggered manually or scheduled to run automatically:

1. Shift Scheduling Script (Runs weekly)
2. Time-Off Processing Script (Runs daily)
3. Payroll Processing Script (Runs at the end of the week)

Since it’s built on Google Sheets and Google Apps Script, it’s free to use and doesn’t require expensive software.

Why This Matters

Many small businesses and restaurants still manually manage schedules, track time-off in notebooks, and calculate payroll using spreadsheets. This system eliminates those inefficiencies by: ✔ Reducing scheduling errors
✔ Saving time for managers
✔ Keeping employees informed
✔ Automating payroll calculations

What started as a simple scheduling tool expanded into a full workforce management system, built entirely within Google Sheets.