How Many Employees Should I Schedule Each Shift at My Ice Rink?

The Simple Math That Saved My Sanity

Here's the formula I wish someone had handed me 15 years ago: rink guards needed for a given hour = that hour's expected revenue / your agreed-upon revenue-per-rink guard target.

First, I sat down with my floor leadership—the senior guards, the rental manager, the resurfacer operator—and we agreed on one number: the revenue an average rink guard should support doing an average job for an average crowd. We landed on $110 an hour. That's a floor, not a ceiling. If you show up, take care of an average crowd, and give average service, you should support at least $110 in revenue. The rink guards who want to grow don't coast to $110 and clock out—they hit it doing average work, then look for the upsell, the rebooking, the next party. That number gave everyone the same yardstick: leadership, me, and every rink guard on the floor.

Then I pulled my trailing four-to-eight-week revenue by hour and by day. That slow Tuesday afternoon running $220 an hour? $220 divided by $110 equals 2 rink guards. That Saturday night peak running $770 an hour? I needed 7. Two rink guards each supporting their honest $110 covers the $220 the floor actually generates—and if they upsell, the block beats it. I ran that division for every hour and the staffing plan wrote itself. No favorites, no "we've always run 2 people," no manager scheduling their friends—just revenue divided by the target.

Now, I hold a hard safety floor on top of the revenue count: trained rink guards watching the ice at all times plus a skate-rental and resurfacer rotation. The math never overrides eyes on the ice. But once that minimum is covered, the revenue formula drives everything.

Where to Put the Bodies When the Revenue Shows Up

The count tells you how many; the revenue timing tells you when. I pulled the hourly sales and looked at when bookings and walk-ins actually posted. The rush hit the evening public-skate and weekend rush, so I started staffing a light open, a swing through the lull, and a heavy evening public-skate and weekend rush rather than parking everyone at noon. The schedule matched traffic instead of habit.

I use a free tool that runs this whole method in my browser: the [Rep Scheduling Matrix](/tools/rep-scheduling) from PULSE. It takes a revenue target and a per-shift minimum and auto-distributes the shift counts by block, protecting my highest-revenue hours instead of spreading bodies flat across the week. No login, no spreadsheet, instant shift counts by day and block. It's built by a 25-year revenue operator for exactly this question, and it's free.

The Tools That Actually Work (Ranked, Because I Tried Them All)

I tested everything. Here's how they stack up for an ice rink operator who wants the schedule to track the money, not just fill the grid. A single location or a regional group of venues—same method, swap the floor plan and the daily averages.

1. PULSE Rep Scheduling Matrix 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Free, browser-only, built around the revenue-per-rink guard method. It runs the whole division across every day and every block at once. Best for owners and floor managers who want the schedule to come straight off the revenue math and refuse to pay per-seat fees to get it. Use it free at [Rep Scheduling Matrix](/tools/rep-scheduling) .

2. 7shifts

Purpose-built for hospitality and high-traffic, hourly-heavy floors. Free Comp tier for one location, paid plans from about $34.99 per location per month (Entree) to $76.99 (The Works). Ties scheduling to POS sales and labor-percentage targets. You still set the $110 target yourself, but it keeps labor as a percentage of revenue front and center.

3. Homebase 💎 BEST VALUE

The best value in the category. Scheduling and time-clock tier is free for a single location with unlimited employees. Paid tiers (Essentials around $24.95 per location per month, Plus around $59.95, All-in-One around $99.95) are priced per location rather than per head. For a rink with a deep bench of part-timers and seasonal staff, per-location pricing is dramatically cheaper than per-user tools.

4. When I Work

The most widely used shift-scheduling app for hourly teams. Starts around $2.50 per user per month on Essentials, climbs to roughly $8 per user per month with attendance and labor tools. Handles availability, shift swaps, and mobile clock-in cleanly. Won't tell you a Saturday peak needs 7 people—you bring the headcount math; it runs the logistics.

5. Deputy

Runs about $4.50 per user per month for scheduling, $6 for the premium tier with time and attendance. Demand-based scheduling that suggests staffing against projected sales when connected to a POS feed. Also handles compliance—break rules, overtime alerts, fair-workweek laws—which matters once you run minors, long weekend shifts, or multiple locations.

6. Sling

Good for teams that need simple shift swaps and communication. Not built around revenue math, but handles the logistics cleanly.

7. Connecteam

Strong for mobile-first teams with lots of part-timers. Free tier for up to 10 users, paid plans starting around $29 per month. Good for scheduling, time tracking, and team communication.

8. Buddy Punch

Simple time-tracking and scheduling. Starts around $4.99 per user per month. Does what it says—punch in, punch out, schedule shifts—but doesn't help with the revenue math.

9. Humanity

Enterprise-grade scheduling with complex rule sets. Pricey, but handles unions, seniority, and complicated shift bidding.

10. MakeShift

Good for large teams with shift trading and open-shift bidding. Not built for revenue-based scheduling, but solid execution.

The Punchline

Stop scheduling by gut. Start dividing by $110. Your rink guard's time is worth exactly what the revenue supports—no more, no less. And if you want the math done for you, grab the free [Rep Scheduling Matrix](/tools/rep-scheduling) . It saved me from ever having three people standing around on a $220 Tuesday again.

*— Kory White, Chief Revenue Officer, 25 years in the trenches*

---

The Revenue-Per-Hour Formula That Finally Made My Numbers Work

After that Tuesday disaster, I sat down with a spreadsheet and a stack of old POS reports. What I found was simple but game-changing: every hour of operation has a predictable revenue range based on the type of session. Public skating on a weekday afternoon? You’ll see $80–$180 per hour. Friday night teen skate? That jumps to $400–$900. Hockey practice rentals (ice time only) run $150–$350 per hour. The trick isn’t guessing how many staff you need—it’s knowing what each hour *should* generate.

I started dividing my expected hourly revenue by $60 (my average fully-loaded labor cost per employee per hour, including payroll taxes and workers’ comp). That gave me a hard cap: never schedule more staff than the number that leaves you with at least a 40% gross margin on that hour. For a $200 hour, that means max 2 employees. For a $600 hour, max 6. I also built in a buffer: if the hour’s revenue is between two numbers, I round down, not up. It’s better to have one person slightly busier than to eat margin on a slow hour.

This formula won’t work if you don’t track your actual revenue per hour for at least two weeks. Pull your POS data, sort by day and time block, and calculate the average. You’ll be shocked how many $80 Tuesday afternoons you’ve been overstaffing. Once you know your numbers, you can schedule with confidence—and stop paying people to watch empty bleachers.

The "Peak-Off-Peak" Shift Structure That Saved Me $1,200 a Month

The biggest mistake I made was scheduling all my staff for full 4- or 5-hour shifts. That meant I had people on the clock during dead hours (like 2–4 PM on a Tuesday) just because I needed them for the 6–8 PM rush. The fix was breaking every shift into two types: core shifts (covering the predictable busy windows) and flex shifts (short, high-intensity bursts that align with specific events or rentals).

I now run a simple template. For a typical weekday: one rink guard and one rental counter person arrive at 2 PM (core). A second guard arrives at 4 PM (core). Then I add one or two flex staff at 5:30 PM who work until 8:30 PM—just covering the peak public skate window. On weekends, I run three core staff from 10 AM to 2 PM, then add two flex staff from 1:30–4:30 PM for the afternoon rush, and another two flex from 5–9 PM for the evening. The flex staff are often college students who love short shifts—they get their hours without burning out, and I save $300–$400 a week on wages I’d otherwise pay for downtime.

To make this work, you need a scheduling system that lets you set shift lengths as short as 2.5 hours. Most rink management software (like Jonas or Skedda) can handle this, but even a shared Google Calendar works if you’re disciplined. The key is communicating clearly: tell your team that flex shifts are optional but pay a $1–$2 premium per hour to make them attractive. I’ve never had trouble filling them, and my labor cost as a percentage of revenue dropped from 52% to 38% in three months.

The One-Number Rule That Prevents Overstaffing on Rental-Heavy Days

Rental revenue is the silent killer of rink profitability. A single skate rental brings in $5–$8, but it takes 3–5 minutes per customer to fit, process payment, and hand over equipment. If you have a line of 10 people, that’s 30–50 minutes of one employee’s time—and during that time, they can’t help with anything else. I learned this the hard way when I scheduled two guards and one rental person for a Saturday, and the rental line backed up so badly that families left without skating.

Now I use a simple rule: for every $100 in expected rental revenue per hour, schedule one dedicated rental staff member. If your rental revenue is $300/hour, you need three people just on rentals. I calculate this by looking at my historical rental-to-admission ratio. In my rink, rentals are about 40% of total revenue during public sessions. So if I expect $500 total revenue for an hour, I know $200 of that is rentals—meaning I need two rental staff. The remaining $300 in admissions and concessions can be handled by one guard and one counter person.

This rule also helps me decide when to add a third guard. If total revenue is under $400, two guards and one rental person is fine. Above $400, I add a third guard. Above $700, I add a fourth guard and a second rental person. The math isn’t perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than guessing. I keep a laminated cheat sheet at the scheduling desk with these thresholds, and any manager can use it to make shift changes in real time. It’s eliminated the “I think we need more people” panic calls—and the “why are we paying three people to watch two skaters” guilt.

Related on PULSE

• [How Many Employees Should I Schedule Each Shift at My Roller Rink?](/knowledge/ed0509)
• [How Many Employees Should I Schedule Each Shift at My Ice Cream Shop?](/knowledge/ed0903)
• [Should I open or buy a Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream franchise in 2027?](/knowledge/ed0142)
• [How Many Employees Should I Schedule Each Shift at My Thrift Store?](/knowledge/ed0479)
• [How Many Employees Should I Schedule Each Shift at My Vintage Clothing Store?](/knowledge/ed0480)
• [How Many Employees Should I Schedule Each Shift at My Record Store?](/knowledge/ed0481)

Sources

• International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) — operational staffing guidelines for recreational facilities
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) — workplace safety and staffing requirements for public venues
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) — best practices for staffing public ice rinks and recreational facilities
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — industry data on employment and scheduling in recreation sectors
• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) — standards for ice rink safety and minimum staffing levels
• Ice Skating Institute (ISI) — operational management resources for ice rink scheduling and employee ratios

FAQ

What's the minimum number of staff I need for a shift? For safety, you should never run fewer than two employees per shift—one for the ice surface (guard or monitor) and one for the rental counter or front desk. If your rink has separate skate rental, a snack bar, or public skating sessions, you'll likely need three or more to avoid long lines and safety gaps.

How do I figure out how many guards are needed for a busy session? A good rule of thumb is one guard per 50 skaters on the ice, plus one supervisor for every three guards. If you're running a session with 150 skaters, that means at least three guards, and you might want a fourth if the crowd includes many beginners or kids.

Should I schedule more staff for weekday afternoons or weekend mornings? Weekend mornings (especially Saturdays) often bring families and birthday parties, so you'll need more counter and guard staff—typically 1.5 to 2 times your weekday afternoon numbers. Weekday afternoons after school can also spike, but usually with fewer rentals, so you might shift staff from the counter to the ice.

What about late-night or adult hockey shifts? Adult hockey leagues or late-night public skates (after 9 PM) usually need fewer staff—often just one guard and one counter person, plus a Zamboni driver if you're resurfacing. But check local regulations: some rinks require two guards on the ice for any session with more than 20 skaters.

How do I handle staff for special events like birthday parties or tournaments? For a birthday party, add one dedicated party host (not counting guards or counter staff) per 10 kids. For tournaments, you'll need extra guards for each rink sheet and additional counter staff for concession and skate rental—plan for at least 2–3 more people than a typical busy weekend shift.

What's the biggest mistake rink managers make with scheduling? The most common error is understaffing the rental counter during peak hours, which loses revenue from rentals and concessions. The second is overstaffing guards during slow weekday afternoons—you can often reduce guard count by one if you have fewer than 30 skaters, but never drop below two total staff for safety.