4-4-5 reference periods are accounting cycles commonly used in hospitality and retail that divide quarters into periods of 4, 4, and 5 weeks respectively. This system provides:
Consistent comparison periods for operational reporting
Alignment with retail accounting standards
Better seasonal trend analysis for hospitality businesses
Standardised reporting cycles across multiple locations
Key benefits
For the business
Maintain operational consistency - Keep your established 4-4-5 accounting cycles
Eliminate manual workarounds - No more complex data manipulation between systems
Ensure compliance - Automatic validation that all periods meet NMW requirements (≤31 days)
Seamless integration - Rota data flows naturally into payroll without operational disruption
For the employees
Accurate pay processing - Rota hours are assigned to correct pay periods automatically
Transparent scheduling - Clear alignment between work schedules and pay periods
Compliance protection - Built-in safeguards ensure NMW regulations are met
Set up reference periods
To set up reference periods, follow the steps below.
⚠️ Important: This must match your current Rotaready configuration to avoid data misalignment. Before you start, Rotaready integration needs to be set up.
Click Settings.
Click Integrations and locate the Time & Attendance section.
Click Edit.
Select your week start day to match your existing Rotaready setup.
Monday (default and most common for UK hospitality)
Sunday
Saturday
Choose Your Pattern Select the 4-4-5 pattern that best fits your business needs:
4-4-5: Standard pattern (4 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks)
4-5-4: Alternative pattern (4 weeks, 5 weeks, 4 weeks)
5-4-4: Alternative pattern (5 weeks, 4 weeks, 4 weeks)
Set Start Date
Click Save.
⚠️ Warning: All reference periods must be 31 days or shorter to comply with National Minimum Wage regulations. The system automatically validates this requirement.
Mid-period implementation
If you're implementing 4-4-5 reference periods mid-tax year:
The system will display warnings about partial period impacts
Consider timing implementation at natural break points
Review historical data handling requirements
Troubleshoot issues
Problem - Reference period configuration not saving.
Solution - Ensure week start day matches your Rotaready settings and all periods are ≤31 days.
Problem - Rota data not assigning to correct periods.
Solution - Verify that your configured week boundaries match Rotaready's settings exactly.
Problem - Compliance warnings appearing.
Solution - Check that no reference periods exceed 31 days; adjust pattern or start date if needed.
Problem - Mid-period setup concerns.
Solution - Review the implementation date warnings and consider starting at the next natural break point.