You’ve just started a new project: your stakeholders are aligned and your charter is signed. Now, it’s time to get practical—one of the best ways to plan work and share what needs to be done with your team is by filling out a work plan template.
To help you get started, we put together eight work plan templates that you can copy and start using for free right now 👇
(PS: At some point, you may find that templates are insufficient or too inflexible for your planning needs. If that’s the case, the company behind this page (Float 👋) has built a dedicated resource management software that thousands of teams love. And it’s free to try out!)
What are the benefits of using work plan templates?
Work plan tools and templates offer several benefits that support accountability, alignment, and execution of your project. Specifically, they help you:
- Translate high-level project mandate and statement of work into a tactical action plan the team can execute
- Boost team morale and engagement by clarifying how the team’s work supports company objectives
- Think through project level of effort, timeline, and staffing
- Justify budget requests based on the estimated level of effort
- Plan for contingencies that may arise in the course of project execution by identifying risks, assumptions, and constraints
10 sample work plan templates you can start using right now
The templates below are for different needs and use different file formats, and offer a starting point for you to iterate on what is most effective for your team and organization. Feel free to customize as you see fit and update as part of your workload management process.
Get the templates by making a copy or going to File > Download.
⚠️ Please don’t send edit requests, as the original file needs to remain intact for everyone to be able to view and save.
1. Example work plan template in Google Sheets
This work plan in Google Sheets helps you break down specific tasks and add their details in, so they can be easily arranged and assigned to the right teams and people. This template is well-suited for projects with very clear deliverables.
➡️ Make a copy in Google Sheets
➡️ Download to your computer from File > Download
2. Detailed work plan template in Google Sheets
This work plan template includes the high-level details of the project timeline (phases and milestones) as well as the nitty-gritty of jobs to be done and the roles required. It’s good for complex projects with timelines that span multiple weeks (or even months).
➡️ Make a copy in Google Sheets
➡️ Download to your computer from File > Download
3. Sample work plan template in Google Docs
This Google Docs work plan template helps you document the project scope and goals, along with how they translate into the level of effort and specific actions needed from your team. Use this to align stakeholders.
➡️ Download to your computer from File > Download
4. Work breakdown structure template
The work breakdown structure (WBS) template lists all the work to be done for a specific project. The difference with the previous work plan templates is that it places tasks into a hierarchy so you and your team can easily understand dependencies and potential blockers. If you need a WBS in a diagram format, get it here.
➡️ Download to your computer from File > Download
5. Daily work plan template
The daily work plan template can be used both by an individual and a team. It helps plan an entire day of work based on ongoing projects at any given time.
➡️ Make a copy in Google Sheets
➡️ Download to your computer from File > Download
6. Weekly work plan template
The weekly work plan template is ideal for tracking short-term tasks and progress, ensuring every project moves smoothly from start to finish.
➡️ Make a copy in Google Sheets
➡️ Download to your computer from File > Download
7. Annual work plan template
The annual work plan template is best for managing projects across extended periods. Use it to plan high-level project work from conception to completion.
➡️ Make a copy in Google Sheets
➡️ Download to your computer from File > Download
8. Project plan template
This template is for a project action plan and is broader than just a work plan. If this level of detail is what you need, you may find our collection of 15 project plan templates useful to organize your projects from initiation to closure.
➡️ Make a copy in Google Sheets
➡️ Download to Microsoft Excel
➡️ Download to your computer from File > Download
9. Work plan templates in Excel
This template is in .xls format if you prefer working locally on your computer rather than on cloud apps. Download it from the folder below and start your work plan!
➡️ Download the .xlsx file here.
10. Work plan templates as a PDF
Use this file version for printing and filling in manually. Download it to your computer through the options below.
➡️ Download it from this Drive folder or from Acrobat.
<tip>
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time
You always need to determine the scope and goals for each project, but you don’t need to do the actual work planning and allocation from scratch.
For example, instead of always having to list roles, set up and manage roles in Float so you can always find the best person for the job and easily assign work on the schedule. Or set up the initial budget for a project and use reports from previous projects to optimize your plan.
<tip-button>Find out more</tip-button>
</tip>
An easy way to create work plans and keep them updated
Creating a spreadsheet or document for work planning is something to be proud of! It takes a lot of structuring and iteration to get it right 💪
But even for spreadsheet enthusiasts, the issue remains that spreadsheets were not created for planning. They’re easy to break and hard to keep updated. Plus, all project planners could focus so much more on other parts of their job if they didn’t have to invest time and effort in setting up and managing spreadsheets.
What’s a better way? Consider a dedicated resource management and scheduling software like Float.
With Float, you can:
⭐ Add new projects and the work plan with details like tasks, milestones, phases, roles required, and budgets. Create your project plans and keep them neatly organized.
⭐ Schedule work based on the team’s real availability. Say your work plan demands a senior designer to work on a specific task for 10 hours a week. In Float, you can filter by skills and check capacity at a glance to schedule work realistically—plus, you can keep an eye on PTO and holidays so you don’t risk scheduling work on days people aren’t around to do it.
⭐ Shift timelines and work allocations without messing up your work plan schedule
If you’re an agency, you’ll also love the time tracking options: pre-filled timesheets that enable teams to log time with one click and a slick timer to track time worked.
<sme-box>
<sme-color="blue">
<sme-image>
</sme-image>
<sme-author>
Jason Fisher
</sme-author>
<sme-position>
Co-Founder and Global Studio Director, Flight Story
</sme-position>
<sme-quotes>
Why you need to set up the right work planning system early
“From day one, [Float] is the first thing I signed up to. And even though there were just two of us, there's no question that you've got to set up the systems early and get off on the right foot. Otherwise, planning and organization become your Achilles heel down the line because you’ve not got the foundation there.
“When you suddenly get busy and win that big job you’ve been hoping for, you need the tool in place. And doing all of that at the same time as being right in the thick of client delivery is never fun.”
</sme-quotes>
</sme-box>
<cta-box>
<image-color="yellow">
Make your project and work planning life easier
Schedule work with confidence based on the team’s real capacity and plan projects in a visual interface.
<cta-button> Try Float for free</cta-button>
</cta-box>
