See exactly which days each crew works for the most common 12-hour, 8-hour and 24-hour rotations. Choose a pattern and the date your cycle starts, highlight your own crew, then print the calendar or add your shifts to your phone's calendar.
Last updated:
Totals for the months shown
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How to use the Rotating Shift Calendar
Choose your shift pattern from the list, or pick Custom and type the cycle one letter per day (for example DDNNOOOO).
Set the cycle start date: a date when crew A works the first day of the pattern. Ask your scheduler, or count back from a day you know.
Pick the months to show and, if you like, highlight your crew to see only your days on and off.
Check the totals for shifts, hours and weekends worked in the months shown.
Print the calendar, download the ICS file for Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar, or copy a share link for your team.
Common rotating shift patterns compared
Most 24/7 operations such as hospitals, police, fire, manufacturing and utilities use a fixed cycle that repeats every few days or weeks. The average weekly hours of any cycle are hours worked in one cycle ÷ cycle length in days × 7.
Pattern
Cycle
Crews
Shift length
Average hours / week
Pitman 2-2-3 (Panama)
14 days
4
12 h
42
DuPont
28 days
4
12 h
42
4-on-4-off
8 days
4
12 h
42
2-2-4 Continental
8 days
4
12 h
42
3-on-3-off
6 days
4
12 h
42
7-on-7-off
14 days
4
12 h
42
Southern swing
28 days
4
8 h
42
24/48
3 days
3
24 h
56
48/96
6 days
3
24 h
56
Four crews covering 168 hours a week always average 42 hours each; three platoons covering 168 hours average 56. The difference between patterns is how the work is grouped: how many nights in a row, how often weekends are free, and how long the longest break is.
How to write a custom cycle
Type one letter per day for a single crew's full cycle: D day shift, E evening shift, N night shift, X 24-hour shift and O day off. Then set how many crews you have and how many days later each crew starts the same cycle.
5 days, 2 off (one crew):DDDDDOO, 1 crew.
4 days, 4 nights, 6 off:DDDDNNNNOOOOOO, a 14-day cycle. To spread crews evenly, set the gap to the cycle length divided by the number of crews (for example 7 days for 2 crews).
Kelly-style 24-hour rotation:XOXOXOOOO with 3 crews, 3 days apart.
A night shift is shown on the date it starts. If your night shift begins at 19:00 on Monday and ends Tuesday morning, it appears on Monday.
Tips for shift workers
Check coverage: with All crews selected, every day should show the shifts your workplace needs. A day with a missing letter means the offsets leave a gap.
Plan time off around long breaks: the 7-day break in DuPont or the 3-day weekends in Pitman are the cheapest times to travel using little or no leave.
Night-to-day changes: rotating patterns that switch from nights to days need recovery time; try to keep at least one full day off between a night block and a day block.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Pitman 2-2-3 schedule?
The Pitman schedule is a 14-day rotation of 12-hour shifts: work 2 days, off 2, work 3, off 2, work 2, off 3. It needs four crews to cover 24/7 operations, averages 42 hours a week, and gives every other weekend off as a 3-day weekend. It is also called the 2-2-3 or Panama schedule.
How does the DuPont schedule work?
DuPont is a 28-day cycle of 12-hour shifts for four crews: 4 nights on, 3 off, 3 days on, 1 off, 3 nights on, 3 off, 4 days on, then 7 days off in a row. Each crew works 14 shifts every 4 weeks, an average of 42 hours a week, and gets a full week off once a month.
What is a 24/48 shift?
A 24/48 schedule means one 24-hour shift followed by 48 hours off. Three platoons (A, B and C) rotate so the station is always staffed. Each platoon works every third day, which averages 56 hours a week. The 48/96 variant is two 24-hour shifts followed by four days off, also 56 hours a week on average.
What date should I use as the cycle start?
Use any date on which crew A works the first day of the pattern as written. If you only know your own crew, enter a date when your crew started the cycle and highlight crew A. The calendar repeats the pattern forwards and backwards from that date, so any correct anchor date works.
How many hours a week is a 4-on-4-off schedule?
With 12-hour shifts, 4-on-4-off is 4 shifts in every 8 days, which averages 42 hours a week (48 hours of work per 8 days times 7/8). Any 7-day week contains either 3 or 4 shifts, so weekly hours alternate between 36 and 48.
Can I add my shifts to Google Calendar or my phone?
Yes. Highlight your crew, choose how many months to show, and click Download crew ICS. Import the file in Google Calendar (Settings, Import & export), Outlook or Apple Calendar. Each shift becomes an event with your start time and shift length; days off are left empty.
Does this handle overtime pay or swaps?
No. The calendar shows the planned rotation only. Shift swaps, overtime and leave are not tracked. For pay questions use an overtime or shift differential calculator and check your employer's policy or union contract.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.