Shift Work Schedule & Rota Calculator
Generate a 4-week rota calendar for your shift rotation. Color-coded work and off days at a glance.
Schedule Settings
2 on, 2 off, 3 on — 14-day cycle. Popular in emergency services.
Which week of the rotation cycle does your start date fall in?
Legend
Next 4 weeks
14
Work days
14
Off days
4-Week Schedule — 2-2-3 Panama
Week 1 — Jul 5 – 11
Week 2 — Jul 12 – 18
Week 3 — Jul 19 – 25
Week 4 — Jul 26 – Aug 1
How to Use the Shift Schedule Calculator
- Choose your rotation type from the dropdown. The four options — 2-2-3 Panama, Pitman, 4-on-4-off, and 3-2-2-3 DuPont — cover the most common industrial and healthcare shift patterns used in North America.
- Enter your start date. This is the first calendar day you want the 4-week view to begin from. Most workers set this to today or to the Monday that started their current block.
- Select your current week in the rotation cycle. Each rotation has a fixed cycle length (8, 14, or 28 days). The “current week” field tells the calculator which week of that cycle your start date falls in, so the work and off days line up with your actual schedule rather than always starting from day one of the pattern.
- Read the color-coded calendar. Dark cells are work days; light cells are off days. The summary panel on the left counts your total work days and off days across the 4-week window at a glance.
- Plan ahead. Scroll through the four weeks to spot long stretches of consecutive off days. Those are your best windows for scheduling appointments, travel, or family events without burning vacation days.
- Change the start date at any time to jump forward or backward in the calendar. The pattern repeats automatically, so you can preview any future period by moving the start date ahead.
Common Shift Rotation Patterns
All four schedules below are designed for 12-hour shifts covering 24/7 operations. The on/off sequences in the table are derived directly from the rotation patterns the tool uses, so the descriptions match exactly what the calendar generates.
| Pattern | On/Off Sequence | Cycle | Work Days / Cycle | Avg Hrs / Week | Typical Industries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2-3 Panama | 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 3 off, 2 on, 2 off | 14 days | 7 of 14 | 42 hrs | Emergency services, healthcare, refineries |
| Pitman | 2 on, 3 off, 2 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off | 14 days | 6 of 14 | 36 hrs | Manufacturing, utilities, police |
| 4-on-4-off | 4 on, 4 off | 8 days | 4 of 8 | 42 hrs | Security, mining, oil & gas, transit |
| 3-2-2-3 DuPont | 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off, 3 on, 4 off, 3 on, 3 off, 2 on, 3 off | 28 days | 13 of 28 | 39 hrs | Chemical plants, petrochemical, paper mills |
Panama and 4-on-4-off are true 50/50 schedules: exactly half of all days are work days. Pitman is the lightest at roughly 43% work time (about 156 work days per year with 12-hour shifts), which is why some employers pair it with a lower base hourly rate. DuPont sits in between at about 46% work time and approximately 170 work days per year.
A Worked Example: Panama 2-2-3 Over Two Weeks
The Panama schedule is one of the most widely used 12-hour shift rotations in North America. Here is how one crew's two-week block looks when the cycle starts on a Monday. “W” is a work day and “O” is an off day.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | W | W | O | O | W | W | W |
| Week 2 | O | O | O | W | W | O | O |
Week 1 breaks down as: work Monday and Tuesday (2 on), rest Wednesday and Thursday (2 off), then work Friday through Sunday (3 on) — the “2-2-3” of the name. Week 2 picks up from day 8 of the cycle: Monday through Wednesday off (3 off), Thursday and Friday on (2 on), then Saturday and Sunday off (2 off). At the end of Sunday in week 2 the full 14-day cycle is finished and week 3 restarts identically to week 1. Over the two weeks you log 7 work days and 7 off days. At 12 hours per shift that is 84 hours in a two-week pay period, or roughly 42 hours per week on average.
Choosing and Living With a Rotation
No single schedule is right for everyone. The best rotation depends on your commute, family obligations, health, and how well you adapt to irregular sleep. Here are the key trade-offs to weigh before accepting or requesting a particular pattern.
- Longer blocks off vs. fewer total hours. Pitman gives the most off-days per year (about 209 off days with 12-hour shifts) but also the fewest paid hours, averaging around 36 hours per week. Panama and 4-on-4-off hit 42 hours per week on average. If pay matters more than days off, Panama or 4-on-4-off is the better fit.
- Predictability for family life. The Pitman schedule repeats on a strict 14-day calendar anchor, which means every other weekend is consistently off. If you have school-age children or a partner with a fixed Monday-to-Friday schedule, that predictability is often worth more than raw days off.
- Built-in long weekends. The DuPont cycle includes a 4-consecutive-day stretch off mid-cycle every 28 days. Workers who enjoy travel or need extended recovery time value that block even though DuPont's 39-hour-per-week average is slightly below Panama.
- Simple math wins for planning. The 4-on-4-off schedule is the easiest to memorize and explain to family members. The trade-off: because an 8-day cycle does not align with a 7-day week, your days off rotate through different weekdays each cycle. Some workers love the variety; others find it disorienting when trying to book recurring appointments.
- Night shift and sleep hygiene. All four patterns describe work/off days only — the tool does not distinguish day shifts from night shifts. If you rotate between days and nights, anchor your sleep to your first shift type of each block and shift it gradually (about 2 hours per day) rather than flipping overnight. After a string of night shifts, darken your bedroom and protect at least 7 hours of sleep before your next shift starts.
- Fatigue in long work blocks. The three-consecutive-day openers in the DuPont cycle and the three-day Friday-to-Sunday block in Panama are the most fatigue-intensive stretches across all four schedules. Many experienced shift workers front-load chores and meal prep on the first day of a long block so the final days stay as restful as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Panama or 2-2-3 schedule?
A Panama schedule is a 14-day repeating rotation with the sequence: 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 3 days off, 2 days on, 2 days off. The name is commonly attributed to the Panama Canal, where this pattern was adopted to maintain 24/7 operations with two crews. It is widely used in emergency services, hospitals, and utilities because no single work stretch ever exceeds three consecutive 12-hour days, which limits acute fatigue while still covering all seven days of the week.
What is the DuPont schedule?
The DuPont schedule is a 28-day cycle developed at DuPont chemical plants. The exact sequence this calculator uses is: 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off, 3 on, 4 off, 3 on, 3 off, 2 on, 3 off — then the block repeats. That adds up to 13 work days in every 28-day period. The standout feature is the 4-consecutive-day stretch off mid-cycle, which gives workers a monthly recovery block long enough for travel or extended rest. DuPont is common in chemical and petrochemical plants where sustained mental alertness matters and management wants longer off periods to reduce fatigue-related incidents.
What is the Pitman schedule?
The Pitman schedule is a 14-day rotation that follows the sequence: 2 on, 3 off, 2 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off. It completes 6 work days in every 14-day cycle, making it the lightest of the four patterns in terms of total hours (roughly 36 hours per week on average with 12-hour shifts). Because it repeats on a two-week calendar anchor, workers typically know well in advance which weekends they have off. It is popular in manufacturing and policing where scheduled family time is a retention factor.
How many hours per week does each schedule average?
With 12-hour shifts: Panama and 4-on-4-off both average 42 hours per week (7 work days per 14-day cycle, or 4 work days per 8-day cycle — each is exactly 50% work time). DuPont averages about 39 hours per week (13 work days per 28-day cycle, roughly 46% work time). Pitman is the lightest at approximately 36 hours per week (6 work days per 14-day cycle, about 43% work time). If your facility uses 8-hour shifts, multiply work days by 8 instead of 12 to get your hours.
Which rotation gives the most consecutive days off?
The DuPont schedule has the longest single stretch: 4 consecutive off days mid-cycle. The 4-on-4-off schedule also gives 4 consecutive off days, but because the 8-day cycle floats across the calendar those days land on different weekdays each time. Panama's longest off stretch is 3 consecutive days. Pitman's longest is 3 consecutive off days as well. If a reliable multi-day block at a fixed calendar position matters to you, DuPont is typically the strongest option.
How do I find out which shift I'm on next week?
Set today as your start date, then use the “current week in rotation” selector to tell the calculator which week of the cycle today falls in. The calendar will extend the pattern forward through the next four weeks. To look further ahead, advance the start date to any future date and the calculator continues the pattern from the same position in the cycle.
Do these rotations work for 8-hour shifts?
The calculator tracks which days you work, not the length of each shift. If your facility runs 8-hour shifts, the work/off day calendar is still accurate — you would work 8 hours on each work day instead of 12. However, all four patterns were designed around 12-hour coverage, so the total hours per year will be lower on 8-hour shifts and your employer may need three crews instead of two to maintain full 24/7 coverage. Always confirm the crew count and shift length with your schedule coordinator.
This calculator generates a 28-day calendar view based on publicly documented shift rotation patterns. Actual schedules at your workplace may vary. Always confirm your specific rotation with your supervisor or HR department.