Quick answer
Common shift rotations at a glance
12-hour rotations
42 h/week
Half the days in the cycle, on average
Shifts in a year
182–183
On 2-2-3, DuPont or 4 on, 4 off
Longest break
7 days
DuPont, once every 28 days
Most 24/7 rotations use four teams on 12-hour shifts. Each team works half the days in its cycle, so it averages 42 hours a week. What changes is how the days off are grouped.
| Rotation | Cycle | Sequence | Hours a week | Longest break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2-3 / Pitman | 14 days | 2-2-3-2-2-3 | 42 | 3 days |
| Panama | 28 days | 2-2-3-2-2-3 days, then nights | 42 | 3 days |
| DuPont | 28 days | 4N-3-3D-1-3N-3-4D-7 | 42 | 7 days |
| 4 on, 4 off | 8 days | 4-4 | 42 | 4 days |
| 24 on, 48 off | 3 days | 1-2 (24-hour shifts) | 56 | 2 days |
Am I working on Christmas?
If you're a nurse, guard, factory worker or call center agent on a rotation, your schedule doesn't follow the week. Your days off move around the calendar, and the question you keep asking is simple: am I working on that date? Your birthday, a wedding, Christmas, the day your kid has a school program.
Counting forward on your fingers works for next week, not for next December. This calculator lays out your rotation on a real calendar. Enter one day your work block started, and it fills in every shift and every day off, for any month and any year. It also counts your shifts and hours, so you can see what a year on that rotation actually looks like.
How to use the calculator
Step 1
Choose your rotation
Pick 2-2-3, Panama, DuPont, 4 on 4 off, 3 on 3 off, 2 on 2 off or 24 on 48 off. If yours isn't listed, choose Custom and type your days on and off, like 7-7 or 14-14.
Step 2
Anchor it to a real date
Enter the first day of any one of your work blocks: the first of your 2 days on, the first of your 4 nights on DuPont, or the first day back after your days off. Past or future, any block works.
Step 3
Check your dates
Use the month arrows to browse the calendar, or enter a date in Am I working on…. Change the year to count your shifts and hours for a different year.
If your result looks one day off from your actual roster, your anchor date is probably not the first day of a block. Move it a day and check again.
How the common rotations work
2-2-3 (Pitman). Work 2, off 2, work 3, then off 2, work 2, off 3. That's 14 days with 7 shifts, and you get every other weekend off, Friday to Sunday. Teams usually stay on days or stay on nights.
Panama. The same 2-2-3 rhythm, but you switch between day shifts and night shifts every 14 days, so the full cycle is 28 days. Some companies use "Panama" and "Pitman" for the same thing. If your days and nights don't switch, choose 2-2-3.
DuPont. 4 nights, 3 off, 3 days, 1 off, 3 nights, 3 off, 4 days, then 7 days off in a row. It's tough in the middle, with one 72-hour week, but you get a full week off every 28 days without using leave.
4 on, 4 off, and 3 on, 3 off. The simplest rotations. Work 4 (or 3), rest 4 (or 3), repeat. Your days off move by a few days every week, so weekends off come and go.
24 on, 48 off. Common for firefighters and some security posts. One 24-hour shift, then two days off. That's about 56 hours a week on average, more than the 12-hour rotations.
Example: a 2-2-3 rotation in 2027
Let's say your 2-2-3 block starts on Monday, January 4, 2027, with 12-hour shifts. Your first week is Monday and Tuesday on, Wednesday and Thursday off, then Friday to Sunday on. The next week is the mirror: Monday and Tuesday off, Wednesday and Thursday on, Friday to Sunday off.
Shifts in 2027: 182
Hours: 182 × 12 = 2,184
Full weekends off: 26
December 25, 2027: a work day
A Monday-to-Friday, 8-hour worker puts in 2,088 hours in 2027. So the 2-2-3 rotation is about 96 more hours over the year, in 79 fewer workdays. That's the trade: longer shifts, fewer days.
12-hour shifts and overtime
An average of 42 hours a week means some weeks go over 40. In the US, overtime under the FLSA is counted per workweek, so the weeks with 48 hours have 8 hours of overtime, and a 36-hour week has none. Your employer's workweek start day decides which shifts land in which week.
In the Philippines, overtime is counted per day. Hours beyond 8 in a day are overtime under Article 87, unless your company has a compressed workweek arrangement approved under DOLE's rules, which allows up to 12-hour days without overtime pay. Night hours from 10 PM to 6 AM also earn the night differential. Use the Overtime Pay Calculator and the Night Differential Calculator for the pesos.
Before you plan around the calendar
- Check one or two dates against your official roster to confirm your anchor date.
- Ask whether your team switches between days and nights, and how often.
- Remember that swaps, leave and overtime callbacks aren't in the calculator.
- Check your company's holiday rules. On a rotation, you may work a holiday and get premium pay instead of the day off.
Questions about shift rotations
What is a 2-2-3 work schedule?
A 14-day rotation: work 2 days, off 2, work 3, off 2, work 2, off 3. With 12-hour shifts, that is 7 shifts every two weeks, about 42 hours a week, and every other weekend off.
What is the difference between Pitman and Panama?
Both use the same 2-2-3 rhythm. Pitman usually keeps a team on days or on nights. Panama usually switches the team between days and nights every 14 days, making a 28-day cycle. Companies do use the names loosely.
What is the DuPont schedule?
A 28-day rotation of 12-hour shifts: 4 nights, 3 off, 3 days, 1 off, 3 nights, 3 off, 4 days, then 7 days off in a row. It averages 42 hours a week.
How many shifts do I work in a year on a 12-hour rotation?
About 182 or 183 on 2-2-3, Panama, DuPont or 4 on 4 off, because you work half the days in the cycle. At 12 hours each, that is about 2,184 to 2,196 hours.
How do I know if I am working on a certain date?
Choose your rotation, enter the first day of any one of your work blocks, then enter the date in "Am I working on". The calendar also shows every month.
How many hours a week is a 24 on 48 off schedule?
About 56 hours on average, because you work one 24-hour shift every 3 days.
Do 12-hour shifts mean overtime?
In the US, overtime is counted over 40 hours in a workweek, so weeks with 48 hours include 8 hours of overtime. In the Philippines, hours beyond 8 in a day are overtime unless your company has an approved compressed workweek.
Related calculators
- Night Differential Calculator
Night hours and pay for one shift.
- AM–PM Calculator
Hours between two clock times, including overnight shifts.
- Work Hours in a Year Calculator
Hours in a year for a regular weekly schedule.
- Timesheet Calculator
Add up the hours you actually worked this week.
Sources
- Rotation sequences as commonly published for 24/7 operations: 2-2-3/Pitman (14 days), Panama (28 days with day/night swap), DuPont (28 days)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fair Labor Standards Act: overtime over 40 hours in a workweek
- Labor Code of the Philippines, Articles 86 and 87; DOLE Department Advisory No. 02, s. 2004 (compressed workweek)