12-hour shift patterns
All of these run with four teams, so the plant or station is covered 24/7 and each team averages 42 hours a week. Numbers are for one team in 2027.
| Pattern | Cycle | Shifts in 2027 | Full weekends off in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day, night, 2 off | 4 days | 183 | 13 |
| 4 on 4 off (2 days, 2 nights, 4 off) | 8 days | 184 | 19 |
| 4 days, 4 nights, 4 off each | 16 days | 184 | 19 |
| Pitman 2-2-3 | 28 days | 183 | 26 |
| DuPont | 28 days | 182 | 26 |
What the table shows: the hours are the same, the weekends are not. Pitman and DuPont are built around the calendar week, so every other weekend is free – twice as many full weekends as day, night, 2 off. DuPont also gives a full week off every four weeks.
8-hour shift patterns
| Pattern | Teams | Hours a week | Shifts in 2027 | Full weekends off in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental (2 earlies, 2 lates, 2 nights, 4 off) | 5 | 33.6 | 221 | 16 |
| Earlies, lates and nights, weekly rotation (Mon–Fri) | 3 | 40 | 261 | 52 |
| Earlies and lates, weekly rotation (Mon–Fri) | 2 | 40 | 261 | 52 |
The weekly rotations keep every weekend free but only cover weekdays. Continuous 24/7 cover with 8-hour shifts needs a fifth team (continental) to bring the hours down to a sustainable level.
24-hour and offshore rotations
| Pattern | Hours a week | Shifts in 2027 | Full weekends off in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/48 (24 h on, 48 h off) | 56 | 122 | 18 |
| Offshore 2 weeks on, 4 weeks off | 28 | 122 shifts of 12 h | 34 |
24/48 is the classic firefighter and EMS duty: one long shift, then two days at home. It adds up to 56 hours a week on paper, which is why many services add extra days off (Kelly days) to the pattern.
How to read the numbers
- Hours a week are an average over the whole cycle. A single week can be much heavier or lighter.
- Full weekends off count Saturdays and Sundays where team A has no shift on either day. The other teams follow the same pattern shifted by a few days, so their count is close but not identical.
- Night shifts ending on Saturday morning still count as a free weekend here. If that matters to you, look at the calendar itself.
See it as a calendar
Every pattern above links to its own page with the whole year for each team, a printable A4 PDF and the option to add the shifts to Google, Apple or Outlook Calendar. On myturnus.com you can pick a pattern, choose your team and the day your cycle starts, and add holidays and swaps.
FAQ
Which 12-hour pattern gives the most weekends off?
Pitman 2-2-3 and DuPont: 26 full weekends in 2027, every other weekend. Day, night, 2 off gives only 13.
How many hours a week is a 4 on 4 off rota?
On average 42 hours: 4 shifts of 12 hours in every 8-day cycle.
How many shifts a year do you work on 24/48?
About 122 in 2027 – one 24-hour shift every three days.
Are these the official rotas of my employer?
No. These are the common patterns. Your employer's rota may start on a different day or include extra days off, so set the start date to match your own schedule.