What is a 2-2-3 schedule?

A rotation for 24/7 operations: four teams on 12-hour shifts, each team working 2 days on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off over a 14-day cycle. Two teams cover days and two cover nights, so every hour of every day is staffed.

How many hours a week is a 2-2-3 schedule?

84 hours per two-week cycle, an average of 42 a week, split as a 60-hour week (5 shifts) followed by a 24-hour week (2 shifts).

Is the Pitman schedule the same as 2-2-3?

Yes. Pitman is the usual name for the fixed version, where a team stays on days or on nights. When the teams rotate between days and nights on a slow cycle it is often called the Panama schedule.

How many days off a year on a 2-2-3?

Half the days: 7 of every 14, about 182 a year. Every other weekend is a three-day weekend, Friday to Sunday.

Does a 2-2-3 schedule pay overtime?

In the US, yes in the 60-hour week: 20 hours beyond 40 at time and a half under the FLSA, unless the employer is a hospital or care facility using the 8-and-80 rule. In the UK there is no statutory overtime rate; the 42-hour average is within the 48-hour limit.

Can I get a 2-2-3 schedule template?

Yes, the Excel template on this page has the four teams over eight weeks, dates that follow the start date you enter, and hours per week. The calendar above can be printed for any start date.

2-2-3 schedule (Pitman): how the 14-day rotation works

Four teams, 12-hour shifts, a cycle of 14 days: two on, two off, three on, two off, two on, three off. Two teams cover days, two cover nights. Every team works 7 of every 14 days, gets a three-day weekend every other week, and never works more than three days in a row. Set the start date below to see your own calendar, or download the template.

Cycle: 14 days
Shifts per cycle: 7 × 12 h
Average: 42 h a week
Longest run: 3 days
Longest break: 3 days

Calendar: set your start date

Team A starts the cycle on the date you pick. Change the date to match your site, then print it or download the spreadsheet.

First day of the cycle (team A starts)Show

D Day shift (7am to 7pm, 12 h)N Night shift (7pm to 7am, 12 h)O Off

Team	Mon 5 Oct	Tue 6	Wed 7	Thu 8	Fri 9	Sat 10	Sun 11	Mon 12	Tue 13	Wed 14	Thu 15	Fri 16	Sat 17	Sun 18	Mon 19	Tue 20	Wed 21	Thu 22	Fri 23	Sat 24	Sun 25	Mon 26	Tue 27	Wed 28	Thu 29	Fri 30	Sat 31	Sun 1 Nov
Team A	D	D	·	·	D	D	D	·	·	D	D	·	·	·	D	D	·	·	D	D	D	·	·	D	D	·	·	·
Team B	·	·	D	D	·	·	·	D	D	·	·	D	D	D	·	·	D	D	·	·	·	D	D	·	·	D	D	D
Team C	N	N	·	·	N	N	N	·	·	N	N	·	·	·	N	N	·	·	N	N	N	·	·	N	N	·	·	·
Team D	·	·	N	N	·	·	·	N	N	·	·	N	N	N	·	·	N	N	·	·	·	N	N	·	·	N	N	N

Hours per week	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Team A	60	24	60	24
Team B	24	60	24	60
Team C	60	24	60	24
Team D	24	60	24	60

7 shifts per 14-day cycle, 84 hours, an average of 42 hours a week. Longest stretch worked: 3 days. Longest break: 3 days. Weekend days are shown in blue.

Download the Excel template (.xlsx)Build it with real names, free up to 10

How the 2-2-3 schedule works

Week 1: Monday and Tuesday on, Wednesday and Thursday off, Friday to Sunday on. 5 shifts, 60 hours.
Week 2: Monday and Tuesday off, Wednesday and Thursday on, Friday to Sunday off. 2 shifts, 24 hours.
Team B works the days team A is off, so the two day teams cover every day between them. Teams C and D do the same on nights.
In the fixed version, a team stays on days or nights. In the rotating version the day and night teams swap every two or four weeks; with a slow swap the pattern is often called the Panama schedule.

What it does well

A three-day weekend (Friday to Sunday) every other week, and about 182 days off a year.
Never more than three consecutive 12-hour shifts.
A 14-day pattern people can memorise: the same weekday is on or off every second week.
Two teams are always at work, so cover is continuous without a fifth relief team.

Where it hurts

60-hour weeks alternate with 24-hour weeks. Fatigue peaks on the three-day run, and payroll has to handle the swing.
In the United States the 60-hour week means 20 hours of overtime under the FLSA, every other week, for every person on the pattern.
Fixed nights suit some people and wear others down; rotating nights break sleep for everyone at each swap.
Weekend work every other week is built in. It is fair, and it is still every other weekend.

Overtime in the United States

The FLSA counts overtime per workweek, not per pay period, so a 60-hour week is 20 overtime hours at time and a half even though the next week is 24 hours. The two cannot be averaged, except for hospitals and residential care facilities that have adopted the 8-and-80 system, where overtime is paid beyond 8 hours in a day or 80 in 14 days. Several states add daily overtime: in California, hours beyond 8 in a day are time and a half and beyond 12 are double time, unless the schedule was adopted through a valid alternative workweek election. Numbers for your rates: the overtime calculator; state break rules: break laws by state.

Working Time Regulations in the UK

A 12-hour shift followed by 12 hours off meets the 11 hours of daily rest under the Working Time Regulations. The 42-hour average sits under the 48-hour limit, so no opt-out is needed. Each shift is over 6 hours and needs a 20-minute break written in. The three days off in week two cover the weekly rest. The full list of limits: the Working Time Regulations and your rota; leave in hours: the holiday entitlement calculator.

Variants

2-3-2: the same cycle starting on a different day of the pattern, so the three-day block falls midweek.
Panama: 2-2-3 with the day and night teams swapping every 28 days.
2-2-3 on 10-hour shifts with overlap: used where 12-hour shifts are not allowed or wanted.

Who uses it

Police and fire departments, hospitals and emergency rooms, 24/7 manufacturing, security, data centres and call centres that cannot close.

Other patterns

Frequently asked questions

What is a 2-2-3 schedule?: A rotation for 24/7 operations: four teams on 12-hour shifts, each team working 2 days on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off over a 14-day cycle. Two teams cover days and two cover nights, so every hour of every day is staffed.
How many hours a week is a 2-2-3 schedule?: 84 hours per two-week cycle, an average of 42 a week, split as a 60-hour week (5 shifts) followed by a 24-hour week (2 shifts).
Is the Pitman schedule the same as 2-2-3?: Yes. Pitman is the usual name for the fixed version, where a team stays on days or on nights. When the teams rotate between days and nights on a slow cycle it is often called the Panama schedule.
How many days off a year on a 2-2-3?: Half the days: 7 of every 14, about 182 a year. Every other weekend is a three-day weekend, Friday to Sunday.
Does a 2-2-3 schedule pay overtime?: In the US, yes in the 60-hour week: 20 hours beyond 40 at time and a half under the FLSA, unless the employer is a hospital or care facility using the 8-and-80 rule. In the UK there is no statutory overtime rate; the 42-hour average is within the 48-hour limit.
Can I get a 2-2-3 schedule template?: Yes, the Excel template on this page has the four teams over eight weeks, dates that follow the start date you enter, and hours per week. The calendar above can be printed for any start date.

Put names on the pattern

The template gives you the teams. The planner gives each person their own shifts on their phone, with breaks and rest checked, and shift change requests that go through the manager instead of a group chat. Free up to 10 people.

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