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4-5-5 shift pattern (4/5/5/4/5/5)
The 4-5-5 shift pattern, also written 4/5/5/4/5/5, is 4 shifts on, 5 days off, 5 on, 4 off, 5 on and 5 off: a 28-day cycle of 12-hour shifts. Each crew works 14 shifts every 28 days, 42 hours a week on average, and two crews 14 days apart cover every day exactly once.
By Asier Fernández ·
4-5-5 at a glance
- Cycle
- 28 days
- Shift length
- 12 hours
- Hours a week
- 42
- Hours a year
- 2,190
- Most shifts in a row
- 5
- Longest break
- 5 days
Why two crews fit exactly
The second half of the cycle is the mirror of the first: crew B, starting 14 days after crew A, works on exactly the days crew A is off. So two crews give one crew on duty every day, with no gaps and no doubled days, and four crews (two on days, two on nights) cover 24/7. We checked this day by day with the calendar engine for all 28 days of the cycle. Pitman and 7 on 7 off schedules share the same property; the 4-5-5 gets there with longer breaks.
Days off and leave
The breaks are 5, 4 and 5 days, so you are never off for less than four days at a time and never work more than 5 shifts in a row. The 4-shift block sits between the two 5-day breaks: book those 4 shifts as leave and you get 14 days off in a row for 48 hours of leave. Full weekends off in 2027: 13 to 26, depending on the weekday your cycle starts.
Hours and overtime
The weeks are uneven. Under the federal rule overtime is paid for hours over 40 in each workweek, and the employer chooses the day it starts (29 CFR 778.105). For one crew:
| Workweek starts | Hours in each of the 4 weeks | Overtime hours a year |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 48, 60, 36, 24 | 364 |
| Tuesday | 36, 60, 48, 24 | 364 |
| Wednesday | 24, 60, 60, 24 | 520 |
| Thursday | 24, 48, 60, 36 | 364 |
| Friday | 24, 36, 60, 48 | 364 |
| Saturday | 36, 36, 48, 48 | 208 |
| Sunday | 48, 36, 36, 48 | 208 |
So the same schedule can mean anywhere from 208 to 520 overtime hours a year. One Canadian union agreement that adopted the 4/5/5/4/5/5 rotation in 2022 starts shifts at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and pays overtime after 12 hours in a day instead (UFCW Local 401 letter of understanding): check your own contract.
4-5-5 compared
| Pattern | Cycle | Most shifts in a row | Longest break | Full weekends off in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-5-5 | 28 days | 5 | 5 days | 13 to 26, depending on the weekday your cycle starts |
| Pitman (2-2-3) | 14 days | 3 | 3 days | 0 to 26, depending on the weekday your cycle starts |
| DuPont | 28 days | 4 | 7 days | 0 to 26, depending on the weekday your cycle starts |
| 4 on 4 off | 8 days | 4 | 4 days | 18 to 21, depending on the weekday your cycle starts |
All four average 42 hours a week on 12-hour shifts. The 4-5-5 trades the Pitman's short blocks for longer breaks, and the DuPont's 7-day break for a pattern that never drops below four days off. In the UK, 42 hours is within the 48-hour average week, and 12-hour shifts leave the 11 hours of daily rest the Working Time Regulations require; see UK working time rules.
Make your calendar
Choose “4-5-5 (4 on 5 off 5 on)” in the shift calendar to get your year, with every crew, holidays and a file for your phone. Pick “Night shift” under Version for the night crews, or “All crews” to see both crews side by side. Other 12-hour patterns are compared in 12-hour shift schedules.
More guides
Figures are worked out from each cycle; rules checked against official sources on . How we calculate
Questions
What is a 4-5-5 shift pattern?
4 shifts on, 5 days off, 5 on, 4 off, 5 on, 5 off: a 28-day cycle, usually with 12-hour shifts. It is also written 4/5/5/4/5/5.
How many hours a week is a 4-5-5 shift pattern?
42 hours on average with 12-hour shifts: 14 shifts (168 hours) every 28 days, about 2,190 hours a year.
How many crews does a 4-5-5 need?
Two crews 14 days apart cover one shift every day exactly once; four crews cover days and nights 24/7.
What is the longest break on a 4-5-5?
5 days, twice per cycle, with a 4-day break in between. Taking the 4-shift block as leave gives 14 days off in a row.
Is the 4-5-5 shift pattern any good?
It suits people who want breaks of at least four days and no more than five shifts in a row. The cost is uneven weeks, from 24 to 60 hours, which affects weekly overtime.