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5-2-5-3 work schedule
The 5-2-5-3 schedule is 5 days on, 2 off, 5 on and 3 off, a 15-day cycle usually worked with 8-hour shifts. Each person works 10 shifts every 15 days, and with three squads five days apart, two squads are on duty every day.
By Asier Fernández ·
5-2-5-3 at a glance
- Cycle
- 15 days
- Shift length
- 8 hours
- Hours a week
- 37.3
- Hours a year
- 1,947
- Most shifts in a row
- 5
- Longest break
- 3 days
Hours and coverage
10 shifts of 8 hours in 15 days is 80 hours, an average of 37.3 hours a week and about 1,947 a year (242 shifts in 2027). That is less than 40 a week, so employers often add training days or use the spare capacity for court time and leave cover. With three squads, two are on duty every day, which suits a department that wants extra staff on each shift or runs the squads on different shift times.
Because the cycle is 15 days, the days off move through the week: 9 to 12, depending on the weekday your cycle starts full weekends off in 2027. The 3-day break comes once per cycle, about every two weeks. Some weeks have 6 shifts (48 hours), so check how overtime is counted: the federal rule pays after 40 hours in the workweek, and police agencies under 7(k) after 171 hours in 28 days (29 CFR 553.230).
Similar schedules
For 10- and 12-hour police patterns, see police shift schedules. Other 8-hour options are the southern swing and the 8-hour schedule with every other weekend off. Choose “5-2-5-3” in the shift calendar to get your year, with every crew, holidays and a file for your phone.
More guides
Figures are worked out from each cycle; rules checked against official sources on . How we calculate
Questions
How does a 5/2/5/3 schedule work?
You work 5 days, have 2 off, work 5 more and have 3 off. The 15-day cycle then repeats.
How many hours a week is a 5-2-5-3 schedule?
About 37.3 on average with 8-hour shifts: 80 hours every 15 days.
How many squads does a 5-2-5-3 need?
Three, five days apart. Two squads are then on duty every day.
Do you get weekends off on a 5-2-5-3?
Sometimes: the cycle is 15 days, so days off move through the week. One person gets 9 to 12, depending on the weekday your cycle starts full weekends off in 2027.
Who uses the 5-2-5-3 schedule?
It appears in police departments and other services that run three squads on 8-hour shifts.