Your shift calendar for the whole year
Choose your pattern and a day you start work. You get all 12 months, your hours, a link your family can open and a file for Google or Apple Calendar.
Shift patterns
- Pitman Schedule14-day cycle, 42 h a week
- Panama Schedule28-day cycle, 42 h a week
- DuPont Schedule28-day cycle, 42 h a week
- 4 on 4 off Schedule8-day cycle, 42 h a week
- 4-3-3-4 Schedule14-day cycle, 42 h a week
- 3 on 3 off Schedule6-day cycle, 42 h a week
- 2 on 2 off Schedule4-day cycle, 42 h a week
- 7 on 7 off Schedule14-day cycle, 42 h a week
- 24/48 Schedule3-day cycle, 56 h a week
- 48/96 Schedule6-day cycle, 56 h a week
- Kelly Schedule9-day cycle, 56 h a week
- 24/72 Schedule4-day cycle, 42 h a week
- Hitch Rotation Schedule28-day cycle, 42 h a week
Which 12-hour shift schedule is right for you?
All the common 12-hour schedules cover 24/7 with four crews and average 42 hours a week. Pick by what matters most to you:
- Every other weekend off: the Pitman (2-2-3) or the Panama.
- A full week off every four weeks: the DuPont.
- Never more than two shifts in a row: 2 on 2 off.
- Half the year at home in week-long blocks: 7 on 7 off.
- Staying on days or on nights instead of rotating: the Pitman with fixed crews.
Weekends off, longest break, runs of shifts and overtime for each one are compared in 12-hour shift schedules compared.
Calculators and guides for shift workers
Calculators
More shift schedules
Pay and work rules
By job
Use it as a free shift calendar app
Crewdays installs on your phone like an app, with no app store and no account. On iPhone, open crewdays.app in Safari, tap Share and then Add to Home Screen. On Android, open it in Chrome and choose Install app or Add to home screen in the menu. It opens full screen, works offline once it has loaded, and keeps your calendar on your phone. To see your shifts in Google Calendar or Apple Calendar, press Add to calendar on any calendar page.
Compare patterns
Figures are worked out from each cycle; rules checked against official sources on . How we calculate
Questions
Do I need an account?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Can I add my shifts to Google Calendar, share them or open them in Excel?
Yes. "Add to calendar" downloads a file that Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook import, with each run of shifts as all-day events, so daylight saving time does not move them. "Copy link" ("Share" on a phone) gives a link that opens the same calendar for your family. "Excel" downloads the year as a CSV file for Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers, with one column per crew when "All crews" is selected.
Is there a Crewdays app for iPhone or Android?
Yes, without the app store. On iPhone, open crewdays.app in Safari, tap Share and then Add to Home Screen. On Android, open it in Chrome and choose Install app or Add to home screen in the menu. It opens full screen, works offline once it has loaded, and is free.
My pattern is not listed. What can I do?
Choose "Build your own" and type your cycle, one letter per day: D for day, N for night, E for evening, X for 24 hours and O for off.
What is the best rotating shift schedule?
There is no single best one. The Pitman and Panama give every other weekend off, the DuPont gives a full week off every four weeks, and 24/48 or 48/96 suit 24-hour services. Compare them side by side on the comparison pages.
Do you get paid more for working nights?
Federal law (the FLSA) does not require extra pay for nights or weekends. Night differentials come from your employer, union contract or, in a few cases, state rules. When you do get one, it counts towards your overtime rate.
Is three 12-hour shifts a week full time?
Usually, but it depends on the employer. Federal law has no single definition of full time; many employers and the Affordable Care Act use 30 hours a week or more, and 36 hours counts as full time at many hospitals.
Can it work out California overtime on 12-hour shifts?
Yes. In "Your pay" choose the California rule: over 8 hours a day at time and a half, over 12 at double time, plus weekly overtime over 40 hours and the seventh day in a row (California Labor Code 510). Alaska (over 8 a day, AS 23.10.060; hospital employees who provide medical services are exempt) and Colorado (over 12 hours in a workday or 12 consecutive hours, COMPS Order #40, Rule 4) are there too.
Which holidays are marked?
The 11 US federal holidays on their actual date. If your employer gives the day off on a weekday when a holiday falls on a weekend, choose "US federal holidays, observed weekday" under Holidays shown: a Saturday holiday moves to the Friday before (5 U.S.C. 6103(b)) and a Sunday holiday to the Monday after (Executive Order 11582), as for federal employees. In 2027 that puts Juneteenth on Friday, June 18, Independence Day on Monday, July 5, Christmas on Friday, December 24, and New Year's Day 2028 on Friday, December 31.
Can I see every crew at once?
Yes. Under "Show" choose "All crews" to see which crew is on each shift every day, as on a station or plant calendar.
Does it work for night shifts that cross midnight?
Yes. Each shift is shown on the day it starts.