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DuPont Schedule Calendar
The DuPont schedule is a 28-day rotating pattern with 12-hour shifts and four crews: 4 nights, 3 off, 3 days, 1 off, 3 nights, 3 off, 4 days, then 7 days off. Pick a day you start work and get your whole year.
DuPont Schedule at a glance
- Cycle
- 28 days
- Shift length
- 12 hours
- Crews for 24/7
- 4
- Hours a week
- 42
- Hours a year
- 2,190
- Days off per cycle
- 14
What is a DuPont schedule?
The DuPont schedule is a 28-day rotating pattern with 12-hour shifts and four crews: 4 nights, 3 off, 3 days, 1 off, 3 nights, 3 off, 4 days, then 7 days off. The 7-day break is what most people choose it for.
One cycle, crew by crew
Rotating days/nights (28 days)
Employers often shift the start or swap the order of blocks. If your rota differs, change the start date until the calendar matches a week you already know.
Printable DuPont schedule template
Working a DuPont schedule
The DuPont schedule is a 28-day cycle for four crews on 12-hour shifts: 4 nights, 3 off, 3 days, 1 off, 3 nights, 3 off, 4 days and then 7 days off. It is named after the DuPont company and is common in chemical plants, refineries, power stations and manufacturing.
The 7-day break is the reason people like it. It can be stretched with very little leave: the 4 day shifts before the break sit between 3 days off and the 7 off, so taking those 4 shifts as leave gives 14 days off in a row.
The price is the middle of the cycle. Three day shifts, one day off and then three nights is one of the hardest changes in common 12-hour patterns, and the weeks are very uneven: depending on where your workweek starts, you can work 72 hours in one week and none in another. That makes the DuPont one of the most expensive patterns in weekly overtime, as the table below shows.
Overtime on a DuPont schedule: it depends on the workweek
Federal overtime is due for hours over 40 in a workweek, a fixed 7-day period that your employer chooses and that does not have to start on Monday (29 CFR 778.105). With the same shifts, the day it starts changes how the hours fall into weeks, and so the overtime. Crew A, cycle starting on a Monday:
| Workweek starts | Hours in each week | Overtime hours a year |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 48, 72, 48, 0 | 624 |
| Tuesday | 48, 60, 48, 12 | 468 |
| Wednesday | 48, 48, 48, 24 | 312 |
| Thursday | 48, 36 | 208 |
| Friday | 36, 48 | 208 |
| Saturday | 48, 48, 24, 48 | 312 |
| Sunday | 60, 48, 12, 48 | 468 |
Compare this pattern with every other 24/7 option in 24/7 shift schedules compared. Federal rule only, before leave and swaps. Daily overtime states such as California count differently: use “Your pay” in the calendar or the shift pay calculator.
How many hours is a DuPont schedule?
| Version | Cycle | Crews | Avg hours a week | Hours a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotating days/nights | 28 days | 4 | 42 | 2,190 |
Hours a year = hours worked in one cycle × 365 ÷ days in the cycle. Rotating days/nights: 168 h × 365 ÷ 28 = 2,190 h. These are scheduled hours; overtime, leave and swaps change your own total.
DuPont pay calculator: hours, overtime and pay a year at your hourly rate.
DuPont Schedule pros and cons
Pros
- A full week off every four weeks.
- Each crew works days and nights in equal measure.
- Average of 42 hours a week.
Cons
- The 4-shift blocks are tiring, and the week before the break is heavy.
- Quick swaps between nights and days.
- Employers often change the order of the blocks: compare with your rota.
DuPont Schedule calendar 2027
An example year with Crew A starting its cycle on Monday, January 4, 2027; the other crews follow 7 days apart. For your own dates, use the calendar at the top of the page.
| Crew | Shifts in 2027 | Hours | Full weekends off |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 182 | 2,184 | 26 |
| B | 182 | 2,184 | 26 |
| C | 183 | 2,196 | 26 |
| D | 183 | 2,196 | 26 |
Day shifts yellow, nights blue, 24-hour shifts red, US federal holidays with an orange corner.
January 2027
February 2027
March 2027
April 2027
May 2027
June 2027
July 2027
August 2027
September 2027
October 2027
November 2027
December 2027
Who uses the DuPont schedule?
Chemical plants, refineries, power stations and other continuous operations.
Pitman vs DuPont: which is better?
Similar patterns
- Pitman Schedule14-day cycle, 42 h a week
- Panama Schedule28-day cycle, 42 h a week
- 4 on 4 off Schedule8-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
- 4-3-3-4 Schedule14-day cycle, 42 h a week
Questions
How many hours a week is a DuPont schedule?
On average 42 hours a week: 14 shifts of 12 hours every 28 days. Over a year that is about 2,190 scheduled hours, before overtime, leave or Kelly days.
How many crews does a DuPont schedule need?
4 crews for this version, with exactly one crew on each shift every day.
How many hours a year is a DuPont schedule?
About 2,190 scheduled hours a year: about 183 shifts of 12 hours. Overtime, leave and shift swaps change your own total; the pay calculator works it out at your hourly rate.
How long is the DuPont schedule cycle?
28 days. After that the same days repeat, so the calendar for any year follows from one start date.
How do I add my shifts to Google Calendar or my iPhone?
Pick your pattern and a day you start a block, press "Add to calendar" and open the file. Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook import it as all-day events, so daylight saving time does not move them.
Can my family see my schedule?
Yes. Press "Copy link" ("Share" on a phone) and send it. The link holds your pattern and start date, so it opens the same calendar on any phone. Nobody needs an account.
Can I download it to Excel?
Yes. Press "Excel" to download the year as a CSV file that opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers. With "All crews" selected you get one column per crew, ready to print or post for the whole team.