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Panama Schedule Calendar
The Panama schedule uses the same 2-2-3 rhythm as the Pitman, but each crew rotates: 14 days on day shifts, then 14 days on night shifts, for a 28-day cycle. Pick a day you start work and get your whole year.
Panama 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 Panama schedule?
The Panama schedule uses the same 2-2-3 rhythm as the Pitman, but each crew rotates: 14 days on day shifts, then 14 days on night shifts, for a 28-day cycle. Four crews cover 24/7 with 12-hour shifts.
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 Panama schedule template
Working a Panama schedule
The Panama schedule uses the 2-2-3 rhythm of the Pitman but moves every crew between days and nights: 14 days on day shifts, then 14 days on nights, a 28-day cycle with four crews. Everyone works the same number of nights, which is the main reason employers choose it over a fixed Pitman.
The hard part is the change itself. Every two weeks you have to move your sleep from nights to days or back. The change comes after a three-day break, which helps, but plan the first day of that break as a recovery day.
Over a year each crew works about 91 day shifts and 91 night shifts. If your employer pays a night differential, it is spread evenly across all crews, so pay is the same for everyone with the same hourly rate.
Overtime on a Panama 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 | 60, 24 | 520 |
| Tuesday | 48, 36 | 208 |
| Wednesday | 36, 48 | 208 |
| Thursday | 48, 36 | 208 |
| Friday | 60, 24 | 520 |
| Saturday | 48, 36 | 208 |
| Sunday | 36, 48 | 208 |
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 Panama 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.
Panama pay calculator: hours, overtime and pay a year at your hourly rate.
Panama Schedule pros and cons
Pros
- Every other weekend off, as on the Pitman.
- Everyone shares the night shifts fairly.
- No stretch longer than 3 shifts.
Cons
- Switching from days to nights every two weeks is hard on sleep.
- Work days move around, so you need the calendar to know your week.
- Some sites call a different 2-3-2 pattern "Panama": check yours against the strip below.
Panama 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 | 183 | 2,196 | 26 |
| C | 182 | 2,184 | 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 Panama schedule?
Manufacturing, utilities, healthcare support and law enforcement.
Similar patterns
- Pitman Schedule14-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
- 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 Panama 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 Panama schedule need?
4 crews for this version, with exactly one crew on each shift every day.
How many hours a year is a Panama 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 Panama 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.