Pitman schedule calendar generator (2-2-3)

How the Pitman (2-2-3) pattern works

Pitman is the 2-2-3 rotation with fixed crews: day crews always work days and night crews always work nights. When the cycle starts on a Monday, the first week is Monday and Tuesday on, Wednesday and Thursday off, Friday to Sunday on; the second week is the mirror image, which leaves Friday to Sunday free. Some employers call the same layout Panama or 2-3-2, and the rotating version of it has its own page.

Also searched for as: 2-2-3 schedule, 2-3-2 schedule, Pitman 12 hour shifts, fixed Pitman.

The cycle is 14 days long: 2 shifts, 2 days off, 3 shifts, 2 days off, 2 shifts, 3 days off, and then it starts again.

Every crew, day by day

One full cycle for each crew, so you can see who covers what.

The numbers

A year is 365.25 days on average, so the yearly figures are averages; the calendar above counts the exact days of the year you pick.

Good and bad about Pitman (2-2-3)

In its favour

• Never more than three shifts in a row
• A three-day weekend every other week when the cycle starts on a Monday
• Fixed crews let people keep a steady sleep routine

Against it

• Needs four crews for round-the-clock cover
• Depending on where the week starts, one week can hold five 12-hour shifts
• People on fixed nights are out of step with daytime life

Who uses Pitman (2-2-3)

Widely used for 12-hour shifts in policing, emergency services, manufacturing and hospital units that run round the clock.

Employers run these patterns in slightly different ways, and a union contract or roster can differ from the version here. The grid above is exact for the cycle shown: if your roster differs, choose “My own cycle” in the calendar and type it in.

Other shift patterns

• Panama (2-2-3 rotating)The 2-2-3 pattern with crews that swap: two weeks of day shifts, then two weeks of night shifts, on a 28-day cycle with four crews.Open
• DuPontA 28-day, four-crew rotation of 12-hour shifts: four nights, three off, three days, one off, three nights, three off, four days, then seven days off.Open
• 4 on 4 offTwo 12-hour day shifts, two 12-hour night shifts, then four days off, repeated.Open
• 3 on 3 offThree working days, then three days off, repeated.Open

All shift patterns and the cycle builder

Frequently asked questions