2-2-3 schedule

The 2-2-3 schedule is a 12-hour schedule for 24/7 work with four crews. Each person works 2 days, has 2 off, works 3, has 2 off, works 2 and has 3 off, so every other weekend is a 3-day weekend. It averages 42 hours a week.

Written by Maren Vellory, Operations Manager · Updated October 19, 2026

The numbers

Worked out from the cycle. Weekends are counted from a Monday start.

Shift length: 12 hours
Crews: 4
Cycle: 28 days
Average hours a week: 42 hours
Longest run of work: 3 days
Longest break: 3 days
Weekends fully off: 1 in 2
Cover: 24/7
People for 1 on each shift: 4

2-2-3 schedule calendar

The next 28 days from Monday, October 19, 2026. Change the dates below to see your own 8 weeks.

You need 4 people: 4 crews of 1, before cover for time off and sickness.

DDay 07:00–19:00
NNight 19:00–07:00
OOff

Hours per week and per 2-week pay period

The next 8 weeks for each crew, from the start date. Your pay week may start on another day; then the hours split differently.

Crew	Weeks 1–2	Weeks 3–4	Weeks 5–6	Weeks 7–8
Crew 1	84 h (60 + 24) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (60 + 24) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (60 + 24) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (60 + 24) 20 h over 40 a week
Crew 2	84 h (24 + 60) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (24 + 60) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (24 + 60) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (24 + 60) 20 h over 40 a week
Crew 3	84 h (60 + 24) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (60 + 24) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (60 + 24) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (60 + 24) 20 h over 40 a week
Crew 4	84 h (24 + 60) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (24 + 60) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (24 + 60) 20 h over 40 a week	84 h (24 + 60) 20 h over 40 a week

Over 40 hours in a week is overtime under the US federal rule (time and a half). Your state, province or contract can add more, for example daily overtime.

Download the 2-2-3 schedule

The next 12 months for each crew, from the start date and shift times above. The CSV opens in Excel and Google Sheets. The calendar file adds each shift to Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar.

How the 2-2-3 schedule works

Make four crews of the same size, one per group of people you need on a shift.
Each shift is 12 hours: a day shift and a night shift.
The 14-day sequence is: 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off.
Two crews cover the day shifts between them: when one is off, the other works. Two more crews do the same on nights.
In this version, crews change from days to nights every 14 days, so the full cycle is 28 days.

One cycle for crew 1, day by day: DDOODDDOODDOOONNOONNNOONNOOO (D day, N night, O off).

Pros

Every other weekend off, with a Friday to make it 3 days.
Never more than 3 shifts in a row.
Only 7 shifts every 2 weeks.

Cons

Work days change every week, which makes child care and classes harder to plan.
12-hour shifts are long, and nights rotate in.
Long and short weeks take turns (60 and 24 hours from a Monday start), so overtime comes every other week.

Who uses it

Police, dispatch, hospitals, plants and security teams that need people on site day and night.

One sequence, three names

The 2-2-3, Panama and Pitman schedules all use the same 14 days: 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off. Most sources treat 2-2-3 and Panama as one pattern in which crews change between days and nights. Most say Pitman crews stay on days or on nights.

Sources use the names loosely, so ask which version a team means. The hours are the same in each: 42 a week on average.

See also: Panama schedule and Pitman schedule.

Questions

Is the 2-2-3 schedule the same as the Panama schedule?

Yes. Most sources use the two names for the same pattern. Some call it the Pitman schedule too, mostly when crews stay on days or nights.

How many hours a week is a 2-2-3 schedule?

42 hours on average: 7 shifts of 12 hours every 14 days. The split depends on the day your week starts: 60 and 24 hours from a Monday, 36 and 48 from a Wednesday.

How many crews does a 2-2-3 schedule need?

Four for 24/7 cover: two on days and two on nights. For days only, 7 days a week, two crews are enough.

Can I get a 2-2-3 schedule template?

Yes. Download the CSV below for Excel or Google Sheets, or the calendar file for each crew. Pick your start date first.

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Crew	Mo 19	Tu 20	We 21	Th 22	Fr 23	Sa 24	Su 25	Mo 26	Tu 27	We 28	Th 29	Fr 30	Sa 31	Su 1	Mo 2	Tu 3	We 4	Th 5	Fr 6	Sa 7	Su 8	Mo 9	Tu 10	We 11	Th 12	Fr 13	Sa 14	Su 15
Crew 1	D	D	O	O	D	D	D	O	O	D	D	O	O	O	N	N	O	O	N	N	N	O	O	N	N	O	O	O
Crew 2	O	O	D	D	O	O	O	N	N	O	O	N	N	N	O	O	N	N	O	O	O	D	D	O	O	D	D	D
Crew 3	N	N	O	O	N	N	N	O	O	N	N	O	O	O	D	D	O	O	D	D	D	O	O	D	D	O	O	O
Crew 4	O	O	N	N	O	O	O	D	D	O	O	D	D	D	O	O	D	D	O	O	O	N	N	O	O	N	N	N