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3 on 3 off schedule

A 3 on 3 off schedule means 3 shifts of 12 hours, then 3 days off, on a 6-day cycle. With four crews (two on days, two on nights) it covers 24/7. It averages 42 hours a week.

Written by , 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
6 days
Average hours a week
42 hours
Longest run of work
3 days
Longest break
3 days
Weekends fully off
1 in 3
Cover
24/7
People for 1 on each shift
4

3 on 3 off schedule calendar

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

12 hours

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
3 on 3 off schedule: 28 days from October 19, 2026, one row per crew
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 D O O O D D D O O O D D D O O O D D D O O O D D D O
Crew 2 O O O D D D O O O D D D O O O D D D O O O D D D O O O D
Crew 3 N N N O O O N N N O O O N N N O O O N N N O O O N N N O
Crew 4 O O O N N N O O O N N N O O O N N N O O O N N N O O O N

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 1–2Weeks 3–4Weeks 5–6Weeks 7–8
Crew 1 96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		84 h (48 + 36)
8 h over 40 a week 		72 h (36 + 36) 96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week
Crew 2 72 h (36 + 36) 84 h (36 + 48)
8 h over 40 a week 		96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		72 h (36 + 36)
Crew 3 96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		84 h (48 + 36)
8 h over 40 a week 		72 h (36 + 36) 96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week
Crew 4 72 h (36 + 36) 84 h (36 + 48)
8 h over 40 a week 		96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		72 h (36 + 36)

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 3 on 3 off 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 3 on 3 off schedule works

  1. Make four crews. Crews 1 and 2 work days, crews 3 and 4 work nights.
  2. Each shift is 12 hours.
  3. Each crew works 3 shifts and then has 3 days off.
  4. Crew 2 starts 3 days after crew 1, so it works while crew 1 is off. Crews 3 and 4 do the same on nights.
  5. Some teams also swap days and nights every few cycles.

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

Pros

  • Three days off after every three shifts.
  • Never more than 3 shifts in a row.
  • Half the days of the year are days off.

Cons

  • Work days move by a day each week, so plans are harder.
  • Only 1 in 3 weekends is fully off.
  • Weeks change between 36 and 48 hours.

Who uses it

Police and fire departments, hospitals and nursing units, and transport teams.

Questions

How many hours a week is 3 on 3 off?

42 hours on average with 12-hour shifts: 36 hours every 6 days.

How many crews does 3 on 3 off need for 24/7?

Four: two crews share the day shifts and two share the nights.

Is 3 on 3 off the same as 3 12s?

Not quite. 3 12s often means three 12-hour shifts a week (36 hours) on fixed days. 3 on 3 off moves through the week.

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