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4 on 4 off schedule

A 4 on 4 off schedule means 4 shifts of 12 hours, then 4 days off. With four crews it covers 24/7: one crew on days, one on nights and two off. 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
16 days
Average hours a week
42 hours
Longest run of work
4 days
Longest break
4 days
Weekends fully off
3 in 8
Cover
24/7
People for 1 on each shift
4

4 on 4 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
4 on 4 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 D O O O O N N N N O O O O D D D D O O O O N N N N
Crew 2 O O O O D D D D O O O O N N N N O O O O D D D D O O O O
Crew 3 N N N N O O O O D D D D O O O O N N N N O O O O D D D D
Crew 4 O O O O N N N N O O O O D D D D O O O O N N N N O O O O

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 		96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		72 h (36 + 36) 72 h (36 + 36)
Crew 2 72 h (36 + 36) 72 h (36 + 36) 96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week
Crew 3 96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		72 h (36 + 36) 72 h (36 + 36)
Crew 4 72 h (36 + 36) 72 h (36 + 36) 96 h (48 + 48)
16 h over 40 a week 		96 h (48 + 48)
16 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 4 on 4 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 4 on 4 off schedule works

  1. Make four crews of the same size.
  2. Each shift is 12 hours: a day shift and a night shift.
  3. Each crew works 4 days, has 4 off, works 4 nights and has 4 off: a 16-day cycle.
  4. Start the crews 4 days apart in the cycle, so one crew is on days and one on nights every day.
  5. Some sites keep crews on days or on nights only. Then the cycle is 8 days.

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

Pros

  • Four days off after every block.
  • Easy to remember.
  • The cycle is short, so swaps are simple.

Cons

  • Four 12-hour shifts in a row are long.
  • Days off move through the week, so weekends off are not regular.
  • Weeks are 36 or 48 hours.

Who uses it

Security, health care, plants and warehouses. It is common in the UK as well as in the US.

Questions

How many hours a week is 4 on 4 off?

42 hours on average with 12-hour shifts: 4 shifts every 8 days.

How many weekends off do you get on 4 on 4 off?

In this cycle, 3 in every 8 weekends are fully off. Days off move by a day each week.

Is 4 on 4 off a rotating schedule?

It can be. In this version crews change from days to nights every block. Many sites keep fixed day and night crews instead.

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