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Rotating Shift Schedule Examples: 2-2-3, 24/48, and More
A plain-language guide to common rotating schedules and the safest way to put them on a personal calendar.
Matthew NewmanAuthor and editorial reviewer · Primary sources checked 2026-08-28Rotation names are shorthand, not universal standards. Two employers can use “2-2-3” for different start times, teams, or day/night assignments.
Before building a personal calendar, collect the complete sequence, the first known shift, the shift length, and any planned rotation between days and nights.
2-2-3 schedules
A common 2-2-3 pattern alternates two work days, two days off, three work days, then reverses in the following week. It often creates every-other-weekend time off.
Enter the whole two-week cycle and check it against a posted schedule before repeating it. A one-day anchor error will shift every future date.
24/48 and long-shift rotations
A 24/48 rotation commonly means 24 hours on followed by 48 hours off, but station, relief, Kelly day, and trade rules can change the lived schedule.
Treat swaps, overtime, and callbacks as exceptions to the base rotation so the original pattern stays understandable.
Pitman and DuPont-style patterns
Twelve-hour operations often use named patterns that mix short and long runs of shifts. Write the exact on/off sequence instead of relying on the name alone.
If days and nights rotate, model that change explicitly. A calendar should show not only that you work, but which shift starts and ends on each date.