The 3-4-4-3 Schedule: Rotation, Examples & Template

The 3-4-4-3 schedule is a 12-hour pattern repeating every 14 days: 3 on, 4 off, 4 on, 3 off. Four teams — two on days, two on nights — cover 24/7, everyone averages 42 hours a week, and every break is at least three days long.

Try the rotation

Pick a start date to map the rotation onto real weeks. Team A starts the cycle on day 1; the other teams are staggered so cover never drops.

Cycle start date

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Team A	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Off
Team B	Off	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day
Team C	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off
Team D	Off	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night

Day = Day shiftNight = Night shiftOff = Day off

The math

Cycle length	14 days
Shift length	12 hours
Average hours per week	42 hours
Shifts per year (per person)	183
Days off per year	183
Teams needed for 24/7 cover	4

How the rotation works

The 3-4-4-3 is the 'long breaks' member of the fortnight family. Where the 2-2-3 wheel chops the fortnight into 2s and 3s, this pattern consolidates: just two work blocks (3 shifts, then 4) and two genuine breaks (4 days, then 3). Half the calendar is off-duty in blocks you can actually use.

The lived rhythm: a short block, a 4-day break that feels like a holiday, the long 4-shift block, then three days to reset. Two day crews trade cover (whenever A works, B rests) and two night crews do the same; rotating day/night variants swap the crews each cycle or quarter. Like every fortnight wheel it anchors to the calendar — block days are the same weekdays every two weeks, so 'my Tuesdays' stay yours.

Who uses it

Fire & rescue services — consolidated blocks suit station-based crewing
Hospital & care units — popular where staff voted against the choppier 2-2-3
Plant control rooms — fewer block transitions means fewer handovers
24/7 logistics operations — fortnight anchoring simplifies long-range planning

Pros & Cons

Pros

Every break is 3+ days; the 4-day break every fortnight is genuinely restorative
Only two work blocks per fortnight — fewer transitions than 2-2-3 wheels
Calendar-anchored: the same weekdays repeat every two weeks
42-hour average with max 4 consecutive shifts

Cons

The 4-shift block on 12-hour nights is demanding
Fixed weekdays mean fixed weekend luck: half the crews always work Saturdays unless rotated
36/48-hour week alternation for payroll
Four crews required, as across the family

Variations & alternatives

2-2-3-2-2-3 cadence Pitman schedule 4 on 4 off DuPont schedule

Free template download

Download the pre-built rotation calendar, ready to print or edit. No email required.

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Build this schedule in Tommy

Set the rotation once and Tommy fills the weeks ahead — shift swaps, leave and coverage gaps handled in one place, with your team always seeing the latest version.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the 3-4-4-3 work schedule?

A 14-day, 12-hour pattern: 3 shifts on, 4 days off, 4 shifts on, 3 days off — run by four crews (fixed days/nights or rotating) for 24/7 cover at a 42-hour average.

How is 3-4-4-3 different from the 2-2-3?

Same fortnight totals (7 on, 7 off), different shape: 3-4-4-3 consolidates work and rest into two blocks each, trading the 2-2-3's alternating weekends for longer, calmer breaks.

Does 3-4-4-3 give weekends off?

It anchors to fixed weekdays, so each crew's relationship with the weekend is constant — some crews always have it, others never do, unless the operation rotates anchors periodically. Decide that policy explicitly.

How many consecutive shifts at most?

Four 12-hour shifts — one more than the 2-2-3 family's three, compensated by the 4-day break that follows.