The 5 On 4 Off Shift Pattern: Rotation, Examples & Template

Q: How many hours a week is 5 on 4 off?

On 10-hour shifts it averages 38.9 hours (50 hours per 9-day cycle). On 12-hour shifts it jumps to 46.7 — a very different proposition.

The 5 on 4 off shift pattern has employees work five consecutive shifts followed by four days off — a 9-day cycle. On 10-hour shifts it averages about 38.9 hours a week, pairing a full-time-ish load with a 4-day break every cycle.

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

Day = Day shiftEvening = Evening shiftNight = Night shiftOff = Day off

The math

Cycle length	27 days
Shift length	10 hours
Average hours per week	38.9 hours
Shifts per year (per person)	203
Days off per year	162

How the rotation works

5 on 4 off is what you get when a team wants the familiar five-shift run but real breaks: the four days off are long enough for travel, projects and genuine recovery, not just laundry and sleep. The cost is the 9-day cycle — like all non-7-day patterns it drifts through the calendar, touring the weekdays continuously.

It runs in two main forms. The fixed form keeps everyone on the same daypart (usually days) and suits extended-hours operations that don't run overnight. The rotating form (shown above) steps each block through days, evenings and nights across a 27-day tour — three teams staggered nine days apart cover all three shifts with planned overlap days. On 12-hour shifts the same cadence becomes a heavy 46.7-hour average, so check the shift length before comparing anything.

Who uses it

Ambulance & patient transport — 10-hour units with genuine recovery blocks
Airport ground services — extended operating days covered by staggered crews
Field engineering — five-day site runs amortised by 4-day resets
Control rooms (rotating form) — three-shift tours with humane breaks

Pros & Cons

Pros

Four full days off every cycle — long enough to actually live on
Sub-40-hour average on 10-hour shifts
Five-shift runs are familiar and manageable
Weekend distribution evens out perfectly over nine weeks

Cons

The 9-day cycle never matches the calendar week
10-hour days compress evenings on work days
Rotating version re-adapts sleep each block
Coverage planning across a 9-day wheel takes real software or real patience

Variations & alternatives

5 on 3 off 4 on 3 off 6 on 3 off The 4/10 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

How many hours a week is 5 on 4 off?

On 10-hour shifts it averages 38.9 hours (50 hours per 9-day cycle). On 12-hour shifts it jumps to 46.7 — a very different proposition.

Is 5 on 4 off a full-time schedule?

On 10-hour shifts, effectively yes — just under 40 hours on average, packaged as five work days then four off.

How do weekends work on a 9-day cycle?

Your block drifts one weekday later each cycle, touring the full week every nine weeks — so weekend work and weekend breaks both come around in equal, predictable measure.

Can 5 on 4 off cover 24/7?

The rotating three-team form covers all three dayparts with planned overlaps; full continuous cover usually adds relief staff for the seam days.