The 6 On 3 Off Shift Pattern: Rotation, Examples & Template

Q: How many hours a week is 6 on 3 off?

On 8-hour shifts it averages 37.3 hours (48 hours per 9-day cycle). Ten-hour versions average 46.7 — check which your operation means before comparing offers.

The 6 on 3 off shift pattern has employees work six consecutive shifts followed by three days off — a 9-day cycle. In its classic rotating form each block moves to the next shift type (six days, three off, six evenings, three off, six nights, three off) on 8-hour shifts, averaging about 37.3 hours a week.

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	Day	Off	Off	Off	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Off	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off
Team B	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Off	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Off
Team C	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Off	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Off	Off	Off

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

The math

Cycle length	27 days
Shift length	8 hours
Average hours per week	37.3 hours
Shifts per year (per person)	244
Days off per year	122

How the rotation works

The 9-day cycle is the pattern's character: it doesn't fit the calendar week, so your work block tours the weekdays continuously, and every third block is followed by a break that happens to land on a weekend. The 3-day breaks are the compensation for the long 6-shift runs.

The rotating three-shift version (shown above) moves each team forward a shift type per block — days → evenings → nights — completing the full tour in 27 days. Three teams staggered by 9 days keep all three shifts staffed most days, with planned overlap/gap days that operations use for training or cover with relief staff. Fixed variants (always days) are common in retail and food production where only one or two dayparts operate.

Who uses it

Food production & bakeries — six-day production runs with deep-clean days in the breaks
Retail distribution — 9-day cycles smoothing 7-day demand
Hotel housekeeping & facilities — steady six-day blocks with predictable 3-day resets
Plant operations (rotating form) — three-shift tours with 3-day recovery between blocks

Pros & Cons

Pros

Three full days off after every block, all year
Under 40 hours a week on average (8-hour version) — lighter than most rotations
Long blocks build deep routine and handover continuity
Breaks rotate through the week, sharing weekends evenly over time

Cons

Six consecutive shifts is a long run — fatigue builds late in the block
The 9-day cycle never matches the calendar week
Rotating version changes shift type every block: sleep must re-adapt
Holiday and leave planning across a 9-day wheel confuses everyone at first

Variations & alternatives

6 on 2 off 5 on 3 off Southern Swing Rotating shift schedules

Free template download

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

Download Excel Download PDF

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.

Get Started

Frequently asked questions

How many hours a week is 6 on 3 off?

On 8-hour shifts it averages 37.3 hours (48 hours per 9-day cycle). Ten-hour versions average 46.7 — check which your operation means before comparing offers.

Does 6 on 3 off include weekends?

The block rolls through the calendar, so you work weekends regularly but also get weekend breaks regularly — over 9 weeks the distribution is exactly even.

Is six days in a row legal?

In most jurisdictions yes on 8-hour shifts, but day-7 rest rules and weekly hour caps vary (some require one rest day per 7). Confirm your local rule before adopting.

What's the rotating version?

Each 6-shift block moves to the next shift type — days, then evenings, then nights — completing a 27-day tour. It shares night duty evenly across the three teams.