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The 14 On 14 Off Roster: How the 2-and-2 Swing Works

The 14 on 14 off roster (the '2 and 2' swing) has crews work fourteen consecutive 12-hour shifts followed by fourteen days off — the standard rotation of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) mining, offshore and remote-site work. Averaged out it is 42 hours a week, lived as 84-hour fortnights alternating with full fortnights of freedom.

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.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSunMonTueWedThuFriSatSunMonTueWedThuFriSatSunMonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Team ADayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOff
Team BOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDayDay
Team CNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOff
Team DOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffOffNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNightNight
Day = Day shiftNight = Night shiftOff = Day off

The math

Cycle length28 days
Shift length12 hours
Average hours per week42 hours
Shifts per year (per person)183
Days off per year183
Teams needed for 24/7 cover4

How the rotation works

The 14/14 exists because of geography: when the workforce must be flown or shipped to site, short rotations waste travel and long ones break people. A fortnight each way has become the industry's equilibrium — long enough that travel is a small fraction of the swing, short enough that families and sleep survive it.

On site, life is the job: 12-hour shifts, camp meals, sleep, repeat. Well-run sites treat the mid-swing days with respect (fatigue peaks around days 8-11), split swings between day and night blocks with a careful changeover, and protect the journey home — driving after the last night shift is a known killer, which is why serious operators roster a rest day before travel.

The off fortnight is the deal's other half. Once the first two or three days repay sleep debt, the remaining days are genuinely free — the reason many crews defend FIFO rosters fiercely despite their intensity.

Who uses it

  • Mining & resources (FIFO) — the canonical 2-and-2 swing across Australia and Canada
  • Offshore oil & gas — platform rotations built around crew-change logistics
  • Remote construction & energy projects — camp-based crews on fortnight swings
  • Marine & support vessels — crew rotations aligned to port schedules

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Twenty-six weeks a year completely off, in usable fortnight blocks
  • Travel amortised: one journey per month each way
  • Predictable years ahead — swap-stability matters when flights are involved
  • Even 50/50 split with your back-to-back crewmate

Cons

  • Fourteen consecutive 12-hour shifts is among the heaviest runs in any industry
  • Family life compresses into alternating fortnights
  • Mid-swing fatigue (days 8-11) needs active management
  • A sickness mid-swing on a remote site has no easy cover

Variations & alternatives

7 on 7 off21 on 7 off4 on 4 off24/7 schedule models

Free template download

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

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Frequently asked questions

What does a 2 and 2 roster mean?
Two weeks on site, two weeks off — the 14 on 14 off swing. The shorthand counts weeks: a '2 and 1' is 14 on, 7 off; an '8 and 6' counts days.
How many hours is 14 on 14 off?
Usually 84 hours per on-fortnight (fourteen 12-hour shifts), averaging 42 a week across the full cycle. Pay is typically annualised over the roster.
Do 14/14 swings include night shifts?
Commonly the swing splits into a day block and a night block with a changeover rest. Some sites run dedicated night crews instead — the changeover is the riskiest fatigue point either way.
Is 14 on 14 off family-friendly?
It is honest rather than friendly: total absence alternating with total presence. Many FIFO families organise life successfully around it; the fortnight home is full-time parenting that 9-to-5 schedules never allow.
What fatigue rules apply?
Jurisdiction- and site-specific, but the consistent core: cap consecutive 12-hour shifts, protect the day/night changeover, and never roster the homeward drive against the last night shift.

Related reading

Managing shift work fatigueSurviving the night shiftMinimum rest between shifts