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INThe 4 On 3 Off Shift Pattern: Hours, Examples & Template
The 4 on 3 off shift pattern has employees work four consecutive shifts followed by three days off. Run on 10-hour shifts inside a fixed week it delivers a full-time 40 hours with a 3-day weekend every single week — the classic compressed workweek.
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.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team A | Day | Day | Day | Day | Off | Off | Off |
The math
| Cycle length | 7 days |
|---|---|
| Shift length | 10 hours |
| Average hours per week | 40 hours |
| Shifts per year (per person) | 209 |
| Days off per year | 157 |
How the rotation works
There are two ways to run 4 on 3 off, and they feel very different to live with.
The fixed version pins the four work days to the same weekdays — say Monday to Thursday on 10-hour shifts. Every week looks identical and every weekend is three days. This is the 4/10 compressed schedule in all but name.
The rolling version repeats the 7-day cycle without anchoring it, or staggers several teams to stretch coverage across all seven days — useful for retail, care and venues that open daily but not around the clock. Staff still get three off after every four on, but which days those are drifts.
Either way the load is gentle by shift-work standards: never more than four shifts in a row, and more rest days than almost any pattern short of 12-hour rosters.
Who uses it
- Healthcare clinics & imaging — 10-hour days extend appointment hours without weekend work
- Field service & maintenance crews — longer days mean fewer travel-to-site mornings
- Distribution centres — 4-day crews staggered across the week cover 7-day demand
- Government & utilities back office — a common compressed-week offering in the US
- Hospitality prep & cleaning teams — daily-but-not-24/7 operations with predictable peaks
Pros & Cons
Pros
- A 3-day weekend every week — the best rest-to-work ratio of any full-time weekly pattern
- 20% fewer commutes than a 5-day week
- 10-hour days add early/late coverage hours that customers notice
- Simple weekly rhythm — easy to combine with school runs and standing commitments (fixed version)
- Four consecutive shifts is a manageable run
Cons
- 10-hour days squeeze evenings: dinner-time finishes become 7pm finishes
- Childcare and commuting peak-hours fit 8-hour days better than 10s
- Output per hour can dip in hours 9-10 of physical or high-focus work
- A single sick day removes 25% of the week's capacity
- Rolling versions drift through the calendar and complicate standing plans
Variations & alternatives
Free template download
Download the pre-built rotation calendar, ready to print or edit. No email required.
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.
