The Southern Swing Schedule: Rotation, Examples & Template

Q: How many hours per week does it average?

42 hours — 21 eight-hour shifts in each 28-day cycle.

The Southern Swing schedule covers 24/7 operations with four teams on 8-hour shifts rotating week by week: 7 day shifts, 2 off, 7 evening shifts, 2 off, 7 night shifts, 3 off — a 28-day cycle averaging 42 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	Sun
Team A	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off
Team B	Off	Off	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day
Team C	Evening	Evening	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening
Team D	Night	Night	Night	Night	Off	Off	Off	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Day	Off	Off	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Off	Off	Night	Night	Night

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

The math

Cycle length	28 days
Shift length	8 hours
Average hours per week	42 hours
Shifts per year (per person)	274
Days off per year	91
Teams needed for 24/7 cover	4

How the rotation works

Southern Swing is the week-block version of the three-shift rotation: instead of changing shift type every two days like the continental, you settle into each shift for a full week. A week of 9-to-5-ish days, a short break, a week of evenings, a short break, a week of nights, then a 3-day weekend to reset.

The weekly blocks give your sleep pattern time to lock in — by night three of the night week most people have adjusted — but they also mean seven consecutive shifts, which is a long run by modern rostering standards. The pattern rotates forward (days → evenings → nights), softening each transition.

Four staggered teams keep one team on each shift at all times, with the fourth on rest days. Per person it comes out at 21 work days per 28 — 42 hours a week on average.

Who uses it

Manufacturing plants — the classic US three-shift production roster
Distribution & postal hubs — operations with distinct day/evening/night workloads
Utilities & plant operations — continuous monitoring on 8-hour consoles
Large security contracts — sites that prefer 8-hour posts over 12-hour posts
Municipal services — 24/7 services with traditional union-negotiated rosters

Pros & Cons

Pros

A full week on each shift lets sleep genuinely adapt before the next change
8-hour shifts are lighter per-day than 12-hour alternatives
Forward rotation (day → evening → night) eases each transition
Predictable 28-day super-cycle that staff can plan around
Only 7 different weeks to learn — simple to administer

Cons

Seven consecutive shifts is a long run — fatigue builds by week's end
Breaks are short (2-3 days); there is no DuPont-style week off
Every week your social hours move — evening weeks erase family evenings, night weeks erase mornings
Weekend cover is constant: you work most weekends in some form
21 commutes per 28 days, the most of any pattern in its class

Variations & alternatives

Continental shift pattern DuPont schedule Rotating shift schedules Three-shift system Day/night rotation

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 Southern Swing schedule?

A 28-day rotating pattern on 8-hour shifts: a week of days, two off, a week of evenings, two off, a week of nights, three off — run by four staggered teams for 24/7 cover.

How many hours per week does it average?

42 hours — 21 eight-hour shifts in each 28-day cycle.

Why 'Southern Swing'?

It is the traditional name for this week-by-week 'swing' through the three shifts, popularised in US plants in the South; the 'swing' is the weekly move from days to evenings to nights.

Is a week of nights better than rotating every two days?

For sleep adaptation, generally yes — by the third night most people have adjusted, and the following rest days absorb the re-entry. The cost is seven nights in one stretch, which fast-rotating patterns avoid.

What's the main alternative to Southern Swing?

The continental pattern (same 8-hour, 4-team structure, but rotating every two days), or moving to a 12-hour pattern like the 2-2-3 to halve handovers and commutes.