🔄Shift Schedule Generator

About this tool

Choose a shift pattern, the date it starts, how many weeks to show and the team names. A colour-coded calendar shows who works days, evenings or nights each day. A coverage check confirms that every shift is staffed, and the summary shows average weekly hours. Print the rota or download it as a CSV for a spreadsheet.

How rotating shift patterns work

Round-the-clock operations such as hospitals, factories, warehouses, security, emergency services and call centres need cover 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Rotating patterns share that cover fairly between teams. The 2-2-3 pattern, also called Panama or Pitman, runs on 12-hour shifts: work 2 days, have 2 off, work 3, then the reverse. Its 14-day cycle gives every team every other weekend off. 4 on, 4 off is the simplest 12-hour rota. DuPont rotates four teams through nights, days and rest over 28 days, including a full seven days off each cycle. The Southern swing uses 8-hour shifts and moves each team through a week of days, a week of evenings and a week of nights. 24 on, 48 off is the traditional fire and EMS platoon rota. On every 12-hour 24/7 pattern here, each team averages 42 hours a week (168 hours ÷ 4 teams), the same as the 8-hour Southern swing. Fire-service 24/48 platoons average 56. The custom option takes any pattern written with D (day), E (evening), N (night), X (24 hours) and - (off), and spreads the teams evenly through the cycle. Honest limits: a pattern isn't a full rota. Holidays, sickness, swaps and overtime still need managing. Long shifts and quick changeovers also have health and legal limits, such as the UK and EU 48-hour average week and minimum daily rest, so check the rules that apply to you. The chore chart, the weekly planner and the timesheet calculator are related.

Frequently asked questions