How to use the rotating shift schedule generator
- Pick an example pattern such as 4 on, 4 off, or write your own repeating pattern with the letters D (day), E (evening), N (night) and O (off), one letter per day.
- List your crews, one per line. By default they are spread evenly around the pattern. To set where each crew starts, enter a start day for each one.
- Choose the first day and how many weeks to print, from 1 to 12.
- Check the notes under the preview for coverage, then Download PDF or Print. Four weeks fit on one landscape page.
How the pattern turns into a calendar
A rotating schedule is a short pattern that repeats forever. The pattern DDDDOOOO is four days on and four days off, and it repeats every 8 days. Each crew follows the same pattern but starts at a different point, so while one crew is on, another is off. A crew with a start day of 4 begins the pattern at its fifth letter, which is why two crews on an 8 day cycle that start at 0 and 4 swap places every four days.
When you leave the starts empty, the tool spreads the crews evenly: crew number i begins at day i x (cycle length / number of crews), rounded to a whole day. For three crews on a 14 day cycle that gives starts of 0, 5 and 9. If you need a different spacing, enter your own start days separated by commas.
Example patterns and what they cover
The example patterns are only examples and the tool does not endorse any of them. 4 on, 4 off is DDDDOOOO. 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off is DDNNOOOO. The 2-2-3 pattern is DDOODDDOODDOOO: it works two days, is off two, works three, then works two days, is off two and is off three, over 14 days. With two crews seven days apart the day shift is covered every day by exactly one crew. 5 on, 2 off is DDDDDOO, a five day week with the weekend off.
The coverage notes count, for each working shift in your pattern, how many printed days have no crew on it. If you print DDNNOOOO with one crew, for example, a day shift and a night shift both go uncovered most days, and the notes say so. Use that to see if you need more crews. The tool only draws the calendar and does not check hours, rest or overtime rules.
Printing and using the calendar
Each page is a landscape grid with the crews down the side and 28 days across, with weekday letters and dates above and a color and a letter in every box, so it prints well in black and white. Add the schedule to your weekly schedule maker for detail within a week, hand out a timesheet to record hours, and check pay with the overtime calculator.
Your pattern and crews can be remembered in this browser if you tick the box, and nothing is uploaded. Everything is made on your device. For a rotating duty list by person, the on call rotation generator builds dated shifts and a calendar file.
Assumptions and limits
- The pattern uses only the letters D, E, N and O, one per day, up to 56 days, and it repeats without a break.
- Crews follow the same pattern from different starting days. Holidays, vacations, swaps and staff changes are not modeled.
- Shifts have no set hours here. D, E and N are labels you define.
- The schedule does not check legal limits on hours, rest between shifts or overtime. Check the rules that apply to your workplace.
Frequently asked questions
How does a 4 on 4 off schedule work?
A crew works four days, then has four days off, and repeats. With two crews starting four days apart, one crew is always working. The pattern DDDDOOOO with two crews shows this.
What is the 2-2-3 schedule?
It is a 14 day pattern in which a crew works two days, is off two days, works three days, then works two days, is off two days and is off three days. With two crews seven days apart, every day has one crew on duty.
How do I make a schedule with day and night shifts?
Write both letters in the pattern, such as DDNNOOOO for two days, two nights and four off. The calendar shows which crew is on each shift, and the notes report any day with no crew on a shift.
Can I choose which day each crew starts?
Yes. Enter one start day per crew, separated by commas, where 0 is the first letter of the pattern. If you leave it empty the crews are spaced evenly.