How the 2-2-3 schedule works
The 2-2-3 schedule runs in a two-week cycle: 2 days on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off. You work 7 of every 14 days, which with 12-hour shifts averages 42 hours a week.
Four crews share a 24/7 operation. At any time, two crews are working (one on days, one on nights) and two are off. Every other week, your 3-day break covers Friday to Sunday, so you get a long weekend twice a month.
Employers run 2-2-3 in two main ways. In the fixed version (often called Pitman), you always work days or always work nights. In the rotating version, you switch between days and nights. This page's calendar starts on the rotating version, where you switch every two weeks. Change the pattern in the calendar if your crew stays on fixed shifts or switches every four weeks (Panama).
| Week 1 | Week 2 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
| Crew A | D | D | · | · | D | D | D | · | · | D | D | · | · | · |
| Crew B | · | · | D | D | · | · | · | D | D | · | · | D | D | D |
| Crew C | N | N | · | · | N | N | N | · | · | N | N | · | · | · |
| Crew D | · | · | N | N | · | · | · | N | N | · | · | N | N | N |
"2-3-2" is the same 14-day cycle counted from a different starting day.
Every other weekend is a 3-day weekend (Friday–Sunday off).
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
| Crew A | D | D | · | · | D | D | D | · | · | D | D | · | · | · | N | N | · | · | N | N | N | · | · | N | N | · | · | · |
| Crew B | · | · | N | N | · | · | · | D | D | · | · | D | D | D | · | · | D | D | · | · | · | N | N | · | · | N | N | N |
| Crew C | N | N | · | · | N | N | N | · | · | N | N | · | · | · | D | D | · | · | D | D | D | · | · | D | D | · | · | · |
| Crew D | · | · | D | D | · | · | · | N | N | · | · | N | N | N | · | · | N | N | · | · | · | D | D | · | · | D | D | D |
2-2-3 schedule at a glance
- Cycle length
- 28 days
- Shifts per year
- about 183
- Average hours per week
- 42
- Hours in a single week
- 24 to 60
- Weekends fully off per year
- about 26 of 52
- Longest break
- 3 days in a row
- Day shift (typical)
- 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Night shift (typical)
- 7:00 pm – 7:00 am (next day)
Calculated from the rotation itself, assuming the cycle starts on a Monday. Your weekends and holidays depend on how your employer lines up the cycle, so set your own date in the calendar above.
Looking for a 2-2-3 custody schedule?
The term "2-2-3" is also used for child custody arrangements, where a child spends 2 days with one parent, 2 with the other, then 3 with the first. MyShiftDays is about work shifts, but the calendar math is similar. You can model a custody rotation with the custom schedule builder.
Pros and cons
What people like
- Every other weekend off, and it's a 3-day weekend.
- Never more than 3 shifts in a row.
- Only 7 workdays every two weeks.
- Predictable: the same two-week pattern all year.
What's hard
- Rotating versions mean regularly flipping between days and nights.
- Long 12-hour shifts.
- Never more than 3 days off in a row.
- Uneven weekly hours (for example 36 one week, 48 the next).
Who uses the 2-2-3 schedule
Variations
- Fixed 2-2-3 (Pitman)
- Crews stay on days or nights permanently. See the Pitman schedule.
- Rotating every 2 weeks
- Two weeks of days, then two weeks of nights. Full cycle: 28 days. This page's calendar starts here.
- Rotating every 4 weeks (Panama)
- Four weeks of days, then four weeks of nights. See the Panama schedule.
- 2-3-2
- The same cycle counted from a different start day, not a different schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 2-2-3 schedule mean?
It means you work 2 days, are off 2 days, then work 3 days. The next week flips it: off 2, work 2, off 3. The full cycle is 14 days, and it usually uses 12-hour shifts with four crews.
How many hours is a 2-2-3 schedule?
An average of 42 hours a week, or 84 hours every two weeks. Because shifts are 12 hours, individual weeks vary: commonly 36 and 48 hours, or 24 and 60, depending on where the pay week starts.
Do you get overtime on a 2-2-3 schedule?
It depends on where your employer starts its pay week. The rotation always averages 42 hours, but a single week can be 36 and the next 48, or 24 and then 60, depending on how the 14-day cycle lines up with the pay week. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, most hourly workers earn overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, so many 2-2-3 workers get a few hours of overtime every other week. Public safety agencies and hospitals can use different overtime periods, so check with your HR or payroll office.
Is a 2-2-3 schedule good?
Many workers like it for the every-other-weekend 3-day breaks and the short stretches of work. The downsides are long 12-hour days and, in rotating versions, switching between days and nights. It suits people who prefer more days off over shorter shifts.
What is the difference between 2-2-3 and Pitman?
Pitman is a type of 2-2-3 schedule. The name usually means crews stay on fixed days or fixed nights. "2-2-3" covers both the fixed version and the versions where crews rotate between days and nights.
What is the difference between 2-2-3 and Panama?
They use the same on/off rhythm. "Panama" usually refers to the version where crews rotate between day and night shifts, most often every four weeks. Some employers use the names interchangeably.
This page is general information, not legal or payroll advice. Calendars are for personal planning: confirm your official schedule, pay and overtime with your employer.