How the 7 on 7 off schedule works
The rhythm is one week on, one week off: seven 12-hour shifts, then seven days off, over a 14-day cycle. That averages 42 hours a week, but it all lands in alternating weeks: 84 hours in a working week, none in the week off.
For 24/7 coverage, four crews are used. In the fixed version, two crews work days and two work nights, each pair swapping weeks. In the rotating version, a crew works a week of days, has a week off, works a week of nights, and has another week off (a 28-day cycle).
Because the cycle is exactly two weeks, your on and off weeks always start on the same weekday, which makes it easy to plan around, but it also means every other weekend is a working one.
| 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 |
| 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 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Crew C | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Crew D | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
7 on 7 off schedule at a glance
- Cycle length
- 14 days
- Shifts per year
- about 183
- Average hours per week
- 42
- Hours in a single week
- 0 to 84
- Weekends fully off per year
- about 26 of 52
- Longest break
- 7 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.
Pay on a 7 on 7 off schedule
Under the federal 40-hour overtime rule, overtime is counted per workweek. If your workweek lines up with your seven shifts, an 84-hour week includes 44 hours of overtime and the week off has none; if the workweek starts mid-block, the hours split across two weeks and there is less overtime. Either way, 7 on 7 off tends to pay more than other 42-hour schedules for hourly workers. Try the shift pay calculator with your own pay week to see yours.
Pros and cons
What people like
- A full week off every other week.
- Very simple to plan: alternating weeks.
- Often lots of overtime pay in working weeks.
- Great for long-distance commuters and travel.
What's hard
- Seven 12-hour shifts in a row is exhausting.
- Little family time during working weeks.
- Every other weekend is fully at work.
- Rotating versions add a day/night switch every two weeks.
Who uses the 7 on 7 off schedule
Variations
- Fixed days or nights
- Two day crews and two night crews. This page's calendar starts here.
- Rotating days and nights
- A week of days, a week off, a week of nights, a week off. Choose it in the calendar.
- Longer swings (14/14, 21/7)
- Remote sites often run two or three weeks on. Build them with the custom schedule builder.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 7 on 7 off schedule?
It's a rotation where you work seven shifts in a row (usually 12 hours each) and then have seven days off. The two-week cycle repeats all year.
How many hours is 7 on 7 off?
With 12-hour shifts, 84 hours in a working week and none in the week off, which averages 42 hours a week or about 2,190 hours a year.
Do you get overtime on 7 on 7 off?
Usually, yes. Most hourly workers in the US earn overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, so if your workweek lines up with your seven shifts, an 84-hour week includes 44 overtime hours. If the workweek starts partway through your block, the hours split across two weeks and there is less overtime. Check with payroll which day your workweek starts.
Is 7 on 7 off a good schedule?
People who love it value the full week off. People who don't find seven long shifts in a row too draining. It suits those who can rest well during their week off.
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.