A 12-hour, four-crew pattern built on short work blocks, with every other weekend off.
Schedule PatternThe 2-2-3 schedule is a 12-hour pattern that uses four crews to cover a 24/7 operation. Over a 14-day cycle each crew works two days, has two off, works three, has two off, works two, and has three off. No one works more than three shifts in a row, every other weekend is a three-day weekend off, and crews average 42 hours a week.
The 2-2-3 is one of the most common 12-hour schedules in continuous operations. It gets its name from its short work blocks — two shifts, two shifts, three shifts — and its appeal comes from that rhythm: work stretches are short, and the pattern repeats every two weeks, so days off fall on the same weekdays every other week.
Each crew works the sequence two on, two off, three on, two off, two on, three off — seven 12-hour shifts in 14 days. The grid shows one crew’s two-week cycle.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | W | W | – | – | W | W | W |
| Week 2 | – | – | W | W | – | – | – |
Four crews cover the clock: two work the pattern on days and two on nights, each pair offset so that when one crew is off its partner is working. Sites can keep crews on fixed days and fixed nights, or rotate them between days and nights — which lengthens the full cycle. That choice is one of the most important decisions in setting up a 2-2-3.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Shift length | 12 hours |
| Crews needed for 24/7 | 4 |
| Full cycle | 14 days (longer if crews rotate between days and nights) |
| Average hours per week | 42 |
| Shifts worked per year | About 182 |
| Weekends off | 2 of every 4 (every other weekend, Friday through Sunday) |
| Most shifts in a row | 3 |
| Longest break | 3 days |
| Days and nights | Fixed or rotating |
The 2-2-3 tends to fit 24/7 operations that want 12-hour shifts, value short work stretches and predictable weekends, and have work where continuity across a long block isn’t critical. Where employees would rather trade frequent short breaks for fewer, longer ones, a pattern like the DuPont or the 4-on/4-off may be a better match.
A pattern is only the starting point. Which one fits depends on your coverage needs, your workforce’s preferences, your overtime and absence rates, and the policies that go with the schedule — and most sites end up with a variation tailored to them. That analysis is what a Shiftwork Solutions engagement does. Talk with us about your operation, or start with the free Shiftwork Assessment.
