Most shift workers don't choose their pattern — their employer chose it. But "I have no say" isn't quite true either: at many workplaces you can request a transfer between rotas, or you can use what you learn here to argue for a change at the rota review.
This guide compares the patterns MyShiftCalendar supports, head-to-head, on the things that actually matter: sleep, weekends, recovery, family, and money.
The patterns at a glance
| Pattern | Shifts per cycle | Cycle length | Hours per shift | Avg hrs/week | Includes nights | Weekend pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-on-4-off | 4 on, 4 off | 8 days | 12 | 42 | Yes (alternating) | Every other weekend off |
| 2-2-3 / Pitman / Panama | 2-2-3 alternating | 14 days | 12 | 42 | Yes | Long weekends every other week |
| DuPont | Block-based | 28 days | 12 | 42 | Yes (7 in a row) | One 7-day off block per cycle |
| Continental | 2-2-3 in 8-hour form | 21 days | 8 | 40 | Yes | Varies |
| 3-on-3-off | 3 on, 3 off | 12 days | 12 | 42 | Yes | One weekend off in three |
| 4-on-2-off | 4 on, 2 off | 6 days | 8 | 40 | No (days only) | Weekend off every third week |
| EOWEO / Kelly | 9-day cycle | 10 days | 10 | 40 | No (days only) | Every other weekend off |
| 9/80 | Compressed week | 14 days | 9 (one 8) | 40 | No | Every other Friday off |
How to think about your decision
Five questions sort it for most people.
1. Can your body do nights?
Some people adapt to night work reasonably well; many don't. If you've done a year of rotating nights and you're still wrecked, the next year won't be better. The night-free patterns are 4-on-2-off, Kelly / EOWEO, and 9/80. If your industry requires 24-hour cover, the night-free patterns may not be available — but some specialist roles (training, day-only support, certain admin functions) sit on day-only rotas inside otherwise-rotating workforces. Worth asking. See also our guide on shift work and sleep.
2. How much do weekends matter?
The patterns with the best weekend cover are:
- 9/80 — every other Friday off, making a three-day weekend.
- EOWEO / Kelly — every other weekend off by design.
- 4-on-4-off — half your weekends off, but irregular.
- 2-2-3 — half your weekends off, but the "3 on" blocks land on weekends every other rotation.
Worst weekend cover:
- 3-on-3-off — only 1 in 3 weekends off.
- DuPont — your 7-day off block can be in the middle of the week.
3. Do you need long recovery blocks?
Some patterns front-load rest into long blocks; others spread it evenly.
Long rest blocks are best for: international travel, building works, mini-holidays, intense hobbies. Pattern of choice: DuPont (7 days off in a row, once a cycle).
Even spread of rest suits: people with consistent commitments (regular childcare, exercise routine, a part-time second job). Patterns of choice: 2-2-3, 4-on-4-off.
4. What's your family/childcare picture?
For school-aged kids whose schedule is fixed Monday-to-Friday, the best patterns are the ones that put a predictable weekday off in your week. 9/80 and EOWEO do this well. 4-on-2-off gives you 2 weekdays off in most weeks. See also our family life on shifts guide.
Two-parent households where both adults work shifts often optimise for "always one parent at home." Hardest to coordinate: two parents on different DuPont rotations. Easiest: one parent on standard hours and one on 4-on-4-off or 2-2-3, because the 50/50 split makes scheduling easier.
5. Income — premium pay vs base hours
Patterns with night shifts pay more per hour (assuming standard premium rates). The headline comparison, all else equal:
- High-premium patterns: 2-2-3, 4-on-4-off, DuPont, 3-on-3-off, Continental — all include nights.
- No-premium patterns: 4-on-2-off (day only), EOWEO / Kelly (day only), 9/80 (day only, but built around a standard 40-hour week).
The premium can be 20–50% on top of base, depending on industry and country, so for the same nominal salary, a night-inclusive pattern often nets meaningfully more.
The pay estimator in MyShiftCalendar handles standard configurations of base pay, night premium, and weekend premium.
Head-to-heads
4-on-4-off vs 2-2-3
The two most popular 12-hour patterns. Both 42 hours per week on average.
4-on-4-off wins on simplicity (you always know what day you're on by the pattern), on long rest blocks (4 days), and on holiday planning (a 4-day block lets you do real things).
2-2-3 wins on sleep recovery (no more than 3 in a row), on weekend frequency (long weekends every 2 cycles), and on circadian adjustment (shorter runs are easier on the body).
For most acute-shift workers, 2-2-3 is the better physiological pattern; 4-on-4-off is the better lifestyle pattern.
DuPont vs everything else
DuPont is unusual. The 7-on/7-off structure gives a unique long-rest block that no other pattern matches — making it the favourite of shift workers who use their off-time for travel, building, or anything that takes consecutive days.
The cost: 7 night shifts in a row is brutal. The HSE warns against runs of more than 4 consecutive nights. Many sites have moved away from DuPont for this reason. See our Fatigue, Safety and Shift Work guide for the full safety context.
If your employer offers DuPont and you're young, single, and have something big you want to do with your rest blocks, it's compelling. If you have kids, sleep problems, or a long commute, the night-run cost may not be worth it.
Continental vs 2-2-3
Both 2-2-3 sub-patterns. The difference is 8-hour shifts (Continental) vs 12-hour shifts (2-2-3 / Pitman).
Continental wins on alertness within each shift (8 hours is easier to sustain attention than 12) and on family time per day (you finish much earlier).
2-2-3 wins on commute efficiency (fewer days at the workplace) and on total rest days per year (12-hour patterns generate more "off" days because you complete weekly hours in fewer days).
Continental dominates European manufacturing and rail. 2-2-3 dominates UK/US healthcare and emergency services.
Kelly / EOWEO vs 9/80
Both day-only, both around 40 hours a week. Kelly's 5-team structure produces every-other-weekend-off naturally. 9/80 compresses a 40-hour week into nine working days, giving you every other Friday off.
Kelly wins for public-safety roles (fire, ambulance, police) where 24/7 cover is needed but nights can be staffed separately.
9/80 wins for office-adjacent roles — engineering, government, tech — where the compressed week is the only "shift" element.
4-on-2-off vs 3-on-3-off
These look similar but live different lives.
4-on-2-off (day only, 8-hour shifts, 6-day cycle) gives you a 2-day weekend roughly every third week. Rest of the time, your rest days are mid-week. Common in retail and hospitality.
3-on-3-off (12-hour shifts, days and nights, 12-day cycle) is more intense but gives more total rest days. Common in healthcare and manufacturing.
If you want a quiet life with steady earnings: 4-on-2-off. If you want more days off per year and can handle nights: 3-on-3-off.
A scoring matrix
Score each pattern from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) on the factors that matter to you. Personal weighting — this isn't objective.
| Pattern | Sleep-friendly | Weekend cover | Long rest blocks | Family-friendly | Premium income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-on-4-off | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 2-2-3 / Pitman | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| DuPont | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| Continental | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 3-on-3-off | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 4-on-2-off | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Kelly / EOWEO | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 9/80 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
Multiply by what you actually care about. If sleep is the most important thing, 9/80 and Kelly win clearly. If you want long blocks for travel and don't mind nights, DuPont rises.
How to argue for a pattern change
If your workplace runs more than one pattern, transfers happen, particularly when rota reviews come up. Make the case with:
- Specifics, not generalities. "I'd like to move to 2-2-3 because the 3-night runs on our current 4-on-4-off are pushing me past the HSE 4-night recommendation."
- Operational impact. "I'd cover the same hours, just distributed differently — it's revenue-neutral to the rota."
- Backed-up evidence. Reference HSE guidance, your fatigue log, or sickness-absence patterns if relevant.
If you're on a rota that's actively unsafe — chronic breach of rest rules, night runs over 4, no protected weekends — escalate via union, occupational health, or HSE as covered in the Fatigue and Safety guide.
Try them on the calculator
Pick any pattern from the patterns index and the MyShiftCalendar tool will lay out the full year so you can see what living with it looks like. Stack two patterns and compare which gives you the weekends you actually want.