Free · printable · no sign-up
24/7 Shift Schedule Maker
Cover all 168 hours of the week with no gaps — lay out the crews, check every day is filled, and print.
Pick a rotation and Auto-fill to assign each person to a crew (A/B/C/D) on a real pattern — or click any cell to set it by hand (it cycles through your shift types, then Off, then blank). Day-off templates can mark weekends, Sundays, or US federal holidays off for the whole team in one step, and the week-copy tools help you roll a finished 7-day rota forward without re-clicking every cell.
| Staff | Shifts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew A | 0 | |||||||
| Crew B | 0 | |||||||
| Crew C | 0 | |||||||
| Crew D | 0 | |||||||
| On duty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best fit
Best shift patterns for 24/7 teams
If you want a repeatable rotation instead of building each week from scratch, these are the closest pattern fits for 24/7 scheduling.
2-2-3
A 14-day rotating pattern that covers 24/7 with four crews — no one works more than three days in a row.
4-on-4-off
An 8-day rhythm — four 12-hour shifts on, four days off — that keeps a site staffed 24/7 with four crews.
DuPont
A 28-day rotation of 12-hour days and nights, ending every cycle with a full 7 days off.
Which shift pattern should 24-7 teams choose?
Continuous coverage usually comes down to a trade-off between short predictable cycles and longer recovery breaks.
| Pattern | Cycle | Shift length | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2-3 | 14 days | 12 hours | Best all-rounder for four-crew 24/7 teams that want frequent breaks and no more than three shifts in a row. |
| 4-on-4-off | 8 days | 12 hours | Best when longer uninterrupted blocks off matter more than keeping work stretches short. |
| DuPont | 28 days | 12 hours | Best when a full week off every cycle is a major quality-of-life benefit worth a more complex rotation. |
Use the page-level maker above when you want to assign shifts by hand. Use one of the pattern generators when you want a rota that repeats cleanly and is easier to share, print, and explain to the team.
What continuous coverage takes
Running 24/7 means covering 168 hours a week, every week. Since one person realistically works around 40, you need at least four to five people or crews rotating through to keep one seat filled at all times — and more if you want backups for holidays and sickness. That ratio is the whole game.
8-hour crews vs 12-hour crews
There are two classic models. Three 8-hour shifts a day (morning, day/evening, night) need enough people to fill three seats around the clock and hand over three times a day. Two 12-hour shifts a day cut handovers to two and give longer days off, but each shift is more tiring. Twelve-hour models like 2-2-3 or 4-on-4-off are popular because four crews cover 24/7 cleanly.
Check for gaps before you post
The one failure mode of a 24/7 schedule is an uncovered hour. Fill the grid, then scan each day column to confirm every block has someone in it — no accidental double-off. Auto-fill gives a rotation to start from; adjust, then print or export a CSV. For the rotation theory behind it, see the patterns guide or the rotating shift maker.
Design continuous coverage before choosing a familiar pattern
Break the operation into coverage seats: every role that must be filled on every shift, the minimum qualifications for that role, and the point at which the next crew takes responsibility. Multiply that by the number of daily blocks, then account for leave, training, and planned absence. This makes the staffing requirement visible before a calendar creates false confidence.
Compare an 8-hour and 12-hour model against the real operation. The difference is not just the number of shifts: it changes handovers, commute timing, availability for maintenance, and the shape of the crew rotation. Generate several cycles and test them against holidays, peak demand, recurring deliveries, and any duty that cannot be delayed.
Publish a named reference date, a version date, and an exception process. The base pattern should remain easy to read; a coverage change, temporary overtime, or swap should show who approved it and how the vacant role remains covered. A 24/7 calendar becomes reliable when it gives everyone the same source of truth.
Keep going
Other makers & templates
Frequently asked questions
How many employees do I need for 24/7 coverage?
At least four to five per seat you need filled, since each person covers about 40 of the 168 weekly hours. Add more for holiday and sick cover.
Is 8-hour or 12-hour better for 24/7?
12-hour shifts mean fewer handovers and longer days off but more fatigue per shift; 8-hour shifts are less tiring but need three crews and three handovers a day.