2-2-3 Shift Schedule (Pitman)

How the 2-2-3 schedule works

The 2-2-3 — also called the Pitman schedule — repeats over 14 days: work 2, off 2, work 3, off 2, work 2, off 3. Over a fortnight each crew works 7 of 14 days, averaging 42 hours a week on 12-hour shifts, and never works more than three days in a row. Four crews (two on days, two on nights) offset by a week keep the site covered around the clock.

Who uses the 2-2-3 pattern

Common in police and fire dispatch, hospitals and nursing, manufacturing plants, power and utilities, security teams, and call centres that must stay staffed 24/7.

Set up a 2-2-3 calendar with a clear crew reference point

The first decision is not the colour of the calendar but the reference point. Pick a date on which you know exactly which crew works a day shift, which crew works a night shift, and which crews are off. Record that date in the published rota. Every future 2-2-3 calendar depends on the same anchor; if it is wrong, the pattern may still look neat while assigning every crew to the wrong block.

Build a separate coverage note for the roles that cannot be left to chance. A plant may need an authorised operator and a maintenance contact on every shift; a dispatch team may need a supervisor. Check those role requirements across both weeks of the cycle, including the three-shift run. Assign relief and leave as named exceptions instead of quietly changing the base rotation, so the recurring pattern stays understandable.

When a team changes from another pattern, publish at least one full cycle in advance and explain the transition date. The 2-2-3 schedule is easy to follow once it is established, but a mid-cycle switch causes confusion about which of the two 36- or 48-hour weeks applies. Keep a version date on the schedule and a single place where approved swaps are recorded.

• The calendar identifies its confirmed reference date and crew assignment.
• Required roles are checked across both weeks, not only the first seven days.
• Leave and swaps are marked as exceptions with an owner.
• The team has one current version of the calendar.

Pattern comparison

If you are deciding between nearby options, compare the weekly hours, longest work run, and biggest off block before you standardise the rota.

A shorter longest work run usually feels safer and easier to recover from. A longer off block is better for commute-heavy or remote teams, but often comes with a tougher on block just before it.