
4 on 4 off schedule
Four 12-hour days, four days off, four nights, four days off, and round again. The cycle is 16 days and a week is seven, so your days on drift through the week, and the two only line up again every 16 weeks.
Say day 1 was January 5, 2026. Christmas Day is a day shift in 2026 and a day off in 2027, and the calendar shows where your own holidays land.
Why your days drift through the week
A 16-day cycle against a 7-day week: each week starts 2 days further into the cycle, so the same weekday is a shift one week and a day off another. The two only line up again after 16 weeks, drawn here one week to a row from Mon, Jan 5.
Is this the 8-day 4 on 4 off?
No. This is the rotating one, 4 days, 4 off, 4 nights, 4 off, 16 days round for four crews. The 8-day kind is simpler, four shifts and four rest days, always on days or always on nights. Both average 42 hours a week. On straight days the 8-day version leaves 18 full weekends off in 2027, against 15 on the rotating one.
The 8-day version on days is drawn in the generator, and you can switch it to nights there.
How many weekends off do you get on 4 on 4 off?
Five full weekends in every 16 weeks. With day 1 on Monday, January 5, 2026, that is 17 in 2026 and 15 in 2027.
4 on 4 off schedule calendar 2026–2027
Day 1 of the cycle is Monday, January 5, 2026 here. Change it to yours and 2026 redraws.
- Shifts in 2026
- 181
- Hours on the schedule
- 2,172h
- Full weekends off
- 17of 52
- Days off
- 184
How many hours a year is 4 on 4 off?
2,196 hours in 2027, from 183 shifts, and 2,172 in 2026, with day 1 on Monday, January 5, 2026. A 16-day cycle doesn’t fit a year evenly, so your start moves it, from 181 to 184 days at work and 2,172 to 2,208 hours.
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | 3 off | ||||
| 4 off | 5 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 6 day shift | 7 day shift | 8 day shift | 9 off | 10 off |
| 11 off | 12 off | 13 night shift | 14 night shift | 15 night shift | 16 night shift | 17 off |
| 18 off | 19 off | 20 off | 21 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 22 day shift | 23 day shift | 24 day shift |
| 25 off | 26 off | 27 off | 28 off | 29 night shift | 30 night shift | 31 night shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 night shift | 2 off | 3 off | 4 off | 5 off | 6 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 7 day shift |
| 8 day shift | 9 day shift | 10 off | 11 off | 12 off | 13 off | 14 night shift |
| 15 night shift | 16 night shift | 17 night shift | 18 off | 19 off | 20 off | 21 off |
| 22 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 23 day shift | 24 day shift | 25 day shift | 26 off | 27 off | 28 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 night shift | 3 night shift | 4 night shift | 5 night shift | 6 off | 7 off |
| 8 off | 9 off | 10 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 11 day shift | 12 day shift | 13 day shift | 14 off |
| 15 off | 16 off | 17 off | 18 night shift | 19 night shift | 20 night shift | 21 night shift |
| 22 off | 23 off | 24 off | 25 off | 26 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 27 day shift | 28 day shift |
| 29 day shift | 30 off | 31 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | 3 night shift | 4 night shift | |||
| 5 night shift | 6 night shift | 7 off | 8 off | 9 off | 10 off | 11 day shift, day 1 of the cycle |
| 12 day shift | 13 day shift | 14 day shift | 15 off | 16 off | 17 off | 18 off |
| 19 night shift | 20 night shift | 21 night shift | 22 night shift | 23 off | 24 off | 25 off |
| 26 off | 27 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 28 day shift | 29 day shift | 30 day shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | |||||
| 3 off | 4 off | 5 night shift | 6 night shift | 7 night shift | 8 night shift | 9 off |
| 10 off | 11 off | 12 off | 13 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 14 day shift | 15 day shift | 16 day shift |
| 17 off | 18 off | 19 off | 20 off | 21 night shift | 22 night shift | 23 night shift |
| 24 night shift | 25 off | 26 off | 27 off | 28 off | 29 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 30 day shift |
| 31 day shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day shift | 2 off | 3 off | 4 off | 5 off | 6 night shift | |
| 7 night shift | 8 night shift | 9 night shift | 10 off | 11 off | 12 off | 13 off |
| 14 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 15 day shift | 16 day shift | 17 day shift | 18 off | 19 off | 20 off |
| 21 off | 22 night shift | 23 night shift | 24 night shift | 25 night shift | 26 off | 27 off |
| 28 off | 29 off | 30 day shift, day 1 of the cycle |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day shift | 2 day shift | 3 day shift | 4 off | |||
| 5 off | 6 off | 7 off | 8 night shift | 9 night shift | 10 night shift | 11 night shift |
| 12 off | 13 off | 14 off | 15 off | 16 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 17 day shift | 18 day shift |
| 19 day shift | 20 off | 21 off | 22 off | 23 off | 24 night shift | 25 night shift |
| 26 night shift | 27 night shift | 28 off | 29 off | 30 off | 31 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | ||||||
| 2 day shift | 3 day shift | 4 day shift | 5 off | 6 off | 7 off | 8 off |
| 9 night shift | 10 night shift | 11 night shift | 12 night shift | 13 off | 14 off | 15 off |
| 16 off | 17 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 18 day shift | 19 day shift | 20 day shift | 21 off | 22 off |
| 23 off | 24 off | 25 night shift | 26 night shift | 27 night shift | 28 night shift | 29 off |
| 30 off | 31 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 3 day shift | 4 day shift | 5 day shift | ||
| 6 off | 7 off | 8 off | 9 off | 10 night shift | 11 night shift | 12 night shift |
| 13 night shift | 14 off | 15 off | 16 off | 17 off | 18 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 19 day shift |
| 20 day shift | 21 day shift | 22 off | 23 off | 24 off | 25 off | 26 night shift |
| 27 night shift | 28 night shift | 29 night shift | 30 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | 3 off | ||||
| 4 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 5 day shift | 6 day shift | 7 day shift | 8 off | 9 off | 10 off |
| 11 off | 12 night shift | 13 night shift | 14 night shift | 15 night shift | 16 off | 17 off |
| 18 off | 19 off | 20 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 21 day shift | 22 day shift | 23 day shift | 24 off |
| 25 off | 26 off | 27 off | 28 night shift | 29 night shift | 30 night shift | 31 night shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | 3 off | 4 off | 5 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 6 day shift | 7 day shift |
| 8 day shift | 9 off | 10 off | 11 off | 12 off | 13 night shift | 14 night shift |
| 15 night shift | 16 night shift | 17 off | 18 off | 19 off | 20 off | 21 day shift, day 1 of the cycle |
| 22 day shift | 23 day shift | 24 day shift | 25 off | 26 off | 27 off | 28 off |
| 29 night shift | 30 night shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 night shift | 2 night shift | 3 off | 4 off | 5 off | ||
| 6 off | 7 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 8 day shift | 9 day shift | 10 day shift | 11 off | 12 off |
| 13 off | 14 off | 15 night shift | 16 night shift | 17 night shift | 18 night shift | 19 off |
| 20 off | 21 off | 22 off | 23 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 24 day shift | 25 day shift | 26 day shift |
| 27 off | 28 off | 29 off | 30 off | 31 night shift |
4 on 4 off schedule calendar 2027
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 night shift | 2 night shift | |||||
| 3 night shift | 4 off | 5 off | 6 off | 7 off | 8 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 9 day shift |
| 10 day shift | 11 day shift | 12 off | 13 off | 14 off | 15 off | 16 night shift |
| 17 night shift | 18 night shift | 19 night shift | 20 off | 21 off | 22 off | 23 off |
| 24 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 25 day shift | 26 day shift | 27 day shift | 28 off | 29 off | 30 off |
| 31 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 night shift | 2 night shift | 3 night shift | 4 night shift | 5 off | 6 off | |
| 7 off | 8 off | 9 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 10 day shift | 11 day shift | 12 day shift | 13 off |
| 14 off | 15 off | 16 off | 17 night shift | 18 night shift | 19 night shift | 20 night shift |
| 21 off | 22 off | 23 off | 24 off | 25 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 26 day shift | 27 day shift |
| 28 day shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | 3 off | 4 off | 5 night shift | 6 night shift | |
| 7 night shift | 8 night shift | 9 off | 10 off | 11 off | 12 off | 13 day shift, day 1 of the cycle |
| 14 day shift | 15 day shift | 16 day shift | 17 off | 18 off | 19 off | 20 off |
| 21 night shift | 22 night shift | 23 night shift | 24 night shift | 25 off | 26 off | 27 off |
| 28 off | 29 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 30 day shift | 31 day shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day shift | 2 off | 3 off | ||||
| 4 off | 5 off | 6 night shift | 7 night shift | 8 night shift | 9 night shift | 10 off |
| 11 off | 12 off | 13 off | 14 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 15 day shift | 16 day shift | 17 day shift |
| 18 off | 19 off | 20 off | 21 off | 22 night shift | 23 night shift | 24 night shift |
| 25 night shift | 26 off | 27 off | 28 off | 29 off | 30 day shift, day 1 of the cycle |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day shift | ||||||
| 2 day shift | 3 day shift | 4 off | 5 off | 6 off | 7 off | 8 night shift |
| 9 night shift | 10 night shift | 11 night shift | 12 off | 13 off | 14 off | 15 off |
| 16 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 17 day shift | 18 day shift | 19 day shift | 20 off | 21 off | 22 off |
| 23 off | 24 night shift | 25 night shift | 26 night shift | 27 night shift | 28 off | 29 off |
| 30 off | 31 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 2 day shift | 3 day shift | 4 day shift | 5 off | ||
| 6 off | 7 off | 8 off | 9 night shift | 10 night shift | 11 night shift | 12 night shift |
| 13 off | 14 off | 15 off | 16 off | 17 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 18 day shift | 19 day shift |
| 20 day shift | 21 off | 22 off | 23 off | 24 off | 25 night shift | 26 night shift |
| 27 night shift | 28 night shift | 29 off | 30 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | 3 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | ||||
| 4 day shift | 5 day shift | 6 day shift | 7 off | 8 off | 9 off | 10 off |
| 11 night shift | 12 night shift | 13 night shift | 14 night shift | 15 off | 16 off | 17 off |
| 18 off | 19 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 20 day shift | 21 day shift | 22 day shift | 23 off | 24 off |
| 25 off | 26 off | 27 night shift | 28 night shift | 29 night shift | 30 night shift | 31 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | 3 off | 4 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 5 day shift | 6 day shift | 7 day shift |
| 8 off | 9 off | 10 off | 11 off | 12 night shift | 13 night shift | 14 night shift |
| 15 night shift | 16 off | 17 off | 18 off | 19 off | 20 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 21 day shift |
| 22 day shift | 23 day shift | 24 off | 25 off | 26 off | 27 off | 28 night shift |
| 29 night shift | 30 night shift | 31 night shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 off | 3 off | 4 off | |||
| 5 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 6 day shift | 7 day shift | 8 day shift | 9 off | 10 off | 11 off |
| 12 off | 13 night shift | 14 night shift | 15 night shift | 16 night shift | 17 off | 18 off |
| 19 off | 20 off | 21 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 22 day shift | 23 day shift | 24 day shift | 25 off |
| 26 off | 27 off | 28 off | 29 night shift | 30 night shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 night shift | 2 night shift | |||||
| 3 off | 4 off | 5 off | 6 off | 7 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 8 day shift | 9 day shift |
| 10 day shift | 11 off | 12 off | 13 off | 14 off | 15 night shift | 16 night shift |
| 17 night shift | 18 night shift | 19 off | 20 off | 21 off | 22 off | 23 day shift, day 1 of the cycle |
| 24 day shift | 25 day shift | 26 day shift | 27 off | 28 off | 29 off | 30 off |
| 31 night shift |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 night shift | 2 night shift | 3 night shift | 4 off | 5 off | 6 off | |
| 7 off | 8 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 9 day shift | 10 day shift | 11 day shift | 12 off | 13 off |
| 14 off | 15 off | 16 night shift | 17 night shift | 18 night shift | 19 night shift | 20 off |
| 21 off | 22 off | 23 off | 24 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 25 day shift | 26 day shift | 27 day shift |
| 28 off | 29 off | 30 off |
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 off | 2 night shift | 3 night shift | 4 night shift | |||
| 5 night shift | 6 off | 7 off | 8 off | 9 off | 10 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 11 day shift |
| 12 day shift | 13 day shift | 14 off | 15 off | 16 off | 17 off | 18 night shift |
| 19 night shift | 20 night shift | 21 night shift | 22 off | 23 off | 24 off | 25 off |
| 26 day shift, day 1 of the cycle | 27 day shift | 28 day shift | 29 day shift | 30 off | 31 off |
The 16-day cycle
Four on, four off, all year long. You never work more than four in a row, and you get four days off before every switch to nights.
2027 works out at 2,196 hours over 183 shifts, with 15 full weekends off.
TurnoRest
4 on 4 off
16-day cycle12 h shifts
7 AM–7 PM7 PM–7 AM
- Average week
- 42 h
- Shift
- 12 h
- Nights in a row
- 4
- Days off in a row
- 4
- Shift
- 12 h
- Cycle
- 16 days
- Average week
- 42 h
- Hours per cycle
- 96 h
- Days worked per cycle
- 8 of 16
- Longest run of shifts
- 4
- Nights in a row, at most
- 4
- Longest break
- 4 days
- Shortest rest between shifts
- 12 h
- Full weekends off
- 5 in 16 weeks
How many hours a week is 4 on 4 off?
42 hours on average (96 hours per 16 days). Sunday to Saturday a week holds 36 or 48 hours, and under the FLSA’s 40-hour week that makes 232 hours of overtime in 2026.
| Crew | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Day | Day | Day | Day | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day off | Night | Night | Night | Night | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day off |
| B | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day | Day | Day | Day | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day off | Night | Night | Night | Night |
| C | Night | Night | Night | Night | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day | Day | Day | Day | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day off |
| D | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day off | Night | Night | Night | Night | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day off | Day | Day | Day | Day |
4 on 4 off schedule pay calculator
Under the 40-hour rule only the 48-hour weeks pay overtime, 232 hours of it in 2026. Put your own rate in and the year follows.
Gross for 2026: $69,350.90, $1,330.02 a week on average.
2026, before taxesovertime over 40 h a week
At $28 an hour, the example rate, with nights +15% and weekends +10%.
$69,351
$1,330.02 a week on average.Two-week checks, counted from day 1, run from $2,253.09 to $3,097.03.
- Base2,173 h × $28.00, 1 h more than the calendar: the night the clocks go back is an hour longer, and it pays what you work
- $60,844.00
- Night work802 h
- $3,368.40
- Weekend596 h
- $1,668.80
- Overtime232 h, the extra +50% on the regular rate
- $3,469.70
- Gross for 2026
- $69,350.90
The week’s total is free. Pro splits each pay period into lines. What Pro costs.
The pay calculator takes these numbers one pay period at a time, and shows how each line and each overtime rule is counted.
Next to DuPont, Pitman 2-2-3 and Continental 2-2-3
| Rotation | Shift | Cycle | Avg. week | Nights in a row | Longest break | Weekends off | Crews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 on 4 off | 12 h | 16 days | 42 h | 4 | 4 days | 5 in 16 wk | 4 |
| DuPont | 12 h | 28 days | 42 h | 4 | 7 days | 2 in 4 wk | 4 |
| Pitman 2-2-3 | 12 h | 28 days | 42 h | 3 | 3 days | 2 in 4 wk | 4 |
| Continental 2-2-3 | 8 h | 28 days | 42 h | 3 | 3 days | 1 in 4 wk | 4 |
4 on 4 off or DuPont?
Same 42-hour average, spread differently. You never get more than four days off in a row here, where DuPont saves up for seven. DuPont leaves more weekends free, 26 in 2027 against 15.
DuPont has its own page, with both years drawn.
4 on 4 off pros and cons
Rest comes in the same even blocks all year. Weekends are the part you give up.
Pros
Four rest days after every four shifts, all year.
No calendar week heavier than 48 hours.
Cons
Your days drift through the week, so full weekends off are scarce, 15 in 2027 against 26 on a Pitman.
Four nights in a row every cycle, one past the recommended maximum of 3.
Behind it: Garde et al. 2020, UK HSE, Fischer et al. 2017
Five of the eight shifts in a cycle open 7 days with more than 40 hours in them. NIOSH’s training for nurses ties that to worse outcomes.
Behind it: NIOSH 2015, Rogers et al. 2004
None of these limits is law for most US workers. The sleep planner lists where each comes from, and opens with 4 on 4 off picked.
Putting 4 on 4 off in the app
- Pattern
Pick 4 on / 4 off (12 h, 16 days) from the list.
- First day of the cycle
Set it to your day 1, the date in the calendar above.
Support explains how to find your day 1.
Adding 4 on 4 off to the iPhone Calendar by hand takes eight events that repeat every 16 days. With Pro it’s one switch.
Is 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off the same as 4 on 4 off?
Not the one on this page. If your 4 on 4 off is 2 days, 2 nights and 4 rest days, that’s an 8-day rota that averages 42 hours a week. It isn’t built into the app, so you draw its 8 days once with Draw my own pattern…, and it repeats from there. With day 1 on a Monday it leaves 12 full weekends off in 2027.
Questions
What is a 4 on 4 off schedule?
Shifts of 12 hours in blocks of four, with four days off after each block. TurnoRest’s version alternates a block of days and a block of nights, 4 day shifts, 4 days off, 4 nights and 4 days off, and four crews keep it covered, each 4 days behind the last.