Quick answer
- A Pitman schedule uses four teams on 12-hour shifts in a 14-day cycle: work 2, off 2, work 3, off 2, work 2, off 3. Two teams cover days and two cover nights.
- Each employee works 84 hours every two weeks. With a Sunday to Saturday workweek that is 36 hours one week and 48 the next.
- Under the FLSA, the 48-hour week includes 8 hours of overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate. You cannot average the two weeks to 42.
A Pitman schedule is a 12-hour shift schedule that keeps an operation staffed around the clock with four teams. Each team works a repeating 2-3-2 pattern over 14 days, so every employee works 7 shifts and gets 7 days off per cycle, including every other weekend off. It is popular with police departments, hospitals, plants and other 24/7 workplaces because it gives people short work stretches and a three-day weekend every two weeks. This guide shows the pattern, a grid for teams A to D, the pay math and the legal traps.
What is a Pitman schedule?
The Pitman shift pattern has three parts:
- 12-hour shifts. Typically a day shift such as 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and a night shift such as 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Your times can differ.
- Four teams. Usually called A, B, C and D. At any moment one team is on the day shift, one is on the night shift, and two are off.
- A 14-day cycle. Each team works 2 days, is off 2, works 3, is off 2, works 2 and is off 3. Then the cycle repeats.
Add up the cycle and each employee works 7 shifts of 12 hours, which is 84 hours in 14 days, or an average of 42 hours a week. The longest run of work is 3 shifts in a row and the longest break is 3 days. Because two teams are always paired as opposites, every day and every night has exactly one team on duty.
Pitman, 2-2-3 and Panama: how this post uses the terms
Be careful with the names. Scheduling guides, job postings and union contracts use “Pitman,” “2-2-3,” “2-3-2” and “Panama” for closely related patterns, and they do not agree on the details. Some use all four names for the same 14-day cadence. Others reserve “Pitman” for fixed day and night teams and call the rotating version “Panama” or “2-2-3.” Some describe a Panama cycle as 28 days because the teams swap between days and nights halfway through.
There is no official definition. In this post, “Pitman schedule” means four teams on 12-hour shifts with the 14-day sequence work 2, off 2, work 3, off 2, work 2, off 3, run either with fixed shifts or with teams rotating between days and nights. If you are an employee reading an offer, ask for the actual calendar, shift times and workweek in writing. If you are an employer, publish the calendar rather than relying on the label. Our 2-2-3 schedule guide covers the rotating version in more depth.
Pitman schedule grid for teams A to D
The grid below is a fixed Pitman schedule that starts on a Sunday. Teams A and B share the day shift; teams C and D share the night shift. D means a 12-hour day shift, N a 12-hour night shift, and a dash a day off.
| Day | Team A | Team B | Team C | Team D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 Sun | – | D | – | N |
| Week 1 Mon | D | – | N | – |
| Week 1 Tue | D | – | N | – |
| Week 1 Wed | – | D | – | N |
| Week 1 Thu | – | D | – | N |
| Week 1 Fri | D | – | N | – |
| Week 1 Sat | D | – | N | – |
| Week 2 Sun | D | – | N | – |
| Week 2 Mon | – | D | – | N |
| Week 2 Tue | – | D | – | N |
| Week 2 Wed | D | – | N | – |
| Week 2 Thu | D | – | N | – |
| Week 2 Fri | – | D | – | N |
| Week 2 Sat | – | D | – | N |
Read Team A from Monday of week 1: work Mon and Tue, off Wed and Thu, work Fri, Sat and Sun, off Mon and Tue, work Wed and Thu, then off Fri, Sat and the following Sunday. That is the 2-2-3-2-2-3 sequence, and it gives Team A a three-day weekend off every other week. Team B works exactly the days Team A is off. Teams C and D mirror A and B on nights.
Count the shifts per calendar week: Team A works 4 shifts (48 hours) in week 1 and 3 shifts (36 hours) in week 2. Team B is the reverse, 36 then 48. To turn this into a printable roster with names, start from our work schedule template.
Fixed vs rotating Pitman schedules
Fixed Pitman. Teams A and B always work days and teams C and D always work nights. Employees keep a stable sleep pattern, and people who prefer nights can stay on nights. The downside is fairness: the night teams carry every overnight shift, so many employers pay them a shift differential to keep the night shift staffed.
Rotating Pitman. Teams switch between days and nights on a set interval, most often every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks. With a 2-week rotation, Team A works the A days on the day shift for one cycle and then the same days on the night shift for the next cycle, while Team C moves to days. Everyone shares nights equally, but employees must adjust their sleep every rotation. A 4-week rotation means fewer switches, but each stretch on nights is longer.
Plan the changeover days. When a team moves from nights to days, make sure the last night shift and the first day shift are separated by at least one full day off. In the grid above, a swap on the same calendar day does not work for every team: Team D finishes a Saturday night shift at 7:00 a.m. Sunday, the moment a new day shift would start. The simple fix is to swap each pair of teams that share the same workdays, A with C and B with D, at the start of that pair’s 3-day break. A and C swap after week 2 Thursday; B and D swap after week 1 Thursday. Nobody turns around without rest, and coverage never has a gap.
Hours per pay period and FLSA overtime
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek. The FLSA has no daily overtime rule, so a 12-hour shift alone does not trigger overtime under federal law. The US Department of Labor is clear that each workweek stands alone: “Averaging of hours over two or more weeks is not permitted.” A Pitman employee who averages 42 hours still earns overtime in the 48-hour week.
Worked example at $20 an hour
Team A employee, non-exempt, $20.00 an hour, Sunday to Saturday workweek, no differentials or bonuses:
- Week 1 (48 hours): 40 × $20.00 = $800.00 regular, plus 8 × $30.00 = $240.00 overtime. Total $1,040.00.
- Week 2 (36 hours): 36 × $20.00 = $720.00. No overtime.
- Two-week total: $1,040.00 + $720.00 = $1,760.00 for 84 hours.
Compare that with 84 × $20.00 = $1,680.00 at straight time. The $80.00 difference is the overtime premium: 8 hours × $10.00. Budget it into labor cost for every non-exempt employee on the schedule. If you pay a night differential, add it to the regular rate first; our guide on how to calculate overtime shows the regular-rate method, and the overtime calculator will do the math.
Why the workweek start day matters
Under 29 CFR 778.105 a workweek is a fixed, regularly recurring period of 168 hours. It can begin on any day and at any hour, and it may be changed only if the change is meant to be permanent and is not designed to evade overtime. Where you put that start changes the weekly split of the same 7 shifts:
| Workweek for the grid above | Team A weeks | Overtime hours per cycle | Two-week pay at $20/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday to Saturday | 48 + 36 | 8 | $1,760.00 |
| Monday to Sunday | 60 + 24 | 20 | $1,880.00 |
The Monday start puts Team A’s Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat and Sun shifts in one week: 60 hours, with 20 at time and a half. That week pays 40 × $20.00 + 20 × $30.00 = $1,400.00, and the 24-hour week pays $480.00. Pick the workweek before you launch the schedule, check each team’s split, and do not move it later to cut overtime.
Night teams add one more wrinkle. A Saturday night shift from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. puts 5 hours in one week and 7 in the next if the workweek starts at midnight Sunday. Hours count in the workweek in which they are actually worked, so Team C in the grid above would work 41 and 43 hours, not 48 and 36. Many employers start the workweek at a shift change, such as 7:00 a.m. Sunday, so no shift is split. Whatever you choose, apply it to every team and keep it fixed.
Biweekly pay lines up neatly
Because the Pitman cycle is 14 days, any 14 consecutive days contain exactly 7 shifts. If you run biweekly payroll on two fixed workweeks, every paycheck covers 84 hours and the same overtime, so pay is predictable for employees and for your cash flow. Semimonthly pay (the 15th and the last day of the month) does not line up: some periods hold 7 shifts and some hold 8 or 6, and overtime still has to be figured by workweek, which makes stubs harder to read.
Hospitals and the 8 and 80 system
Hospitals and residential care facilities can use the FLSA section 7(j) “8 and 80” system, which measures overtime over a fixed 14-day period. The DOL’s fact sheet says it requires a prior agreement with employees and pays overtime for hours over 8 in a workday and over 80 in the 14 days. On 12-hour shifts that means 4 overtime hours on every shift, so most hospitals running 12s stay on the standard 40-hour workweek.
Police and fire: section 7(k)
Public agencies have a separate rule for sworn law enforcement and fire protection employees. Under FLSA section 7(k), the DOL says the agency can set a work period of 7 to 28 consecutive days. Overtime starts after 171 hours in 28 days for law enforcement and 212 hours for fire, prorated for shorter periods: 86 and 106 hours in a 14-day period. A police officer on a Pitman schedule works 84 hours in 14 days, which is under the 86-hour threshold, so a 14-day 7(k) period can mean no FLSA overtime for scheduled hours. Union contracts often pay more than the FLSA minimum, so check the agreement.
California and other daily overtime states
California is the big exception. California requires time and a half after 8 hours in a workday and double time after 12, in addition to the 40-hour weekly rule. Every 12-hour Pitman shift therefore has 4 hours of daily overtime unless you have a valid alternative workweek schedule.
Same $20.00 employee in California, no alternative workweek: each shift pays 8 × $20.00 + 4 × $30.00 = $280.00. Seven shifts pay $1,960.00 every two weeks, versus $1,760.00 under federal rules. The 48-hour week adds nothing extra, because hours already paid as daily overtime are not counted again toward 40, and Team A’s 32 straight-time hours in that week stay under 40. The 7th-consecutive-day rule does not come up, since the pattern never works more than 3 days in a row.
Healthcare employers in California can adopt an alternative workweek with regular days of up to 12 hours through a secret-ballot vote, but hours over 40 in the week are still overtime. Any holdover past 12 hours is double time. Our California overtime law guide explains the rules. Alaska and Nevada also have daily overtime after 8 hours with exceptions, and Colorado pays overtime after 12 hours in a workday; confirm the details with each state labor department before you schedule 12s there.
Who uses the Pitman schedule
- Police departments and sheriff’s offices. Patrol needs the same number of officers on every shift, all year. The paired-team structure keeps staffing even and fits the 7(k) work period rules above.
- Hospitals and nursing facilities. Nurses and techs on 12-hour shifts often prefer a predictable two-week pattern. Our guide to healthcare scheduling software covers staffing 24/7 units.
- 911 dispatch, security and corrections. Any post that must be filled every hour of every day.
- Manufacturing, utilities and warehouses. Continuous operations that do not want to stop production on weekends.
Pros and cons of a Pitman schedule
Pros
- Every other weekend off, as a three-day weekend.
- No more than 3 shifts in a row, so fatigue builds less than on longer 12-hour rotations.
- Only 7 commutes every two weeks.
- Equal coverage on every shift with a simple two-week calendar that is easy to remember.
- Clean alignment with biweekly payroll.
Cons
- 12-hour shifts are long; holdovers can push people to 14 or 16 hours.
- Built-in overtime in the 48-hour week, and much more in California.
- Few long breaks: the longest stretch off is 3 days.
- Childcare and second jobs are hard because workdays move each week.
- On a fixed version, night teams never see days; on a rotating version, everyone has to change sleep patterns.
- Each team must be fully staffed; one absence often means a holdover or a call-in.
Pitman vs DuPont vs 2-2-3
All three are 12-hour, four-team patterns for 24/7 coverage. The table below compares them as this post defines them.
| Feature | Pitman (this post) | 2-2-3 / Panama | DuPont |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift length | 12 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours |
| Teams | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Cycle | 14 days | 14 days, often 28 with day/night swap | 28 days |
| Pattern | 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off | Same cadence | 4 nights, 3 off, 3 days, 1 off, 3 nights, 3 off, 4 days, 7 off |
| Days and nights | Fixed or rotating | Usually rotating | Always rotating |
| Longest run of shifts | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Longest break | 3 days | 3 days | 7 days |
| Average weekly hours | 42 | 42 | 42 |
The DuPont schedule trades harder stretches for a full week off every four weeks. The Pitman gives shorter, steadier breaks. If your team values predictability, the Pitman is usually easier to live with.
What employers should do
- Write down the definition. Publish the calendar, shift times, rotation interval and workweek start, not just the name “Pitman.”
- Set the workweek before launch. Check every team’s weekly hours, including split night shifts, and keep the workweek fixed.
- Budget the overtime. Plan for 8 hours a cycle per non-exempt employee under federal rules, and more in California.
- Pay from punches. Late relief and holdovers add hours. A time clock app records the real start and end of each 12-hour shift.
- Include differentials in the regular rate. Night premiums raise the overtime rate.
- Plan for absences. Decide how shift swaps, PTO and mandatory holdovers work before the first cycle, and keep payroll fed with the same hours the schedule shows.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Pitman schedule?
A Pitman schedule is a 12-hour shift pattern for four teams that repeats every 14 days: work 2, off 2, work 3, off 2, work 2, off 3. Two teams cover days and two cover nights, so the operation is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and each employee averages 42 hours a week.
How many hours a week is a Pitman schedule?
Each employee works 7 shifts of 12 hours every 14 days, which is 84 hours, or 42 hours a week on average. With a Sunday to Saturday workweek the weeks alternate between 36 and 48 hours. A different workweek start can split the same shifts into 60 and 24 hours, which changes overtime.
Do you get overtime on a Pitman schedule?
Usually yes, for non-exempt employees. The FLSA requires time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek, so the 48-hour week includes 8 overtime hours. Federal law does not allow averaging the 36 and 48 hour weeks. California also requires daily overtime after 8 hours unless a valid alternative workweek is in place.
Is the Pitman schedule the same as the 2-2-3 or Panama schedule?
They share the same 14-day cadence of 2 and 3 day blocks, and many employers use the names interchangeably. Some sources reserve Pitman for fixed day and night teams and call the rotating version Panama or 2-2-3. Always confirm the exact rotation, shift times and workweek in writing rather than relying on the name.
How many employees do you need for a Pitman schedule?
You need four equal teams. If each 12-hour shift needs three people on the floor, you need at least 12 employees, three per team, before allowing for PTO, sick days and turnover. Many employers add a relief person or a float pool so one absence does not force a mandatory holdover.