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Shift schedule

2-2-3 work schedule: calendar and hours

Also called the Panama or 2-3-2 schedule: 12-hour shifts on a 14-day cycle with every other weekend off.

By i-TimeManagement · Updated · How we calculate

Pattern2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off
Cycle14 days
Average hours per week42
Hours per year, average2,192
Days worked per yearabout 183
Hours in any 28 days168
Shift length12 hours
Longest run of shifts3 in a row

The 2-2-3 schedule gives 24/7 coverage with four crews working 12-hour shifts. Employers also call it the Panama, 2-3-2 or Pitman schedule, though some use Pitman for a version that rotates between day and night shifts.

The pattern

Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Hours 12 12 off off 12 12 12 off off 12 12 off off off

Hours

Over one 14-day cycle that is 84 hours, an average of 42 hours a week. Because the cycle does not line up with a calendar week, some weeks have more hours than others: the calendar above shows each week’s total and the hours over 40.

Every other weekend is a 3-day weekend off, which is the main reason people like it.

Overtime

Under federal law, most hourly employees get overtime for hours over 40 in their employer’s fixed workweek, whatever the schedule. Fire and police departments can use a longer work period under section 7(k) of the FLSA; for fire protection that is 212 hours in 28 days. State rules and union contracts can add more.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is a 2-2-3 schedule?

Two days on, two off, three on, then the reverse, with 12-hour shifts over a 14-day cycle.

How many hours a week is a 2-2-3?

84 hours every two weeks: 36 one week and 48 the next, an average of 42.

Is the Panama schedule the same as 2-2-3?

Usually, yes. Names vary by employer.

Other shift schedules

Rotating 12-hourDuPont schedule A 4-week rotation of 12-hour day and night shifts with a full 7 days off at the end of each cycle. Rotating 12-hour4 on 4 off schedule Four 12-hour shifts, then four days off, on an 8-day cycle that drifts through the week.