A 2-2-3 shift schedule alternates work and rest in a two-on, two-off, three-on rhythm, followed by two-off, two-on and three-off. That creates seven workdays in 14 days. Day and Night assignments may take longer to repeat, so confirm the full rota and a known start date.
The label 2-2-3 describes the lengths of alternating work and rest blocks. It does not tell you whether a workday is a Day shift or a Night shift, how long each shift lasts or where your crew begins in the cycle. Start with the 14-day rhythm, then add those details from the rota you actually work.
Start with the 14-day work-and-rest rhythm
Read the numbers as blocks, not as weekdays. In the first week of a common example, you work two days, rest two days and work three days. The second week reverses that balance: rest two, work two and rest three.
The result is seven scheduled workdays and seven days off across 14 calendar days. Because the pattern contains a full two weeks, a correctly anchored work/rest rhythm returns to the same weekdays in the next cycle.
| Cycle day | Example status | Block |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Work | First two-on block |
| 2 | Work | First two-on block |
| 3 | Off | First two-off block |
| 4 | Off | First two-off block |
| 5 | Work | Three-on block |
| 6 | Work | Three-on block |
| 7 | Work | Three-on block |
| 8 | Off | Second two-off block |
| 9 | Off | Second two-off block |
| 10 | Work | Second two-on block |
| 11 | Work | Second two-on block |
| 12 | Off | Three-off block |
| 13 | Off | Three-off block |
| 14 | Off | Three-off block |
Separate the work/rest pattern from Day and Night
A fixed-Day version could use D D O O D D D, followed by O O D D O O O. A fixed-Night version can use the same positions with N instead of D. In RotaFlow, D means Day, N means Night and O means Off.
A rotating Pitman variant may switch crews from Days to Nights after the first 14 days. In that case, the work/rest rhythm repeats in two weeks but the complete Day/Night identity may take 28 days. Your employer may use another variant, so inspect the full published rota before choosing a preset.
Anchor day one to a date you can prove
An anchor date connects a calendar date to a specific position in the sequence. Choose a date you know was the first shift of a two-day work block, then check the rest block and the following three workdays against your source rota.
If every result is displaced by the same number of days, review the anchor and starting position before rewriting the cycle. A correct sequence attached to the wrong date will remain consistently wrong far into the future.
Check the hours, not just the number of shifts
The name 2-2-3 does not specify eight-hour or 12-hour shifts. It also says nothing about paid breaks, overtime thresholds, weekend premiums, public-holiday rates or annual-leave entitlement.
Add working times and unpaid breaks only when they match your employment terms. RotaFlow can estimate scheduled hours and gross pay from the settings you provide, but those figures are not a payslip, tax calculation or guarantee of what an employer will pay.
Record exceptions without breaking the cycle
Annual leave, training, sickness and a one-off shift trade usually change particular dates rather than the repeating pattern. Record them as special days or swaps so the normal 2-2-3 rhythm continues after the exception.
If your employer permanently changes the rota, build and verify the new complete sequence from its effective date. Repeatedly adding one-off overrides is a poor substitute for correcting a base pattern that has genuinely changed.
Verify a full cycle before relying on it
Compare all 14 work/rest positions with the published rota, not only today and tomorrow. For a rotating Day/Night schedule, continue through the point where shift types change and confirm the first block of the next complete rotation too.
Finally, check a known exception and the first normal day after it. The aim is a calendar you can trust for family plans, leave requests and reminders—not a pattern that merely looks plausible for the first week.
Feature FAQ
Is a 2-2-3 schedule the same as a Pitman schedule?
The names are often used for the same 14-day work/rest rhythm, but employers may use different Day and Night rotations or starting positions. Match the complete sequence on your published rota rather than relying on the name alone.
How many days do you work on a 2-2-3 schedule?
The standard 14-day work/rest example contains seven scheduled workdays and seven days off. It does not determine paid hours because shift length, breaks and local rules still matter.
Does a 2-2-3 schedule repeat every two weeks?
The work/rest rhythm can repeat after 14 days. A rotating Day/Night assignment may need 28 days, or another complete employer-defined cycle, before every shift type returns to the same position.
Can a 2-2-3 pattern be used for night shifts?
Yes. The workdays can be Night shifts, Day shifts or part of a longer Day/Night rotation. Record the actual D, N and O sequence used by your workplace.
Why is my 2-2-3 calendar one day out?
A common cause is an anchor date tied to the wrong position in the cycle. Check a known workday, the following two-day rest block and the three-day work block before changing the pattern itself.