The 2-2-3 shift: a three-day weekend every other week
Two days on, two off, three on; then two off, two on and three off. It sounds convoluted, and it is to memorise, but it has one virtue that makes it well liked: every other week you get a three-day weekend.
- Days worked a year
- 183
- Days off a year
- 182
- Full weekends off
- 26
- Longest break
- 3 days
- Sundays worked
- 26
Worked out over a full year on this pattern, counting from 1 January. The figures shift a little depending where in the cycle you start.
How it works
The cycle is fourteen days and fits into two weeks, so it repeats identically each fortnight. It's almost always run on twelve-hour shifts, and with four crews it covers twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year.
The good part
You never work more than three days in a row, which is its main appeal against a 7x7 or a 6x1. And the long weekend every second week is real rest. The cycle also lines up with the week, so it's predictable.
The hard part
Twelve-hour shifts. Two in a row are fine, three you feel, and if you're also rotating between days and nights your body notices. You'll work one weekend in two.
Load it and tell me a day you remember: I'll work out your whole calendar, forwards and backwards.
Load the 2-2-3 patternFrequently asked questions
Why is it called Panama or Pitman?
They're two names for the same pattern depending on the industry and country. Pitman comes from US manufacturing; Panama is widely used in security and continuous operations.
How many free weekends a year does it give?
About twenty-six full ones, half of them. And thirteen of those are three-day weekends, because the pattern chains the rest days onto the weekend.
Can it be run days only?
Yes. The pattern defines which days you work, not what time. It's used both as a day-only roster and rotating days and nights.
General information. Every company and agreement applies these patterns its own way. Always check against your contract, your approved shift system and current legislation.