The DuPont shift: a four-week cycle ending in a full week off
A twenty-eight-day cycle that mixes blocks of nights and days and ends with something no other pattern gives: seven days off in a row. It came out of the chemical industry and is used where twenty-four-hour cover is needed with four crews.
- Days worked a year
- 183
- Days off a year
- 182
- Full weekends off
- 13
- Longest break
- 7 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 full sequence is four nights, three off, three days, one off, three nights, three off, four days and seven off. It fits exactly into four weeks, so it repeats identically every four-week block.
The good part
The full week off is its big selling point: a short holiday every four weeks without spending annual leave. And because the cycle matches the week, you know months ahead when it falls.
The hard part
It's the most demanding of the six. Blocks of four consecutive nights are hard, and there's a stretch — three day shifts, a single day off, then straight into three nights — where you swing from days to nights with twenty-four hours' notice. That's the part that's hardest to live with, and worth knowing before you accept it.
Load it and tell me a day you remember: I'll work out your whole calendar, forwards and backwards.
Load the DuPont patternFrequently asked questions
How many nights do I work a year on DuPont?
Around ninety-two, half your shifts. The pattern splits day and night blocks evenly.
What's the hardest part of DuPont?
Swinging from a day shift to a night shift with a single rest day in between. It's the point in the cycle where fatigue piles up; many people split their sleep into two stretches that day.
Is it worth it for the week off?
It depends how much night rotation affects you. If you sleep well and adapt quickly, a full week off every four is hard to beat. If you don't, this is the pattern that will suit you least.
General information. Every company and agreement applies these patterns its own way. Always check against your contract, your approved shift system and current legislation.