Pitman schedule

Pitman schedule (in shift work): A 2-week cycle alternating between day and night shifts.

Pitman schedule

This approach to shift planning involves a 2-week cycle alternating between day and night shifts. This rotation helps to balance the workload and provides employees with opportunities to adjust between different shifts.

What is a Pitman schedule

The Pitman schedule is specifically designed to cater to work environments requiring continuous staffing, such as healthcare or retail. In a typical implementation, an employee might work day shifts for a week or two and then switch to night shifts.

• It’s usually a 14-day cycle.
• Each team works 7 shifts in 14 days.
• The pattern for each team is: 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off.

Example of a Pitman schedule

Week 1: D D - - D D D
Week 2: - - D D - - -

(Where D = Day shift, – = Day off)

It is distinct from other schedules that might overly favor one shift type or leave long gaps between shifts. The key benefit here is both ensuring operational consistency and supporting work-life balance for your staff.

• Consistent pattern of work and days off
• Long weekends (3 days off) every other week
• Equal distribution of workload between teams
• Regular rotation between day and night shifts

How we can help

When your basic roster is not enough, Zelos is a practical addition to your toolbox for shift exchange and extra shift signup. Feel free to sign up for a free account on our website and see how our approach to scheduled management can work for you.

Shift work glossary