4-on / 4-off shift schedule: fixed and rotating versions
Compare the eight-day fixed cycle with the 16-day rotating cycle. Both require four crew phases for the supplied two-shift, 24-hour coverage matrix.
Internal review Aug 6, 2026 · No external review
Pattern 4-on-4-off-fixed@1
4-on / 4-off fixed · version 1
An eight-day cycle with four consecutive shifts followed by four days off.
Cycle length
8 days
Required crew phases
4
Average planned hours per crew per week
42 planned hours
Longest consecutive shift stretch
4 shifts
Longest break in the cycle
4 days
Day
4 shifts
Night
0 shifts
Implemented crew-phase matrix
Exact version 4-on-4-off-fixed@1 cycle. D is Day, N is Night, and O is Off.
Crew
Day 11
Day 22
Day 33
Day 44
Day 55
Day 66
Day 77
Day 88
Phase 1
D
D
D
D
O
O
O
O
Phase 2
O
O
O
O
D
D
D
D
Phase 3
N
N
N
N
O
O
O
O
Phase 4
O
O
O
O
N
N
N
N
Pattern 4-on-4-off-rotating@1
4-on / 4-off rotating · version 1
A 16-day cycle that alternates four day shifts and four night shifts.
Cycle length
16 days
Required crew phases
4
Average planned hours per crew per week
42 planned hours
Longest consecutive shift stretch
4 shifts
Longest break in the cycle
4 days
Day
4 shifts
Night
4 shifts
Implemented crew-phase matrix
Exact version 4-on-4-off-rotating@1 cycle. D is Day, N is Night, and O is Off.
Crew
Day 11
Day 22
Day 33
Day 44
Day 55
Day 66
Day 77
Day 88
Day 99
Day 1010
Day 1111
Day 1212
Day 1313
Day 1414
Day 1515
Day 1616
Phase 1
D
D
D
D
O
O
O
O
N
N
N
N
O
O
O
O
Phase 2
O
O
O
O
N
N
N
N
O
O
O
O
D
D
D
D
Phase 3
N
N
N
N
O
O
O
O
D
D
D
D
O
O
O
O
Phase 4
O
O
O
O
D
D
D
D
O
O
O
O
N
N
N
N
How this implementation behaves
Each working block contains four consecutive shifts followed by four days off. The rotating variant then repeats the block on the opposite shift before returning to the start.
Eight-day fixed and 16-day rotating cycles
The eight-day fixed implementation keeps each phase on its assigned Day or Night role. The 16-day rotating implementation adds four shifts on the opposite role after the first four-off block, followed by another four days off before the cycle repeats.
Anchor the first day of a four-shift block
For phase 1, cycle day 1 is the first shift in a four-day working block. Confirm that date and shift against the approved roster. Moving the anchor by one day moves the entire four-on/four-off sequence for every phase.
Common 4-on / 4-off setup errors
Assuming a two-shift Day/Night schedule needs only two crews; this implementation uses four offset phases for continuous coverage.
Selecting the fixed version while expecting crews to exchange Day and Night roles after each off block.
Anchoring to an arbitrary date instead of the known first day of a real crew's four-shift block.
Verify these items before operational use
Align cycle day 1 with a known date from an approved source schedule; a wrong anchor shifts every assignment.
Confirm that each real crew maps to the intended phase instead of assuming the displayed phase order matches local labels.
Confirm the local Day and Night endpoints. Changing them can create real gaps, overlaps, or daylight-saving duration warnings.
Review member exceptions, minimum rest, staffing targets, qualifications, leave, agreements, and local rules outside this template.
Implementation status and source boundary
Implemented versions
4-on-4-off-fixed@1, 4-on-4-off-rotating@1 in the site template registry
Internal content review
Aug 6, 2026
External review
Not completed
These matrices are the site's versioned 4-on / 4-off implementations. Automated checks verify cycle length, four crew phases, and one Day plus one Night crew per service date. They have not been approved as an external industry standard or validated against your workplace roster.
