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4 on 2 off vs 5 on 3 off
Both are eight-hour rotations that never line up with the week. The difference is the size of the pieces — and about two hours a week in your check.
| 4 on 2 off | vs | 5 on 3 off |
|---|---|---|
| The cycle | ||
| 8 hours | Shift length | 8 hours |
| 6 or 12 days | Cycle length | 8 or 16 days |
| 37.3 hours | Average week | 35 hours |
| 4 | Most shifts in a row | 5 |
| 2 days | Longest break | 3 days |
| Recovery | ||
| No | Three days off after every block | Yes |
| NoTwo days is thin | Enough time to reset after nights | Yes |
| Yes | Never more than four shifts in a row | No |
| Your week | ||
| No | Days off land on the same weekdays | No |
| No | A familiar five-day working block | Yes |
| YesAbout 20 | More shifts in a month | NoAbout 19 |
Short blocks or long breaks
4 on 2 off never asks for more than four shifts, and never gives more than two days off. 5 on 3 off asks for five and gives three. Neither cycle divides into seven, so on both patterns your days off walk through the week and weekends move.
Two days is the weak point
After four shifts, and especially after four nights, two days off is enough to catch up on sleep and not much else. The first day is mostly recovery; the second is the only one that feels like time off.
Three days changes that. It is the difference between resting and actually having a day, and it is why officers who have worked both usually name 5 on 3 off as the better break.
The hours are not the same
4 on 2 off averages a little over thirty-seven hours a week. 5 on 3 off comes in at thirty-five. Two hours a week is not nothing over a year, and on both patterns the gap to forty tends to get filled with overtime, court and training rather than showing up as free time.
Full detail on each pattern: 4 on 2 off schedule · 5 on 3 off schedule
The shift schedule you actually work
Save whichever one your agency runs and a police shift calendar built by an officer fills the rest of the year in. Everything stays on your phone unless you choose to share it.
Scan to install — or hold it up for the officer next to you.
