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5 on 3 off vs 5-2 5-3
These two look almost identical on paper and feel different in practice. Both work blocks of five. Only one gives you three days off at the end of every block.
5 on 3 off
Day shiftNight shift24-hour tourDay off
5-2 5-3
Day shiftNight shift24-hour tourDay off
| 5 on 3 off | vs | 5-2 5-3 |
|---|---|---|
| The cycle | ||
| 8 hours | Shift length | 8 hours |
| 8 or 16 days | Cycle length | 15 days |
| 35 hours | Average week | 37.3 hours |
| 5 | Shifts in a row | 5 |
| 3, every time | Days off per block | 2, then 3 |
| Your week | ||
| Yes | Three days off after every block | NoOnly at the end of the cycle |
| No | Days off land on the same weekdays | No |
| About 19 | Shifts in a month | About 20 |
| Hours | ||
| Yes | Built below forty hours | Yes |
| No | More hours on the roster | Yes |
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The same block, a different reward
Both patterns work five eight-hour shifts at a time. 5 on 3 off then takes three days off, every single time. 5-2 5-3 takes two days off, works five more, and only then takes three.
Over fifteen days, 5-2 5-3 gives one long break. Over sixteen, 5 on 3 off gives two.
Why agencies still run 5-2 5-3
Familiarity and staffing. The 5-2 half of the cycle looks like an ordinary working week, and the fifteen-day cycle has been the backbone of eight-hour three-watch policing for decades.
It also puts a little more on the roster — about thirty-seven hours a week against thirty-five — which matters when a department is short.
What officers notice
The two-day break in the middle of a 5-2 5-3 cycle is the one people complain about, because it lands between two full working blocks. On 5 on 3 off there is no equivalent: every break is the good one.
Full detail on each pattern: 5 on 3 off schedule · 5-2 5-3 schedule
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