2-2-3 Shift Pattern: Roster, Hours and Pros

The 2-2-3 pattern, often called the Panama schedule, keeps a plant running day and night with four teams on 12 hour shifts. Each team works two days, takes two off, works three, takes two off, works two and takes three off. The cycle is 14 days and then repeats. Two teams hold the day line and two hold the night line, so one day team and one night team are always on duty. It is common in factories, security and utilities that need cover around the clock without long stretches on shift.

The roster

One row per team, one column per day of the cycle. The cycle then repeats.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Team A	D	D	O	O	D	D	D	O	O	D	D	O	O	O
Team B	O	O	D	D	O	O	O	D	D	O	O	D	D	D
Team C	N	N	O	O	N	N	N	O	O	N	N	O	O	O
Team D	O	O	N	N	O	O	O	N	N	O	O	N	N	N

D = Day 7 am to 7 pmN = Night 7 pm to 7 amO = Off

Shifts per 14-day cycle

Team	Days in the cycle
Team A	7 day, 7 off
Team B	7 day, 7 off
Team C	7 night, 7 off
Team D	7 night, 7 off

How the 14 day cycle works

Set two shifts of 12 hours: a day shift from 7 am to 7 pm and a night shift from 7 pm to 7 am. Team A works the rhythm two on, two off, three on, two off, two on, three off, reading as DDOODDDOODDOOO across the fortnight. Team B runs the same rhythm but starts a week later, so between them the day shift is filled every single date. Teams C and D do the same on nights. No date is ever left without one day crew and one night crew. Because the pattern is only 14 days, staff learn it quickly and can see their off days weeks ahead.

D is the day shift, 7 am to 7 pm.
N is the night shift, 7 pm to 7 am.
O is a rest day.
Teams A and B cover days; teams C and D cover nights.

Hours per week worked out

Each team works 7 shifts in the 14 day cycle. Seven shifts of 12 hours is 84 hours over two weeks, which is 42 hours a week on average. That sits below a 48 hour week, but a 12 hour shift is longer than the eight hour ordinary day set by the OSH Code. Hours worked beyond the prescribed daily and weekly limits are overtime, paid at twice the ordinary wage rate with the worker consent. Fix how your state notification treats the extra hours before you roll this out, and set your overtime multipliers to match.

Who the pattern suits

This pattern fits continuous operations that want short work blocks and frequent rest: chemical and process plants, power stations, security posts and hospitals. Staff never work more than three shifts in a row and get a three day break each cycle, which helps recovery on 12 hour shifts. It is less suited to work that needs deep focus late at night or to teams with long commutes, where two back to back night shifts can be tiring. Women may work the night line with their consent and the safety conditions the government sets.

Pros

Short work blocks of two or three shifts keep fatigue in check.
Every second weekend lands inside a three day break.
Only four teams cover a full round the clock operation.
The 14 day cycle is easy to read and plan leave around.
Average of 42 hours a week stays under a 48 hour ceiling.

Cons

Twelve hour shifts are long and tiring for older workers.
Handovers happen at 7, awkward for school runs and commutes.
Night weeks still disturb sleep even with frequent rest.
Overtime pay on the extra hours raises the wage bill.

Set it up in ZeniaHR

In the shift catalogue add the day and night shifts with their code, 7 to 7 timings, break, full day and half day hours, grace in and out, and turn on the night shift flag with a colour.
Build a rotation template with a 14 day cycle, enter the two on two off three on rhythm and stagger the four teams so days and nights are always covered.
Assign the template in bulk over up to 92 days from the day grid, then check the per employee roster so every date shows one day team and one night team.
Set the overtime policy to count hours beyond the full day hours, and keep the multipliers for working days, weekly offs and holidays at or above twice the ordinary rate.
Turn on attendance rules so night punches that cross midnight file to the shift day, and the missed punch out alert fires 60 minutes after shift end.
Let staff raise shift swaps when they need to trade a day; the roster changes only after the reporting manager and then HR approve.

Shifts and rosters

Run this roster in ZeniaHR

Build the rotation once, stagger it across teams and let attendance, overtime and payroll follow it. Free for your first 50 employees.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the 2-2-3 pattern the same as the Panama schedule?

Yes. The 2-2-3 pattern is widely called the Panama schedule. Both names describe the same 14 day, four team, 12 hour rota where each team works two shifts, rests two, works three, rests two, works two and rests three. The rhythm and the hours are identical; only the name changes by industry and region.

How many hours a week is the 2-2-3 pattern?

It averages 42 hours a week. Each team works seven 12 hour shifts in the 14 day cycle, which is 84 hours over two weeks, or 42 a week. Because 12 hour shifts run past the eight hour ordinary day, the extra hours are overtime at twice the ordinary wage rate with the worker consent.

Do teams switch between days and nights?

In the basic 2-2-3 setup two teams stay on days and two stay on nights, so the schedule is steady. Many Indian plants rotate which pair works nights every few cycles for fairness. You can build either version as a rotation template and let the roster show each team its own dates.