How the 24 on 48 off pattern works

The roster

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

Shifts per 21-day cycle

How the roster works

Each duty is a 24 hour shift, on for a full day and night. Three platoons roll through duty and two rest days: Team A reads WOOWOOWOO, with Teams B and C one and two days behind. On every date exactly one platoon is on duty and two are off, so the station is always staffed. The pattern is shown over 21 days so it lines up neatly, but the real rhythm is a simple three day roll: one day on, two days off. Duty includes meal and rest breaks within the 24 hours, as the work allows.

• W is a 24 hour duty shift.
• O is a rest day; two follow each duty.
• Three platoons share the roster.
• One platoon is on duty every day.

Hours per week worked out

Each platoon works one duty in three days. Over the 21 day cycle that is seven 24 hour duties, or 168 hours across three weeks, which is 56 hours a week on average. This is well above the eight hour ordinary day and above a 48 hour week, so a large share of the hours is overtime, paid at twice the ordinary wage rate with consent, unless your sector has a specific rule. Check the daily hours, spread over and rest rules that apply to your work, since a 24 hour duty needs proper meal and sleep breaks built in.

Who it suits and the rules

This roster suits fire services, standby ambulance crews, some security posts and control rooms where staff must be present but can rest between tasks. The two day break after each duty aids recovery, and the pattern is easy to run with three platoons. The care points are real rest within the 24 hours, safe handovers and correct pay for the long hours. A 24 hour duty is not 24 hours of continuous work; build in proper meal and sleep breaks and record actual worked hours.

Pros

• Two full rest days follow every duty.
• A continuous crew is always present.
• Simple to run with three platoons.
• Suits standby work with rest between tasks.

Cons

• A 24 hour duty is long and demanding.
• Averages 56 hours a week with heavy overtime.
• Rest within the shift must be genuine.
• Not suitable for continuous heavy work.

Set it up in ZeniaHR

1. In the shift catalogue add a 24 hour duty shift with its code, timings that cross midnight, meal and rest breaks, full and half day hours, and a colour.
2. Build a rotation template with a three day roll of duty and two rest days, shown over 21 days, and stagger the three platoons by one day.
3. Assign in bulk over up to 92 days and open the day grid to confirm exactly one platoon is on duty every day.
4. Set the overtime policy to count the long hours beyond full day hours at or above twice the ordinary rate, with a monthly cap if you want one.
5. File the duty punches so a shift that crosses midnight is counted on the correct day and the break time is deducted from effective hours.
6. Turn on the missed punch out alert so the station knows if a platoon does not close its 24 hour duty on time.

Frequently asked questions