The Pitman Schedule Explained: How the 2-3-2 Rotation Works (with Free Template)
The Pitman schedule is a rotating 12-hour shift pattern used by 24/7 operations in manufacturing, security, healthcare, oil & gas, and utilities. This guide breaks down the full 14-day cycle, gives you a free template, and covers Fixed vs Rotating Pitman -- plus how to track it without payroll headaches.
Table of Contents
- 1. What Is the Pitman Schedule?
- 2. How the 2-3-2 Rotation Works
- 3. Free 14-Day Pitman Template
- 4. Pros of the Pitman Schedule
- 5. Cons of the Pitman Schedule
- 6. Fixed Pitman vs Rotating Pitman
- 7. Industries That Use Pitman
- 8. Pitman vs 2-2-3 vs DuPont vs 4-on-4-off
- 9. Tracking Attendance on a Pitman Schedule
- 10. Conclusion
What Is the Pitman Schedule?
The Pitman schedule is a rotating 12-hour shift pattern used to keep a business running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using only two crews per shift type. It is sometimes called the 2-3-2 schedule because each crew works in blocks of 2, then 3, then 2 days across a repeating 14-day cycle.
The full Pitman shift pattern for a single crew looks like this: 2 on / 2 off / 3 on / 2 off / 2 on / 3 off. That gives each employee an average of 42 hours per week and -- crucially -- every other weekend off as a full 3-day break. It is the most common Pitman rotating schedule in use today, especially where 12-hour shifts are the norm.
Pitman Schedule at a Glance
How the 2-3-2 Rotation Works
The Pitman work schedule uses a mirrored two-crew design. While Crew A is working, Crew B is off, and vice versa. Over 14 days, each crew works exactly 7 days -- which at 12 hours per shift equals 84 hours per fortnight, or 42 hours per week on average.
The Pattern (per crew, 14 days):
Each shift is 12 hours -- typically 6am-6pm for days and 6pm-6am for nights. The 3-day off block always lands on a weekend, alternating between crews.
Because 42 hours exceeds a standard 40-hour week, most jurisdictions treat the extra 2 hours as overtime. Budget for it. For exact monthly hour totals under any schedule, see our 2026 work hours calculator.
Note: the Pitman schedule and the 2-2-3 (Panama) schedule are often used interchangeably in HR literature. The core pattern is identical -- 2 on / 2 off / 3 on. The main practical difference is naming convention and, in some references, how the day/night rotation is handled between crews.
Free 14-Day Pitman Template
Here is a ready-to-use 14-day Pitman shift pattern. Toggle between the Fixed and Rotating variants to see how each crew's days line up. Copy the pattern directly into your rostering tool -- it repeats indefinitely.
| Day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew A | D | D | OFF | OFF | D | D | D | OFF | OFF | D | D | OFF | OFF | OFF |
| Crew B | OFF | OFF | D | D | OFF | OFF | OFF | D | D | OFF | OFF | D | D | D |
Fixed Pitman: each crew stays on the same shift type (days or nights) permanently. The pattern is 2 on / 2 off / 3 on, then 2 off / 2 on / 3 off.
In a full 24/7 build-out you will typically run four crews: two for the day rotation (A + B) and two for the night rotation (C + D). Each pair mirrors the other, so at any moment one day crew and one night crew are on duty.
Pros of the Pitman Schedule
- +Every other weekend is a full 3-day weekend (Fri-Sun off) -- rare in shift work
- +Full 24/7 coverage with only 2 crews per shift type (4 crews total for day + night)
- +Predictable and repeating -- employees can plan personal life months ahead
- +Fewer commutes per week -- 7 shifts across 14 days instead of 10
- +Max 3 consecutive workdays keeps fatigue lower than DuPont (4) or Continental (7)
- +Fixed variant lets crews stabilize their circadian rhythm to a single shift type
- +Easy to explain to new hires -- 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3
Cons of the Pitman Schedule
- -12-hour shifts are physically and mentally demanding -- attention drops in the last 2 hours
- -42 hours/week means guaranteed weekly overtime -- payroll cost adds up fast
- -On the Rotating variant, swapping days/nights every 2 weeks disrupts sleep quality
- -Thin coverage -- one call-out per shift can put a crew below safe staffing
- -Childcare and school schedules do not align with rotating days off
- -Difficult to schedule cross-crew meetings, training, or company-wide events
- -Not suitable for roles that need daily continuity (project work, client management)
Fixed Pitman vs Rotating Pitman
There are two common variants of the Pitman 12 hour schedule. Choosing the right one depends on how much you weight employee health versus operational fairness.
Fixed Pitman
Each crew is permanently assigned to days or nights. Crew A always works days, Crew C always works nights.
- +Circadian rhythm stabilizes
- +Better long-term sleep and health outcomes
- +Simpler payroll (no shift differential swaps)
- -Night crews carry the health burden permanently
- -Harder to recruit for night-only roles
Rotating Pitman
Crews swap between day and night shifts on a set cycle -- typically every 2 weeks, sometimes every 4 weeks.
- +Fairness -- everyone shares the night burden
- +Cross-training happens naturally across shifts
- +Easier hiring (no permanent night-only role)
- -Circadian rhythm never fully adapts
- -Higher fatigue and sick-day rates in year one
Rule of thumb: use Fixed if you have volunteers willing to work permanent nights (often for a shift differential of 10-20%). Use Rotating if headcount is tight and fairness is a priority.
Industries That Use the Pitman Schedule
The Pitman work schedule shows up wherever operations cannot pause. A few of the most common examples:
Oil & Gas
Refineries, offshore rigs, pipeline control rooms
Manufacturing
Continuous-process plants (chemicals, paper, steel)
Utilities
Power generation, grid operators, water treatment
Healthcare
Hospital nursing floors and ICU teams
Security
Corporate and industrial security posts
Data Centers
NOC engineers and physical security
Emergency Services
Dispatch, EMS, some fire departments
Aviation Ground Ops
Airport control and ramp operations
Corrections
Prison and jail post assignments
Pitman vs 2-2-3 vs DuPont vs 4-on-4-off
All four are 12-hour rotating schedules built for 24/7 coverage. Here is how they stack up:
| Schedule | Cycle | Shift | Hrs/Week | Weekends Off | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitman (2-3-2) | 14 days | 12h | 42h | Every other (3-day) | Operations wanting predictable long weekends |
| 2-2-3 (Panama) | 14 days | 12h | 42h | Every other (3-day) | Same as Pitman -- often the same schedule under another name |
| DuPont | 28 days | 12h | 42h | 1 in 4 (7-day break) | Teams that value long recovery breaks over frequent weekends |
| 4-on / 4-off | 8 days | 12h | 42h | Rotates through week | Simple rosters where weekend rotation is acceptable |
Pitman's biggest edge is the alternating 3-day weekend -- neither DuPont nor 4-on-4-off delivers that reliably. Its main weakness relative to DuPont is the lack of long recovery blocks.
How to Track Attendance on a Pitman Schedule
Standard punch-in/punch-out time clocks were built for Monday-Friday, 9-to-5 work. They struggle with the Pitman shift pattern for three specific reasons:
- Overtime is baked in. Every crew crosses the 40-hour weekly threshold. Payroll needs to auto-calculate that 2 hours of OT weekly -- and correctly handle jurisdictions that use daily OT (over 8 hours or over 12 hours).
- Shift differentials. Night crews often earn 10-20% more per hour. On the Rotating variant, that differential switches every 2 weeks -- a nightmare for manual timesheets.
- Handoff windows. The 30-minute overlap at shift change needs to be tracked as paid time, but not double-counted between the outgoing and incoming crew.
Manual DTRs and spreadsheets break down within a month of running Pitman. Employees forget to clock in mid-cycle, managers spend hours reconciling records, and OT violations slip through. An automated system is the only realistic option -- see our guide to automated daily time record systems for the full breakdown.
DeskTrust handles non-standard schedules out of the box. It logs clock-in and clock-out automatically from the desktop agent, calculates overtime in real time under any schedule (Pitman, DuPont, 2-2-3, custom), and shows managers a live view of who is on shift, who is approaching OT limits, and how productive each shift has been. Because activity data is captured continuously, you can also compare day-crew and night-crew output objectively -- a rare capability in shift-tracking tools.
Conclusion
The Pitman schedule is one of the most durable rotating shift patterns in industry for a reason. The 2-3-2 rhythm gives employees predictable time off, guarantees an alternating 3-day weekend, and covers 24/7 operations with only four crews. It is not gentle -- 12-hour shifts are hard work -- but for oil & gas, utilities, manufacturing, healthcare, and security, it is often the best fit available.
If you are rolling out Pitman for the first time, pick Fixed or Rotating deliberately, communicate the pattern at least 4 weeks in advance, and put automated attendance tracking in place before day one. See our pricing page or start a free trial to set up shift tracking with DeskTrust.
Track Pitman shifts without the payroll headaches
DeskTrust auto-logs clock-in/out, calculates overtime under any rotating schedule (Pitman, DuPont, 2-2-3, custom), and shows productivity by crew. Start your free 30-day trial.