2-2-3 (Panama) Work Schedule: Calendar Calculator & Complete Guide
Set your crew's cycle start date below and instantly see every work day and off day for the next 12 months — then check any date with one tap.
How the 2-2-3 schedule works
The 2-2-3 — better known on the floor as the Panama schedule — is one of the most common ways to keep a plant, hospital unit, 911 center, or police department running 24/7 with four crews. Each crew works 12-hour shifts in a repeating 14-day rhythm:
| Days 1–2 | Days 3–4 | Days 5–7 | Days 8–9 | Days 10–11 | Days 12–14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work ✕2 | Off ✕2 | Work ✕3 | Off ✕2 | Work ✕2 | Off ✕3 |
Say it out loud — two on, two off, three on, two off, two on, three off — and you can hear where the name comes from. Two crews cover days and two cover nights; while your crew is off, the opposite crew mirrors your pattern so every hour of the week is staffed.
The killer feature is the rhythm of weekends: because the cycle is exactly two weeks long, the 3-day break lands on the weekend every other week. You will never work more than three shifts in a row, and you never get fewer than two days to recover.
2-2-3 by the numbers
- Cycle length: 14 days, 7 working shifts
- Hours: 84 per two weeks — a 36-hour short week, then a 48-hour long week (avg. 42/week)
- Longest stretch: 3 consecutive shifts
- Weekends: a full 3-day weekend every other week
- Crews needed: 4 (two day crews, two night crews)
The 48-hour long week matters for pay: in the US, most hourly workers on a 2-2-3 earn overtime in the long week under the standard 40-hour threshold. How your employer handles that (weekly overtime, pay-period averaging, built-in salary) varies by company and agreement, so check your own policy for the details.
Pros and cons workers actually report
What people love
- Half your weekends are real 3-day weekends — friends with office jobs see you more, not less.
- Only 15 work days in a typical month, so appointments and errands fit in daylight.
- The pattern is easy to memorize after a few cycles — "never more than three in a row."
What people struggle with
- 12-hour shifts are long, and the 3-shift stretch can be brutal in physical jobs.
- If your site rotates crews between days and nights, the flip weeks are hard on sleep.
- Childcare on the long week takes planning — school pickup twice in one week, none the next.
Using the calculator for your crew
All four crews run the same 14-day loop, just offset from each other. That means one remembered date pins down everything: set the cycle start date to the first day of any 2-day work block that follows your 3 days off (the hint under the field reminds you), pick day or night team, and the whole year unrolls. Export the .ics file and your phone's calendar will answer "can I make it?" before anyone finishes asking. Working a Pitman instead? The rhythm is the same two-week loop — see our Pitman schedule guide for how the two differ, or the DuPont guide if your site runs a 4-week rotation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 2-2-3 work schedule?
The 2-2-3 (also called the Panama schedule) is a rotating shift pattern for 24/7 operations: you work 2 days, get 2 off, work 3, get 2 off, work 2, then get 3 off. The cycle repeats every 14 days using 12-hour shifts, and averages 42 hours per week.
How many hours a week is a 2-2-3 schedule?
You work 7 shifts of 12 hours in every 14-day cycle — 84 hours per two weeks, an average of 42 hours per week. One week is a 36-hour "short week" (3 shifts) and the next is a 48-hour "long week" (4 shifts).
Do you get every other weekend off on a 2-2-3?
Yes — that is the pattern’s biggest selling point. Every other week your 3 days off land on Friday–Sunday (or Saturday–Monday, depending on your crew’s start day), so you get a full 3-day weekend twice a month.
Is the Panama schedule the same as the 2-2-3?
Yes. "Panama" is just the common nickname for the 2-2-3 pattern. Some plants run it with fixed day and night crews, while others rotate crews between days and nights every few weeks — the on/off rhythm is identical.
Is the 2-2-3 schedule the same as 2-2-3 custody?
No — parents also use a "2-2-3" rotation for custody arrangements, but this page covers the work shift schedule used by factories, hospitals, dispatch centers, and police departments.