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4-on-4-off Shift Pattern: Complete Guide + Free Rota Template

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4 on 4 off shift pattern example by Shiftbase

Table of contents

In this article we take a closer look at the 4/10 work schedule revolution, its implications, and how it can optimise both business operations and employee satisfaction.

What is a 4/10 work schedule?

A 4-on-4-off schedule uses 12-hour shifts. Teams work four consecutive shifts (days or nights) followed by four days off. Many employers rotate day and night blocks; others run permanent nights. In the UK, night workers must still average no more than 8 hours per 24 hours over the reference period, with free health assessments available.

Who typically uses it (manufacturing, public safety, healthcare, logistics)

You’ll see 4-on-4-off where 24/7 cover matters and handovers need to be minimal 👉 think production lines, warehouses, control rooms, emergency services and hospital units. It also suits sites with predictable demand and stable skill mixes. Where demand drops overnight, a lighter pattern (or split coverage) can be more efficient.

Free 4 on 4 off Shift Pattern Template
Free 4 on 4 off Shift Pattern Template

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At-a-glance calendar (mini 8–12 week view)

Legend: D = 12-hour Day shift · N = 12-hour Night shift · O = Off (weekly rest window)
Note (UK): Breaks and rest still apply: 20-minute break if working over 6 hours, 11 hours daily rest, and weekly rest/compensatory rest as required

Team A (starts on Day shift)

Week Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 D D D D O O O
2 O N N N N O O
3 O O D D D D O
4 O O O N N N N
5 O O O O D D D
6 D O O O O N N
7 N N O O O O D
8 D D D O O O O

ℹ️ Handover reference (Team A): The first D/N in a new block is the handover point (Week 1 Mon • Week 2 Tue • Week 3 Wed • Week 4 Thu • Week 5 Fri • Week 6 Sat • Week 7 Sun).

Team B (starts opposite Team A)

Week Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 N N N N O O O
2 O D D D D O O
3 O O N N N N O
4 O O O D D D D
5 O O O O N N N
6 N O O O O D D
7 D D O O O O N
8 N N N O O O O

💡 At a glance you can see weekly rest windows (OOOO), where handovers land, and how days/nights balance over two months—ideal for staffing, overtime planning, and training days.

💡 You can save this pattern as a rota template in Shiftbase, assign teams to Day/Night blocks, and publish to the mobile app. Shiftbase also supports shift swaps with rule checks, break configuration, and availability to fill open shifts without breaking rest rules.

Is it right for your operation?

Use this section to test the fit before you change the rota.

Capacity fit and demand profile 

Start with your demand by hour and by day. If you truly need 24/7 cover with steady volumes, 4-on-4-off gives predictable staffing and fewer handovers. If demand is 24/5 or dips sharply at night, you may over-staff on nights. For seasonal peaks, plan temporary overlays (bank staff or overtime) rather than changing the base pattern.

Skills mix & team math 

Most employers run four teams to cover days and nights. Work out minimum posts per shift, then add a buffer for annual leave, sickness and training. Keep handovers short and standardised; plan who covers safety-critical tasks at hours 10–12 of the shift, when fatigue risk rises.

Alternatives you should compare

Compare patterns side-by-side for weekend coverage, handover count, and average weekly hours. Panama (2-2-3) spreads 12-hour shifts differently; Continental uses 8-hour rotations; Du-Pont blends 12s with days off. Fixed nights can stabilise sleep but tighten night-work compliance.

👀 Quick fit check :

Signal it fits ✅ Signal it may not fit ❌
24/7, steady demand across the week Big overnight demand drop or 24/5 operation
Small team, want fewer handovers Complex changeovers needing frequent handovers
Staff value long recovery blocks Staff prefer shorter shifts or predictable weekdays
Strong night-shift premium policy Tight budgets where night premiums drive costs

 

Pros and cons backed by evidence

Here’s a balanced view so you can decide with data, not guesswork.

  • You get reliable 24/7 cover with only two handovers per day. Long off-duty blocks aid recovery and make annual leave simpler to plan. Predictable “on/off” cycles improve attendance for training days if you schedule them into the off block with notice.

  • Fatigue risk increases on long and night shifts. OSHA summarises evidence that accident and injury rates are 18% higher on evenings and 30% higher on nights than on days, and that 12-hour days are associated with a 37% higher injury risk. Build in robust breaks, manage quick returns, and review incident and near-miss data after night blocks.

  • Avoid or adapt the pattern if nights are mostly idle, if tasks are heavy manual handling late in the shift, or if quality hinges on frequent handovers. In the UK, remember night-work rules: average ≤8 hours per 24 hours over the reference period, plus minimum rest and compensatory rest when breaks are missed.

Compliance essentials

This section keeps you safe and simple: the core rules to check before you publish a 4-on-4-off rota.

🇬🇧UK—working time and night work basics

Night workers must not exceed an average of 8 hours per 24 hours over the reference period (normally 17 weeks, extendable to 52 by agreement). Keep evidence of the averaging calculation and offer free health assessments for night workers. Maintain statutory rest: a 20-minute break if working over 6 hours, 11 hours daily rest, and 24 hours in 7 days (or 48 in 14) for weekly rest. If rest is missed for service continuity, grant compensatory rest as soon as possible. 

👉 Manager takeaway: A 12-hour night block can be lawful if the average stays within limits and rest is properly planned, recorded, and, if missed, paid back.

🇺🇸 US—high-impact state rules for 12-hour shifts

  • California (CA) — Provide a 30-min meal after >5 hours and a second 30-min meal after >10 hours (the second may be waived only if the shift is ≤12 hours and the first was not waived); paid 10-min rest for about each 4 hours. Penalties apply if you fail to provide these breaks.

  • Colorado (CO) — COMPS Order (2025) mandates meal and paid rest periods, with detailed guidance in INFO #1 and the 2025 poster/notice; confirm any local wage rules too.

  • Illinois (IL) — ODRISA requires 24 consecutive hours of rest in each 7-day period. Amendments effective 21 March 2025 add anti-retaliation protections and enforcement—factor this in when mandating extra shifts on a four-day run.

Payroll, premiums and overtime

This section answers the money questions so you can price 12-hour blocks correctly.

Night and weekend differentials (policy examples)

For a 4-on-4-off pattern, publish clear night and weekend premiums. In the UK, this is contractual policy; in the U.S., check state rules that affect when premiums interact with overtime and meal/rest penalties (e.g., CA premium penalties for missed breaks). Keep premiums separate on the payslip for transparency.

Overtime scenarios on 12s (weekly thresholds, swap effects, TOIL)

  • UK: Watch the 48-hour average week across 17 weeks and avoid excessive regular overtime that upsets WTR averaging. Use TOIL carefully so rest isn’t eroded. GOV.UK

  • US: Overtime is typically after 40 hours/week (federal baseline), but meal/rest premium pay (e.g., CA) can apply in addition to overtime. Ensure swap approvals don’t push staff into unintended OT.

Managing holiday and paid time off on irregular patterns

For rotating 12s, set holiday in hours rather than days to keep it fair across day/night blocks. In the UK, remember missed rest → compensatory rest; in IL, maintain the 24-hour rest day even when granting PTO swaps.

💡Shiftbase Time tracking calculates overtime, applies different pay rates (night/weekend differentials), and flags meal/rest exceptions so payroll can pay the right premium without manual spreadsheets

Implementation in 30 minutes (template + checklist)

Here's a practical path from idea to live rota—today.

Step 1–7 blueprint (from demand to pilot)

  1. Map demand by hour & skill for 4 weeks.
  2. Team math: 4 teams on 12s; add a buffer for leave, sickness, training.
  3. Compliance gates: UK WTR or CA/CO/IL rules; plan meal/rest, weekly rest. 
  4. Fatigue gates: cap consecutive nights, avoid quick returns, plan commute-safe finishes.
  5. Leave & absence: hold PTO in hours; pre-approve training days inside off blocks.
  6. Premiums & OT: model cost with night/weekend differentials and OT triggers.
  7. Pilot & review: run 8 weeks; track incidents, OT hours, absence, swap requests.

Staffing calculator example (four teams on 12s)

  • Coverage: 2 handovers/day, 168 hours/week total site coverage.

  • Minimum posts/shift × 2 (day/night) = base headcount per day.

  • Add 15–25% buffer for leave/sickness/training depending on sector.

Mini template (copy/paste)

Element Your input
Min posts per 12-hour shift (day/night)  
Skills per post (e.g., RN, FLT, Dispatcher)  
Teams (A–D) & start pattern  
Break plan (statutory + local)  
Premiums (night/weekend)  
OT trigger & TOIL rules  
Compliance checks passed (UK/US)  

 

Case studies & lessons learned (2023–2025)

Short, real-world stories you can copy, not just admire.

  • A community district nursing team piloted flexible shift patterns (including extended patterns) to improve attraction and retention. The pilot scaled to other teams after positive results and showed the value of clear governance and documenting pattern variations.

    👉 Lesson: pair 4-on-4-off with self-preferencing and a simple approval workflow to protect rest and coverage.

  • Police scheduling resources show 4-on-4-off 12s are practical for round-the-clock cover with two squads (day/night) over an 8-week rotation. Research on shift length in policing highlights trade-offs between 8-, 10- and 12-hour shifts; use objective metrics (calls for service, response times, fatigue indicators) when choosing.

    👉Lesson: pick the pattern that matches demand and safety risks, not preference alone. 

  • NHS and watchdog commentary in 2024–2025 repeatedly flag fatigue as a patient-safety risk, urging better rest facilities and rota design.

    👉 Lesson: treat fatigue controls (caps on consecutive nights, commute-safe finishes, planned breaks) as non-negotiables in any 12-hour rota. 

How Shiftbase makes a 4-on-4-off rota easy

Running a 4-on-4-off pattern is simpler when the rota, hours, and leave rules live in one place.

What you can do in minutes:

  • Build a reusable rota template with teams A–D in employee scheduling, rotate day/night blocks, and publish to the mobile app.

  • Configure paid/unpaid breaks, daily/weekly rest, and multiple pay rates; approve swap requests with rule checks before they go live.

  • Track actual hours, overtime, and differentials automatically in time tracking, including meal/rest exceptions for audit.

  • Manage PTO, sickness, and training days in absence management with approval flows and instant backfill using open shifts.

👉 Ready to test it on your rota? Start your free 14-day trial and set up a compliant 4-on-4-off schedule today.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes—if you respect Working Time rules. Night workers must not exceed an average of 8 hours per 24 hours over the reference period (usually 17 weeks, extendable to 52 by agreement), and you must offer free health assessments. Keep daily/weekly rest and compensatory rest intact. 

  • Use the 17-week average: long night shifts are offset by the off days in each 8-day cycle. Document the averaging calculation and keep it with the rota or time sheets. If someone works regular overtime at night, include it in the average.

  • Adults are entitled to one uninterrupted 20-minute break when working over 6 hours, 11 hours daily rest between shifts, and 24 hours weekly rest (or 48 hours per 14 days). If breaks/rest are missed for service continuity, provide compensatory rest as soon as possible.

  • As a rule of thumb, calculate minimum posts per shift × 2 (day and night), then add a 15–25% buffer for leave, sickness, training, and unplanned absence. Many teams run four squads (A–D) to cover rotating day/night blocks with predictable handovers.

  • Yes, if rest and averaging are preserved. In the UK, check the 11-hour daily rest and avoid quick returns; in CA, ensure meal/rest compliance still happens after the swap. Log swap approvals so you can evidence compliance if audited.

 
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Written by:

Rinaily Bonifacio

Rinaily is a renowned expert in the field of human resources with years of industry experience. With a passion for writing high-quality HR content, Rinaily brings a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities of the modern workplace. As an experienced HR professional and content writer, She has contributed to leading publications in the field of HR.

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