What is a rotating shift schedule?

A rotating shift schedule is a work pattern that cycles through different shifts — days, evenings, and nights — on a repeating basis. Common rotating schedules include 2-2-3 (Panama), 4-on-4-off, DuPont (28-day), and Pitman (2-3-2). Workers on rotating schedules repeat the same sequence of shifts and days off over a fixed cycle length.

What app is best for tracking a rotating shift schedule?

ShiftFlowr is designed specifically for rotating shift workers. It includes presets for the most common rotating schedules — 2-2-3, 4-on-4-off, DuPont, Pitman, and more — so you set your pattern once and the app fills your calendar automatically for as many months as you need.

How does ShiftFlowr handle rotating shift schedules?

Choose your rotating schedule from the pattern library (or build your own), enter your anchor date, set your shift times, and preview the full cycle before applying. ShiftFlowr fills months ahead automatically and never overwrites shifts you've already entered manually.

Does ShiftFlowr work for 12-hour rotating shifts?

Yes. ShiftFlowr is built for 12-hour shift workers. You can set custom start and end times for each shift type, and the pay calculator handles 12-hour shifts with night differential, weekend differential, overtime at 1.5x, and unpaid break deductions.

Rotating shift schedule app

Build your rotating schedule once.
Fill months in seconds.

ShiftFlowr is built for workers on rotating shift schedules. Pick your pattern — 2-2-3, 4-on-4-off, DuPont, Pitman, or build your own — set your anchor date, and the app fills your calendar automatically.

Get it on Google Play See all schedules

Free on Android · Early access

What is it?

Stop re-entering your schedule every month

Most shift workers on rotating schedules spend time at the start of every month re-entering the same pattern into a calendar app. ShiftFlowr fixes that. You define your schedule once — the exact sequence of day shifts, night shifts, and days off — and the app applies it across as many months as you need.

It works for any repeating cycle: 8 days, 14 days, 21 days, 28 days. If your schedule repeats on a fixed cycle, ShiftFlowr can fill it automatically.

🔄 11 built-in patterns

The most common rotating schedules are already loaded. Pick one, set your anchor date, preview the cycle, and apply.

🛠️ Build your own

If your schedule isn't one of the 11 presets, use the custom pattern builder to define your exact day-by-day sequence.

📅 Never overwrites your shifts

ShiftFlowr checks every date before applying. Days you've already entered manually are always preserved.

💰 Pay calculator included

Enter your base pay, night differential, and weekend differential. ShiftFlowr estimates your take-home based on the actual shifts in your calendar.

Common rotating schedules compared

Which rotating schedule do you work?

Schedule	Cycle length	Avg hours/week	Industries
4-on-4-off	8 days	42 hrs	Healthcare, security, manufacturing
Panama (2-2-3)	14-day cycle / 56-day rotating option	42 hrs	Emergency services, nursing, factories
Pitman (2-3-2)	14-day fixed / 28-day rotating	42 hrs	Law enforcement, manufacturing, utilities
DuPont	28 days	42 hrs	Chemical plants, oil refineries, power
Continental	8 days	42 hrs	Manufacturing, utilities, transport
7-on-7-off	14 days	42 hrs	Remote sites, offshore, travel nursing

All of the above are supported in ShiftFlowr. Average hours assume 12-hour shifts.

How it works

Set it up once. Done for months.

Pick your schedule

Choose from the 11 built-in rotating schedules or build your own pattern from scratch.

Set your anchor date

Tell ShiftFlowr which date your current cycle started. It calculates your position in the rotation automatically.

Preview the cycle

See every shift and day off laid out day-by-day before you commit. Confirm it matches your actual schedule.

Apply to your months

Pick which months to fill. ShiftFlowr applies the pattern — skipping any days you've already entered.

See it done

Any rotating schedule, set up in the app — about 20 seconds

ShiftFlowr pattern library showing the 11 built-in rotating schedule presets — **1 · Pick your pattern.** 11 rotating schedules built in — or build your own, day by day.

Configuring a rotating pattern with shift type, times, anchor date and cycle preview — **2 · Set your anchor.** Tell it when your cycle started and preview every day before committing.

A month view filled by an applied rotating pattern — **3 · Apply.** The month fills itself — existing shifts are never overwritten, and every shift gets its reminders and wake-up alarm automatically.

That's the whole job — next month is one tap. And the alarm rings through silent mode until you're up, so the rota you built actually gets you to work.

Common questions

Rotating shift schedule FAQ

What is a rotating shift schedule?: A rotating shift schedule is a work pattern that cycles through different shifts — days, evenings, and nights — on a repeating basis. Common examples include 2-2-3 (Panama), 4-on-4-off, DuPont, and Pitman. Workers on rotating schedules repeat the same sequence of shifts and days off over a fixed cycle.
How many hours per week is a rotating shift?: Most 12-hour rotating schedules average 42 hours per week, regardless of the specific pattern. The cycle length varies (8, 14, or 28 days) but the total work hours even out over time. ShiftFlowr's pay calculator works out your exact take-home based on the shifts in your calendar.
What's the best app for a rotating shift schedule?: ShiftFlowr is purpose-built for rotating shift workers. Unlike generic calendar apps that make you enter every shift by hand, ShiftFlowr understands repeating patterns — you define the cycle once and it fills months automatically. It's free on Android with a Early access.
Can ShiftFlowr handle night differentials and weekend pay?: Yes. The pay calculator lets you set your base hourly rate and add multipliers for night shifts, weekends, and holidays. ShiftFlowr then calculates your estimated gross and net pay based on the actual shifts in your calendar for each month.
Does it work for 8-hour rotating shifts as well as 12-hour?: Yes. You set your own shift start and end times. ShiftFlowr works for any shift length — 8-hour, 10-hour, 12-hour, or anything in between.

Build your rotating schedule once.
Fill months in seconds.