Panama Schedule
Free Panama schedule builder: lay out a 2-2-3 rotation for four crews, check 24/7 coverage and weekly hours, then print it or download it as a spreadsheet.October 10, 2026
6 min read
Scheduling
Definition
A Panama schedule is a 12-hour rotating schedule in which four crews work a 2-2-3 pattern (2 days on, 2 off, 3 on, then 2 off, 2 on, 3 off) over a 14-day cycle. Two crews cover days and two cover nights, giving round-the-clock coverage with no one working more than 3 days in a row and every other weekend off.
The Panama schedule is a common way to staff a job that never closes. Plants, warehouses, hospitals, security posts and call centers use it because it covers 168 hours a week with four crews and gives everyone a three-day weekend every two weeks. It is also called the Panama shift schedule or the 2-2-3 schedule, and often the Pitman schedule.
Panama schedule builder
Pick a pattern and a start date, and the builder lays out 28 days for four crews. It checks that every day has one day crew and one night crew, totals each crew's hours by week, and flags any week over 40 hours. Print it, download it as a spreadsheet, or copy a link that brings the same schedule back. Use it as a free Panama schedule template; nothing you type is stored.
Weeks are counted from the first day you pick. Overtime is set by the payroll workweek, so if yours starts on a different day the weekly hours shift. Check the cost with the 12-hour shift overtime calculator.
How does a Panama schedule work?
Each crew works 7 of every 14 days, in blocks of 2 or 3, on 12-hour jobs. Crews A and B share the day jobs and work opposite days, so one of them is always on. Crews C and D do the same on nights. Here is one 14-day cycle:
| Crew | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew A | D | D | – | – | D | D | D | – | – | D | D | – | – | – |
| Crew B | – | – | D | D | – | – | – | D | D | – | – | D | D | D |
| Crew C | N | N | – | – | N | N | N | – | – | N | N | – | – | – |
| Crew D | – | – | N | N | – | – | – | N | N | – | – | N | N | N |
D = day, N = night, – = off. In the rotating Panama version, the day and night crews swap after day 14; in the fixed (Pitman) version they keep the same hours.
Panama vs Pitman vs DuPont: what is the difference?
Panama and Pitman share the same 2-2-3 days; they differ only in whether crews rotate between days and nights. The names are used loosely, so confirm which one a client means before you staff it.
| Schedule | Pattern | Days and nights | Longest run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panama | 2-2-3 over 14 days | Crews rotate between days and nights | 3 days |
| Pitman | 2-2-3 over 14 days | Crews stay on days or on nights | 3 days |
| DuPont | 4 nights, 3 off, 3 days, 1 off, 3 nights, 3 off, 4 days, 7 off | Rotating, 28-day cycle | 4 days, then a 7-day break |
| 4 on, 4 off | 4 on, 4 off over 8 days | Usually fixed days or nights | 4 days |
All four average 42 hours a week per person with four crews on 12-hour jobs.
How many hours do you work on a Panama schedule?
A Panama schedule averages 42 hours a week per person, or 84 hours every two weeks. Round-the-clock coverage needs 168 hours per post each week, and four crews share it. The weeks themselves are uneven: depending on the day the payroll week starts, a crew works 60 hours one week and 24 the next, or 48 and 36.
That is why the same rotation can cost very different amounts in overtime. Federal overtime is counted one workweek at a time, so a 60-hour week carries 20 overtime hours even though the two-week total is only 84. Run your own numbers in the 12-hour shift overtime calculator, and see shift differential for how night premiums feed into the overtime rate.
What are the pros and cons of a Panama schedule?
- Every other weekend off. When the cycle starts on a Monday, the 3-day block off falls on Friday to Sunday every two weeks, which helps retention.
- Short runs. No one works more than 3 days in a row, which limits fatigue on 12-hour jobs.
- Simple coverage. Exactly one crew on days and one on nights, every day of the year.
- Uneven paychecks. Hours swing from week to week, and so does overtime.
- Day-night swaps. In the rotating version, crews switch to nights every two weeks, which is hard on sleep.
- Gaps are 12 hours long. A single call-off leaves a 12-hour hole. See shift coverage and backfill.
How do staffing agencies staff a Panama rotation?
An agency staffs a Panama rotation by building it once and then keeping every slot filled as people come and go. In NextCrew, jobs can be cloned or set to recur so each crew's pattern repeats, and a job schedule lets one person work only certain days and hours inside a longer job while staying bookable on their days off. Pay and bill rates, including night differentials and overtime, are set by client, position and job, and approved timesheets flow to payroll and invoicing. See scheduling and job management, or compare other patterns in the 12-hour shift schedule templates.
Frequently asked questions
Related terms
- Swing shift: the evening shift, and rotations that swing between days and nights.
- Shift differential: extra pay for night hours, which counts toward overtime.
- Shift coverage: keeping every 12-hour post filled.
- Double time pay: premium pay some states require on long days.