Shift planning can be a complex art. Get it right, and your business can boost productivity and staff retention. But most companies try a few schedules before finding the ideal timetable. What's the best shift pattern for your business? Since our blog post on popular types of shift pattern, WhosOffice has seen more companies trialling 4 on 4 off schedules. Why is the 4 on 4 off shift pattern so attractive? And how can you introduce a 4 on 4 of schedule without disrupting workflow? Let’s take a deeper dive... 4 on 4 off is a regular repeating shift pattern. Staff work four consecutive daily shifts, followed by four days off. The week becomes eight days long rather than seven days. Usually, 4 on 4 off is a rolling schedule. This means the schedule doesn’t take weekends or public holidays into account. The shift pattern repeats every eight weeks. While there’s no extra time off for weekends, employers can choose to change the start time of each shift block. For example, someone doing 4 on 4 off might have a block of night shifts starting at 9pm. Then, after their four-day break, they have a block of day shifts. There are many use cases for the 4 on 4 off schedule. But it’s often best suited to organisations that need 24/7 staffing, such as: There are many reasons why 4 on 4 off shifts are growing in popularity. They benefit employers and employees in several ways, including: The regularity of a 4 on 4 off schedule is attractive to professionals with young children. Finding childcare can be difficult if your schedule is always changing. Especially if it changes at short notice. With 4 on 4 off, employees can see exactly which days their childcare provider will need to cover. Another great benefit of a 4 on 4 off shift plan is its simplicity. You’re not trying to juggle several shift patterns to schedule the right number of staff each day. As a result, you don’t need a complex staff roster template to introduce 4 on 4 off shifts. However, adding shifts takes time if you’re planning staff rosters on spreadsheets. There’s also room for human error – which can still happen with repeating schedules. The 4 on 4 off shift pattern is popular because it’s easy to understand and gives people a good work/life balance. But you don’t want to cause stress setting it up. The quickest way to move to a 4 on 4 off schedule is by using shift planning software. WhosOffice includes a shift pattern generator, so you can create schedules in minutes. A shift pattern planner makes it easier to experiment with new rosters. For example, you could trial the 4 on 4 off schedule with one department and gather their feedback. If it works, you can roll it out across your organisation. If it doesn’t, you can switch back to your previous shift pattern. Are you ready to experiment with the 4 on 4 off shift pattern? Start your free WhosOffice trial to use our online shift pattern generator. Select the pattern you want from our staff roster templates, which include 4 on 4 off. WhosOffice offers a longer free trial than most shift planning software. Sign up today and you’ll get the rest of this month plus next month free! Try WhosOffice for free before you sign up – no credit card required We offer telephone and email support to our customers, at no extra cost Cancel when you like with just 30 days’ notice We don’t believe in add-on charges or set-up fees Book your Free WhosOffice TrialWhat is a 4 on 4 off shift pattern?
What industries suit 4 on 4 off shifts?
What are the benefits of a 4 on 4 off shift plan?
Do you need a template for 4 on 4 off shifts?
FREE TRIAL
EXPERT SUPPORT
NO CONTRACTS
NO HIDDEN COSTS
View all blog articles
Share this article
Posted by Tony Bushell
on Wednesday, 25th Jan 2023
Key features
Check out all of the features that will help you manage your workforce
Shift planning / Work schedules Leave management Overtime Users Groups Dedicated support Mobile apps Integrations
View all features
For planners
Quickly plan shifts to manage workloads in a matter of clicks, based on skills or demands
Read more... For team leaders & managers
Leave and absence management from anywhere for visibility of your team
Read more... For employees & staff members
See how our mobile apps will keep your staff informed of work changes and their team's leave
Read more...
About us
See how WhosOffice has been developed since it's inception, find out about the team and see the accreditations we're proud to be apart of.
About us Careers at WhosOffice Security & technical
Information security is at the core of what we do, find answers to any questions on security here
Product road map
See the vision and ideas we're working on (or not) to provide our customers with even more tools to manage their workforce
View our road map Contact us
Got a question? Fill in our online form, or simply lookup our pigeon mail address and contact details
Contact our support team
Blog
From service updates, new releases, upcoming features and more, see what we've been up to.
View blog articles Tools
Some helpful tools in setting up and running your business.
Holiday / Leave Calculator Public Holiday Lookup Shift Pattern Generator Help & support
If you need any assistance with your account, we have an extensive range of knowledgebase articles and frequently answered questions available
Knowledgebase FAQs
Clients
See which companies trust WhosOffice for their workforce management
Read case studies Which clients use WhosOffice Customer industries
No matter which industry your company operates in, you will face the issue of workforce management
Charities Energy Healthcare Education Retail
View all industries