Law Enforcement & Industrial Preset
Related: 14-Day Pitman Schedule →Panama Shift Schedule Generator
Generate and customize the complete 28-day Panama shift rotation (2-2-3 pattern with alternating day/night cycles). Preview 12-month squad schedules and export directly to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, or CSV.
Cycle Duration
28 Days
4 Repeating Weeks
Shift Length
12 Hours
14 Day / 14 Night flips
Weekend Off
Every 2 Weeks
Full 3-Day Weekend (Fri–Sun)
Average Workweek
42 Hours
36h / 48h alternating
Configure schedule
Set the first day, date range, and labels for this pattern.
Upcoming events
The first 20 generated rows are shown here before export.
| Date | Label | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-11 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-12 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-15 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-16 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-17 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-20 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-21 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-25 | Night Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-26 | Night Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-29 | Night Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-30 | Night Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-05-31 | Night Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-06-03 | Night Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-06-04 | Night Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-06-08 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-06-09 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-06-12 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-06-13 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-06-14 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
| 2026-06-17 | Day Shift (12h) | Work |
1. How the 28-Day Panama Schedule Operates
The Panama shift schedule is a modified implementation of the Pitman schedule designed for 24/7 continuous operations where all staff members share night shift duties. Rather than locking employees into permanent day or night squads, the Panama schedule flips squads between day shifts (07:00 to 19:00) and night shifts (19:00 to 07:00) every 14 days.
Throughout the entire 28 days, workers adhere strictly to the balanced 2-2-3 rhythm:
| Rotation Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (Day) | 12h D | 12h D | OFF | OFF | 12h D | 12h D | 12h D | 60h |
| Week 2 (Day) | OFF | OFF | 12h D | 12h D | OFF | OFF | OFF | 24h |
| Week 3 (Night) | 12h N | 12h N | OFF | OFF | 12h N | 12h N | 12h N | 60h |
| Week 4 (Night) | OFF | OFF | 12h N | 12h N | OFF | OFF | OFF | 24h |
| Total 28-Day Cycle (14 Shifts × 12h): | 168 hrs | |||||||
2. Key Advantages for First Responders & Manufacturing
26 Three-Day Weekends
Workers enjoy a full 3-day weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) off every other week, making it easier to plan personal milestones, child care, and family travel.
Max 3 Consecutive Shifts
Unlike 4-on-4-off or 5-day schedules, staff never work more than 3 consecutive 12-hour days, preventing catastrophic cumulative fatigue in high-stress roles.
Fair Night Shift Rotation
Night shifts are shared equally between senior and junior personnel, reducing resentment and spreading nocturnal sleep disruption evenly across the workforce.
3. Overtime Pay & FLSA Compliance for 12-Hour Rotations
Under the US Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked exceeding 40 hours in a 7-day statutory workweek. Because the Panama schedule produces alternating weeks of 60 hours and 24 hours:
- Standard 40-Hour Workweek: In Week 1 (and Week 3), employees work 5 shifts (60 hours), earning 40 hours of straight-time pay and 20 hours of overtime (1.5× the regular rate). In Week 2 (and Week 4), they work 24 hours of straight time.
- Law Enforcement 7(k) Exemption: Under FLSA Section 7(k) (29 U.S.C. § 207(k)), law enforcement agencies can adopt a 14-day or 28-day statutory work period. Over 14 days, overtime is triggered only beyond 86 hours (or 171 hours over 28 days), significantly leveling employer overtime liability.
- Circadian Transitions: The 3 consecutive days off between Week 2 and Week 3 (Friday through Sunday) provide the necessary temporal buffer for workers to adapt their sleep-wake cycles before entering nocturnal duties.