Shift Calendar Maker
Pick a rotation and your crew to get a month-by-month shift calendar, with the hours, overtime and pay it gives under the rules you choose.
Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
How to use the Shift Calendar
- Choose your pattern in Schedule, such as DuPont or Pitman.
- Pick your crew in Crew. The calendar shows one crew at a time.
- Set Crew A starts the cycle on to the first day of the rotation for crew A. The other crews follow the same cycle, delayed by a fixed number of days.
- Don’t know your crew? Use Find my crew with a shift and a date to find which crew works that shift.
- Check Shift times and breaks for each shift type. Set the start, end and unpaid break, and the hours and pay update from these times.
- Set First month and Months to show to choose the period you want to see.
- Enter your Hourly rate and pick a rule pack in What sets your overtime? The result card then shows paid hours, shifts worked, overtime and estimated gross pay.
- Tap any day to record what really happened. On a work day you can mark sick, vacation, off or swapped shift. On a day off you can mark a picked-up shift.
- Use Download calendar (.ics), Download CSV or Print to save or share your schedule.
Your marks are stored only in this browser, so use Clear my marks to remove them. Print produces the calendar without the form. Public holidays are underlined in the calendar.
How to create a shift schedule?
Start by choosing a pattern that fits how your employer runs its rotation, then anchor it to a real date. The start date for crew A is the key input, because every other crew is the same cycle shifted by a fixed number of days. Once the pattern and anchor are set, the calendar repeats that cycle for as many months as you show.
How do rotating shift schedules work?
A rotating schedule repeats the same cycle of work days and days off, so each crew moves through the pattern in turn. Cycle lengths in this tool range from 3 days to 28 days. The table shows the figures for several patterns, with the cycle length, days worked per crew per cycle and longest run of work days.
| Pattern | Cycle length | Days worked per crew | Longest run on / off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 on 48 off | 3 days | 1 of 3 | 1 on, 2 off |
| 4/10 | 7 days | 4 of 7 | 4 on, 3 off |
| 4 on 4 off | 8 days | 4 of 8 | 4 on, 4 off |
| Pitman 2-2-3 | 14 days | 7 of 14 | 3 on, 3 off |
| 7 on 7 off | 14 days | 7 of 14 | 7 on, 7 off |
| DuPont | 28 days | 14 of 28 | 4 on, 7 off |
How do I add my shift schedule to Google Calendar?
- Set your pattern, crew and start date in the tool.
- Click Download calendar (.ics). The file has one event per worked shift, in local clock time with no time zone attached, so a night shift on a clock-change date still shows 19:00 to 07:00.
- In Google Calendar, open Settings, choose Import & export, and import the .ics file.
How does the overtime estimate change with the rule pack?
The result card applies the rule pack you choose, and overtime is counted over whole workweeks around the months shown. For one example, DuPont crew A from 1 Nov 2026 for four weeks to 28 Nov, at $30 an hour, gives 14 shifts and 168 paid hours.
| Rule pack | Overtime | Estimated gross pay |
|---|---|---|
| United States: FLSA standard workweek (40 h) | 48 h at 1.5x | $5760.00 |
| FLSA 7(k) fire (212 h in 28 days) | None | $5040.00 |
Every pay result is an estimate under the rule pack you pick. Contracts and union agreements can differ, and this is not legal or payroll advice.
More questions
Does the calendar show public holidays?
Yes. US federal public holidays are underlined in the calendar, so you can spot them in your rotation.
Does this calculate overtime pay?
It estimates overtime and gross pay using the rule pack you choose from What sets your overtime? Results are estimates, and contracts or union agreements can differ. A picked-up shift counts as a normal shift toward the weekly or period threshold, except under the California 10-hour alternative workweek pack, where a day outside the adopted schedule pays the first 8 hours at 1.5x and hours over 8 at 2x. For a contract or union rule, use the Overtime Calculator, which has a custom rule editor.
Can I export my shifts to Apple or Outlook calendars?
Yes. Download calendar (.ics) creates a file with one event per worked shift for Google, Apple or Outlook calendars. Download CSV gives you shifts with paid, regular and overtime hours and pay.
Does the tool show 24/7 coverage?
Yes, for some patterns. The coverage line shows whether shift times leave a gap or overlap, and the pattern table shows whether a pattern covers every hour with one crew at a time.
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
The calendar repeats the rotation from your crew’s start date and counts every shift minute by minute. Overtime and pay are worked out over whole workweeks (or the 7(k) and 7(j) work periods) under the rule pack you pick, following the official texts below. Results are estimates, not legal or payroll advice.
Sources
- 29 U.S.C. § 207 (FLSA § 7): overtime after 40 hours a week; § 7(j) hospitals (8 and 80); § 7(k) fire and police work periods (U.S. Code, 2023 Edition) · checked
- 29 CFR Part 778: overtime compensation (regular rate, workweek) (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 CFR § 778.105: the workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 CFR § 778.207(b): shift differentials are part of the regular rate (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- California Labor Code § 510: daily overtime over 8 hours, double time over 12, seventh day (as amended by Stats. 1999, ch. 134, effective 2000-01-01) · checked
- California Labor Code § 500: workday, workweek and alternative workweek schedule defined (added by Stats. 1999, ch. 134, effective 2000-01-01) · checked
- IWC Wage Order 5 (public housekeeping incl. health care), section 3(B)(8): 12-hour health care alternative workweek (effective 2002-07-01 as amended; sections 4(A) and 10(C) republished effective 2019-01-01) · checked
- California Labor Code § 511: alternative workweek schedules (up to 10-hour days without overtime) (as amended by Stats. 2012, ch. 46 (SB 1038), effective 2012-06-27) · checked
- IWC Wage Order 4 (professional, technical, clerical), section 3(B): alternative workweek schedules (effective 2002-01-01 as amended; sections 4(A) and 10(C) republished effective 2019-01-01) · checked
- 29 CFR § 553.230: maximum hours table, 212 h fire / 171 h police per 28 days and shorter periods (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 CFR § 553.224: the 7(k) work period (7 to 28 consecutive days) (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 CFR § 553.222: sleep time, excludable only on tours of duty of more than 24 hours (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 U.S.C. § 213(b)(20) (FLSA § 13(b)(20)): fire and police agencies with fewer than 5 such employees (U.S. Code, 2023 Edition) · checked
- 29 CFR § 778.601: hospitals and residential care, 14-day period (8 and 80) (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: federal holidays (5 U.S.C. § 6103) · checked
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #23: overtime pay requirements of the FLSA (Revised October 2019) · checked
- California DLSE: overtime FAQ · checked
- California DLSE: overtime exceptions FAQ (alternative workweeks) · checked
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #8: law enforcement and fire protection employees (Revised March 2011) · checked
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #54: health care industry and overtime (8 and 80) (Revised July 2009) · checked
Frequently asked questions
What is a 4 on 4 off schedule?
Four shifts, four rest days, repeat. With four crews, two cover days and two cover nights, each working four 12-hour shifts before four days off. Each crew works 4 of 8 days, and 38% of weekends are fully off.
What is a DuPont shift schedule?
DuPont repeats every 28 days, uses four crews and 12-hour shifts. Each crew works 14 of 28 days, with a longest run of 4 days on and 7 off. It covers every hour with one crew at a time under the default shift times.
What is a Pitman shift schedule?
Pitman repeats every 14 days; in this tool two crews stay on days and two on nights. Each crew works 7 of 14 days, with a longest run of 3 days on and 3 off. It follows the 2-2-3 rhythm of work and rest blocks.
What is a shift calendar and how do I make one?
It is your rotation drawn onto real dates, so each day shows a day shift, a night shift or rest. To make one here, pick your pattern, set the crew start date and shift times, then view the month calendars. You can print it or download it.
Is this shift schedule generator really free?
Yes, it is a free, browser-based tool. Marks you record are stored only in your browser, so they stay on your device.
What is the best free shift calendar app?
No single app is best for everyone, so compare on what matters to you. This tool is free to use and covers rotating patterns, crew switching, marks for sick days and swaps, and calendar exports. Check that any app you choose exports the format your phone or calendar needs.
What is the healthiest shift work schedule?
The tool does not rank patterns for health. It shows figures you can compare, such as longest run of work days, share of weekends fully off and average paid hours per week. Those numbers can help you judge the trade-offs yourself.
Why use this shift schedule maker and shift planner?
It puts your rotating schedule, your recorded changes and your pay estimate in one place. You can see the crew calendar, log sick days or swaps, and export the results to a calendar or spreadsheet.
Related tools
- DuPont Schedule Calendar: use it when you work a 28-day rotation with 12-hour shifts.
- Pitman Schedule Calendar: use it for a 14-day pattern with fixed days and nights.
- 4 On 4 Off Schedule Calendar: use it for an 8-day pattern of four shifts on and four off.
- 12 Hour Shift Schedule Comparison: use it to compare 12-hour patterns side by side.
- Overtime Calculator for Shift Workers: use it to check overtime figures outside the calendar.
- Timesheet Calculator: use it to total hours from start and end times.
- How Many Work Hours in a Year: use it to see annual hours for a schedule.
- 24/48 Schedule Calendar: use it for a 3-day cycle with 24-hour shifts.