4 on 4 off calculator
Four days on, four days off. Set the date of your first shift and get the pattern for any month: working days, total hours, night hours and pay. Free, no sign-up.
Rota settings
Working shifts
16
per month
Total hours
192 h
192 day, 0 night
Night hours
0 h
within the night window
Weekend hours
36 h
Saturday and Sunday
Base pay, £
£2,496
hours × rate
Premiums, £
£0
night + weekend
Estimated total pay
£2,496
Shift calendar
Working days on 4 on 4 off in the selected month
How the 4 on 4 off pattern works
You work four days, then take four days off, and the cycle repeats every eight days. Because eight does not divide into seven, the pattern drifts across the week: your days off land on different weekdays every cycle, and no two months look the same. That is exactly why it is hard to work out in your head, and why this page exists.
The cycle is anchored to one date: the first day of a block of four. Set that date above and the calendar below shows every shift for the month you picked.
How many hours does 4 on 4 off give you
Over a full eight-day cycle you work four shifts. On 12-hour shifts that is 48 hours per cycle, which averages out at 42 hours per week (48 divided by 8, times 7). Across a year that comes to roughly 2,190 hours, or about 182 shifts.
Any single month can land above or below that average, depending on where your rest days fall. The month you are looking at is calculated exactly, not averaged.
Weekends on a 4 on 4 off rota
The pattern ignores weekends completely, so you lose some and keep others. Over a full cycle you work roughly half of all Saturdays and Sundays. The calendar above marks weekend shifts, so you can see which ones this month takes from you before you plan anything.
Where the pattern is used
It suits anything that has to be covered around the clock with two teams: manufacturing lines, warehouses, security, control rooms and HGV work. Two crews on days and two on nights cover 24 hours with no gaps, which is why it is common in UK industry.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours a week is 4 on 4 off?+
On 12-hour shifts it averages 42 hours a week. You work 48 hours inside each eight-day cycle, which spreads to 42 over a seven-day week. On 8-hour shifts the same pattern averages 28 hours.
How many days a year do you work on 4 on 4 off?+
About 182 shifts a year: 365 days divided by the eight-day cycle gives roughly 45.6 cycles, and you work four days in each.
Does 4 on 4 off break the 48-hour week?+
Normally no. The Working Time Regulations cap the average at 48 hours a week measured over a 17-week reference period, and 12-hour shifts on this pattern average 42. Overtime on top can push you over the cap, which is when an opt-out or a rota change comes into it.
How much holiday do you get on 4 on 4 off?+
Statutory holiday in the UK is 5.6 weeks. On a fixed 4 on 4 off pattern that is usually taken as shifts rather than days: 5.6 times your average shifts per week. If your hours are irregular or you are on a zero-hours contract, holiday is instead accrued at 12.07% of the hours you actually work. Check the current rules on gov.uk, and your contract, before you count on a number.
Do you get paid extra for night shifts on 4 on 4 off?+
Only if your contract says so. UK law sets no night premium, which is why this calculator starts at zero. Many employers do pay an unsocial hours uplift; put your own percentage in the form and the night hours will be priced with it.
What is a continental shift pattern, and is it the same thing?+
Not the same, though the two get mixed up. Continental usually means a faster rotation with a mix of block lengths, such as 2-2-4 or 2-2-2-4. 4 on 4 off keeps every block the same length, which makes it far easier to remember and to plan around.
For managers: run the rota, not the maths
Build next week in the browser: add the team, click the grid, download it. No sign-up.
Start, finish and break per day: hours for the week, overtime and pay at your rate.
One rota the whole team sees on their phones, with swaps and hours handled for you.
A weekly rota, a monthly rota and a timesheet for Excel. The hours add themselves up.
The rota you published becomes the timesheet: hours per person, ready for payroll.