Pitman Schedule: How it Works, Pros, Cons & Best Practices

If your business needs more employee coverage, the Pitman schedule may be the solution. This flexible plan allows you to organize team members into shifts that can span just a few hours once or twice a week all the way up to and including 24 hours, seven days a week.

In this article, we discuss how the Pitman schedule works, the pros and cons of the process, and the best practices that can help make the system more successful.

What is the Pitman schedule?
How does the Pitman schedule work?
Pros and cons of the Pitman schedule
Best practices for implementing a Pitman schedule

What is the Pitman schedule?

The Pitman schedule is an organizational scheme that allows businesses to build shifts that will cover round-the-clock operational hours.

Within the schedule itself, four teams work two-week cycles of 12-hour days and 12-hour nights. In some cases, the schedule will stay the same month in and month out. In other cases, the schedule may rotate so that employees work different days and nights.

Variations of the Pitman schedule include DuPont, Panama, Panama Plus, 2-2-3, and DDNNOO.

How does the Pitman schedule work?

Fixed Pitman schedule

In the fixed Pitman schedule, two teams (or employees) will always work 12 hours on the day shift, while two other teams (or employees) will always work 12 hours on the night shift.

In order to achieve full coverage around the clock, teams work a rotation of two days on, two days off, three days on, and two days off (also known as a 2-2-3-2 schedule).

Here’s an example of how the fixed Pitman schedule fits into a two-week period:

Week One:

Team A works two 12-hour day shifts, has two days off, and works three 12-hour day shifts.
Team B works two 12-hour night shifts, has two days off, and works three 12-hour night shifts.
Team C has two days off, works two 12-hour day shifts (while Team A and Team B are off), and then has three days off.
Team D has two days off, works two 12-hour night shifts, and then has three days off.

Week Two:

Team A has two days off, works two 12-hour day shifts, and has three days off.
Team B has two days off, works two 12-hour night shifts, and has three days off.
Team C works two 12-hour day shifts, has two days off, and then works three 12-hour day shifts.
Team D works two 12-hour night shifts, has two days off, and then works three 12-hour night shifts.

After week two, the cycle starts over.

In that way, teams A and C (or individual employees) rotate through a 2-2-3-2 schedule where they always work the day shift, while teams B and D (or individual employees) do the same but always work the night shift.

Rotating Pitman schedule

In the rotating Pitman schedule, teams (or individuals) alternate working day shifts and night shifts according to the pattern (i.e., 2-2-3-2) started in the fixed Pitman schedule.

After the first two weeks, teams A and C move to the night shift and teams B and D move to the day shift.

Continuing from weeks one and two of the fixed Pitman schedule, here’s what the rotating Pitman schedule looks like:

Week Three:

Team A works two 12-hour night shifts, has two days off, and works three 12-hour night shifts.
Team B works two 12-hour day shifts, has two days off, and works three 12-hour day shifts.
Team C has two days off, works two 12-hour night shifts (while Team A and Team B are off), and then has three days off.
Team D has two days off, works two 12-hour day shifts, and then has three days off.

Week Four:

Team A has two days off, works two 12-hour night shifts, and has three days off.
Team B has two days off, works two 12-hour day shifts, and has three days off.
Team C works two 12-hour night shifts, has two days off, and then works three 12-hour night shifts.
Team D works two 12-hour day shifts, has two days off, and then works three 12-hour day shifts.

After week four, the teams switch again and the whole cycle starts over from week one.

Pros and cons of the Pitman schedule

Pro #1: Complete coverage

The Pitman schedule is an ideal way to achieve complete, round-the-clock coverage with the fewest amount of personnel possible.

Aside from having backups on hand (which is always a good idea), you could conceivably implement the Pitman with a minimum of four employees per major responsibility.

Pro #2: Predictability

The fixed version of the Pitman schedule offers predictable work hours to all employees. This allows them to plan their personal lives around their work shifts more effectively.

Pro #3: Reduced costs

Achieving complete coverage with as few personnel as possible can help you reduce the spending associated with one of the largest expenses your business may face: labor costs.

Con #1: Long shifts

One of the main cons of the Pitman schedule is the long shifts that employees have to work.

Being on the clock from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or whenever you set your start and stop times) can take its toll both mentally and physically and dramatically affect alertness and productivity.

When employees work 12-hour shifts, those long work days and non-standard work weeks can cause significant disruption to your employees’ social lives and family time.

Over time, the stress that comes with it can lead to feelings of displeasure with the job and even outright burnout.

Con #3: Less flexibility

By its very nature, the Pitman schedule has a fairly rigid structure.

That rigid structure doesn’t often work well when employees need to be flexible with their time on the clock in order to handle things like family obligations and medical appointments.

Aside from calling in sick or finding a substitute, there aren’t a lot of options when employees find conflicts in their schedules.

Best practices for implementing a Pitman schedule

1) Set effective start and end times

Many businesses set their Pitman schedule to start at 7 or 8 a.m. and end at 7 or 8 p.m. But, if that doesn’t work for you, you can choose the start and end times that make the most sense for your team.

2) Use scheduling software to keep things organized

Creating a Pitman schedule can be incredibly time-consuming, but you can simplify the process with the right scheduling software.

Such software can provide automation, drag-and-drop capabilities, and templates that can make everything easier and more convenient.

3) Offer guidance on how to work the Pitman schedule

Working a Pitman schedule — both fixed and rotating — can be demanding, to say the least. You can help your team adapt by providing guidance about nutrition, hydration, sleep, breaks, and anything else that you think they should know.

This may even go as deep as advice on minimizing caffeine and sugar while they’re on the clock and after they leave work.

Scheduling made easy

The Pitman schedule is an effective way to ensure that your business has coverage for hours up to and including 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But, it’s not the only option out there. In fact, the perfect option for your team may be a combination of several different schedule types like 4/10, on-call, and flex.

Regardless of the system you choose, the Sling software can help you organize and manage everything from the simplest schedule to the most complex for one employee or 100 (or more).

Sling includes tools for everything you’ll need to optimize your team, including:

Scheduling
Time clock (both mobile and single-point-of-entry options)
Task management
Communication
Labor cost control
Employee document organization
And more

Whatever business you’re in and whatever type of timetable you use — be it the Pitman schedule or not — Sling can save you time, improve efficiency, and help your team work better.

To find out more about how these powerful scheduling, timekeeping, and task management features can transform your organization, visit GetSling.com today.

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This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for specific advice.

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