Managing staff shifts in industries that work round the clock can be a daunting task. Maintaining a balance between 24/7 staff availability and ensuring staff well-being is possible with a 4 on, 3 off schedule. In order to give workers time to recuperate from extended workdays, this shift pattern gives them three consecutive days off per week.
We have created a template for a 4-on, 3-off shift schedule in Excel at WordLayouts to assist you in creating this schedule. The template has user-friendly features that will help you easily create a shift schedule and maintain staff presence 24 hours a day and 7 days a week in your organization.
But that is not it. In addition to shift scheduling, this template also helps you calculate worker and team costs. You can have the total cost for each worker’s working hours and hourly wage, and if you assign workers to a team, it will auto-calculate the total team cost. This schedule usually requires a minimum of 6 workers or 6 teams. The template will give you cost estimates when assigning workers to the teams to have an overall labor cost estimate.
What is a 4 on, 3 off Shift Pattern?
A 4 on, 3 off shift refers to a work schedule where employees work in shifts for 4 consecutive days in a week, and then three consecutive days are dedicated to rest. The day is divided into three shifts: day, swing, and night, and the length of the shift varies between 8 and 12 hours.
Usually, we have weekends (Sat & Sun) off days for work, but not in this schedule. The goal here is to keep the shifts working 7 days a week. But in return, the workers get 3 days off instead of 2 days.
The shifts can be rotating, which means that an employee might work a morning shift on day 1 and then an evening shift on day 2 to avoid shift-related stress.
Since shift rotating can take a heavy toll on physical and mental well-being, having consecutive days for rest is beneficial for employees, promotes employee satisfaction, and improves the overall productivity of the workforce.
Example of a 4 on, 3 off Shift Roster
As an illustration, let us look at a fictional organization that needs to maintain 24/7 operations. The organization has six employees and has created the following roster for them.
Shift Schedule for 6 Employees:
| Day | Emma | Liam | Olivia | Ava | James | Noah |
| Monday | 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift | 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift |
| Tuesday | 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift | Off | Off | Off |
| Wednesday | 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift | Off | Off | Off |
| Thursday | 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift | Off | Off | Off |
| Friday | Off | Off | Off | 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift |
| Saturday | Off | Off | Off | 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift |
| Sunday | Off | Off | Off | 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift |
This example of a 4 on, 3 off shift schedule shows how all six employees work in rotating shifts for which each gets 3 consecutive days off. On Monday, two employees manage each shift as this is a busy day in the organization.
How to Use This Template
This template consists of three linked sheets. The main scheduling sheet, shift sheet, and employee sheet. We will walk you through each sheet and how you can use it for your shift management.
The Main Schedule Sheet
The Main Scheduling Sheet offers a structured layout to efficiently organize shifts within a 4 on, 3 off work schedule. At the top, you can write the Company Name and Start Date to determine the scheduling period. Next, you can indicate the shift timings, such as 7 AM to 5 PM for 1st shift, 5 PM to 1 AM for 2nd shift, and 1 AM to 7 AM for 3rd shift.
The table below these fields provides a three-week calendar for assigning shifts across cells. You can choose the employee names or teams from the dropdown, which we will discuss later in this guide. For supervisors, an Approval and Signature section at the bottom facilitates an organized review and verification process.
The date field is to enter a custom start date manually, and the sheet automatically updates all dates in the calendar.
Each cell in the Teams column includes a drop-down menu. By clicking on a cell, you can select a specific team from the drop-down list.
You can use the drop-down menus in each shift cell to assign specific shifts (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd) for each day. Shifts are color-coded for easy visual identification—simply select the shift type, and the corresponding color will highlight the cell.
Shift Sheet
This sheet is to set the shift timings for Start Time, End Time, Paid Hours, and Shift Type (1st, 2nd, or 3rd).
You can customize shift details to suit your scheduling needs. These changes will automatically reflect in the Main Sheet drop-down options.
Employee Sheet
The Employee Sheet in the 4 on 3 Off Schedule template is divided into Employee List and Team Alignment sections.
You can enter each employee’s name and their hourly rate manually in the Employee List. This foundational data powers other parts of the template.
The Team Alignment section organizes employees into six teams (Team 1 through Team 6) and allows you to assign specific employees to each team via drop-down menus. These drop-down menus pull data directly from the Employee Data Input section.
The Sum, Count, and Avg fields are designed to automatically update in real-time based on any changes made to the team composition.
When an employee is assigned to a team using the drop-down menu, their hourly rate is factored into the Sum (total hourly cost) for that team. If you increase the number of employees in a team, the Count row will adjust to reflect the new team size. Additionally, if you select a different employee with a different hourly rate, both the Sum and Avg (average hourly rate) rows will instantly update to show the new total cost and the average rate for that team.
Who Should Use This Schedule?
In a 4-on, 3-off shift, employees are assigned to work for four days straight, after which they enjoy three consecutive days off. It usually involves 6 teams and is commonly used in industries requiring continuous coverage, such as healthcare, manufacturing, public safety, and logistics. It enables organizations to maintain around-the-clock staffing while allowing employees more days off in a row, which can improve work-life balance and reduce burnout. Moreover, all teams are present on one designated day each week to handle busy days.
This customizable template will help you manage staff shifts and improve team management. It is available in multiple formats, like XLTX, XLSX, Google Sheets, and ODS. With drop-down menu selection and automation through linked sheets, you can organize the complex shift schedule of your team effortlessly while making sure that there is no staffing shortage. Use this template today to support your operational requirements and efficiently manage shift schedules.
