Shifty

Southern Swing Schedule Calendar & Generator

Four crews on rotating 8-hour shifts over 28 days: 7 days, 2 off, 7 evenings, 2 off, 7 nights, 3 off.

Also called: 8 hour rotating schedule, swing shift rotation.

Shift length
8 h
Avg hours / week
42
Weekends off / year
13
Longest stretch on
7 shifts
Longest break
3 days
Cycle length
28 days

Southern swing schedule generator

The cycle start date is any date that was Day 1 of the rotation in the crew table above. Not sure? Pick a recent date you started a run of shifts, then switch crews until the calendar matches what you actually worked.

Keep it synced on your phone

The .ics download is a one-time copy. Calendar sync gives you a live calendar link for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook that rolls forward on its own, and you can change crew or schedule any time without re-importing.

Coming soon

How the Southern swing schedule works

The southern swing is a classic 8-hour rotating schedule for 24/7 operations. Four crews rotate through day, evening and night shifts every week.

Over 28 days a crew works 7 day shifts, has 2 off, works 7 evening shifts, has 2 off, works 7 night shifts, then has 3 off.

Four crews are staggered by one week, so every day has one crew on days, one on evenings, one on nights, and one off.

Southern Swing Schedule crew rotation, day by day

Each row is one crew over one full 28-day cycle. Read down a column to see who is working on that day.

Day12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728
Crew ADDDDDDD––EEEEEEE––NNNNNNN–––
Crew B––EEEEEEE––NNNNNNN–––DDDDDDD
Crew CEE––NNNNNNN–––DDDDDDD––EEEEE
Crew DNNNN–––DDDDDDD––EEEEEEE––NNN

Who uses it

Trade-offs

Southern Swing Schedule FAQ

How many hours a week is a Southern Swing schedule?

42 hours a week on average. That is about 274 8-hour shifts a year, though individual weeks vary.

How many weekends off do you get on a Southern Swing schedule?

About 13 full weekends (Saturday and Sunday) off a year per crew. Use the generator to see exactly which ones for your crew.

How long is the Southern Swing rotation?

The cycle repeats every 28 days. The longest run of shifts is 7 in a row and the longest break is 3 days off in a row.

Why is it called a swing schedule?

Because crews “swing” through day, evening and night shifts. The southern swing rotates weekly, moving forward from days to evenings to nights.

Can I print a Southern Swing calendar or add it to my phone?

Yes. Pick your crew and cycle start date in the generator, then use “Print calendar” for a 12-month printable calendar or “Download .ics” to import your shifts into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. It's free and needs no account.