The Pitman Schedule

We get a fair amount of emails asking about the Pitman Schedule, so we decided to put up a permanent page that will outline the basic tenets of the schedule.

The Pitman Schedule is the most commonly used 12-hour schedule in law enforcement today, and it is becoming more frequently used in the private sector as well.

It utilizes two 12-hour shifts and is designed for organizations that require around-the-clock labor.  Many employers have the shifts run from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. back to 7:00 a.m., but it can be run from any hour of the day.

An employee will generally work two-on, two-off; three-on, two-off; two-on, three-off.

The schedule works over a 14-day cycle and offers some nice benefits to employees.

In order to use the Pitman Schedule, the organization must be able to have four separate shifts or squads.   The squad could be just one person such as a dispatcher.

Below is a sample Pitman Schedule for a four-squad organization.  The 1's represent the first shift from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m..  The 2's represent the second shift from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.  The O's represent days off from work.

Sample Pitman Schedule

As you can see, it is a rather simple schedule.  As with any schedule, there are pro's and con's to the Pitman.

Advantages of the Pitman Schedule

Disadvantages of the Pitman Schedule

• 12-hour days are long work days
• If the schedule is used with rotating shifts instead of permanent shifts, it can be strenuous on employees
• May not be agreeable with older employees
• Public transportation and day care (where applicable) can become an issue

The Pitman Schedule is radical departure from the traditional nine-to-five workweek.  Implementing such a schedule should be done with the employees and not as a surprise.  If done correctly, it can be one of those issues that makes just about everyone happy.