What is a Southern swing schedule?
The southern swing is an 8-hour rotation for 24/7 operations. You work 7 day shifts, get 2 days off, work 7 swing (evening) shifts, get 2 days off, work 7 night shifts, then get 3 days off before the 28-day cycle starts again.
It is a "slow" rotation: you change shift type only three times a month, so your body has a full week to settle into each one. Four teams are offset by a week so that every shift is always covered.
How the Southern swing rotation works
The cycle: 7 days, 2 off, 7 swings, 2 off, 7 nights, 3 off — 28 days.
Typical shift times are days 7:00–15:00, swings 15:00–23:00 and nights 23:00–7:00. Each day, one team works each shift while the fourth team is off.
You work 21 shifts in 28 days — 42 hours a week on average. Weeks with 7 shifts are 56 hours, which under federal law means 16 hours of overtime in those weeks unless your employer's workweek splits the block.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |||||||
| B | N | N | N | N | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | N | N | N | |||||||
| C | S | S | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | S | S | S | S | S | |||||||
| D | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Southern swing hours and days off
| Shift length | 8 hours |
|---|---|
| Cycle length | 28 days |
| Teams for 24/7 coverage | 4 |
| Hours in a 7-day week | 32 to 56 (depends where the week falls in the cycle) |
| Average hours per week | 42 |
| Hours per year (scheduled) | about 2,190 |
| Shifts per year | about 274 |
| Days off per year | about 91 |
Overtime: federal law (FLSA) counts overtime by the workweek — hours over 40 in a fixed 7-day week.On a Southern swing schedule a single week can reach 56 hours even though the average is 42, so expect overtime in the heavier weeks. How much depends on which day your employer's workweek starts — the shift pay calculator shows the range.
Who uses the Southern swing schedule?
- Refineries, paper mills and steel plants
- Police and corrections (8-hour versions)
- Hospitals and security
- Utilities and manufacturing
Pros and cons
Pros
- A full week to adjust to each shift
- Forward rotation (day → swing → night)
- 8-hour shifts
- 3 days off after the night block
Cons
- Seven shifts in a row is a long stretch
- Only 2 days off between some blocks
- A full week of nights every month
- Overtime-heavy weeks
Variations
Continental: The fast-rotating version: 2–3 days on each shift.
DuPont: A 12-hour rotation with a full week off every 28 days.
Southern swing compared with similar rotations
| Rotation | Cycle | Shift | Avg hours/week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Swing Schedule | 28 days | 8 h | 42 |
| Continental Shift Pattern | 28 days | 8 h | 42 |
| DuPont Schedule | 28 days | 12 h | 42 |
| 2-2-3 Schedule (Panama) | 28 days | 12 h | 42 |
Frequently asked questions
What is a southern swing shift?
An 8-hour rotation: 7 day shifts, 2 off, 7 swing shifts, 2 off, 7 night shifts, 3 off, repeating every 28 days with four teams.
What are swing shift hours?
A swing (evening) shift usually runs from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM, or 4:00 PM to midnight, between the day and night shifts.
How many hours is a southern swing schedule?
42 hours a week on average (21 eight-hour shifts in 28 days), with some weeks of 56 hours.
Is the southern swing a good schedule?
Many workers like having a full week on each shift, but seven shifts in a row and a week of nights every month are hard. It suits people who prefer 8-hour shifts and slow rotation.
ShiftRotations is an independent site. Rotations vary between employers and departments — always check your own schedule or contract.