Police guides · officers in England and Wales
4 on 4 off shift pattern
Four shifts on, then four rest days, over an 8-day cycle. A common version is two 12-hour Days and two 12-hour Nights, which works out at 42 hours a week and 3 full weekends off every 8 weeks.
Rotas are set by each force, so your times may differ from the ones here. The rules on this page are the national ones for full-time constables and sergeants.
What the pattern looks like
4 on 4 off is an 8-day cycle: four shifts in a row, then four rest days. A common version is two 12-hour Days and two 12-hour Nights.
| Day of cycle | Shift | Times |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day | 07:00 to 19:00 |
| 2 | Day | 07:00 to 19:00 |
| 3 | Night | 19:00 to 07:00 |
| 4 | Night | 19:00 to 07:00 |
| 5 to 8 | Rest | Four rest days |
Some forces run it with 10-hour shifts, or with Lates in place of one of the Days. The shape stays the same: four on, four off. Police shift patterns explained compares it with 6 on 4 off.
The first rest day isn't a full day
Your second Night finishes at 07:00 on the morning of your first rest day. So in practice you get a sleep day and then three full days off. How to sleep after the last night so you're not wide awake at 3am on your days off.
How many hours and shifts
- Every 8 days: 4 shifts of 12 hours, so 48 hours.
- A week on average: 48 ÷ 8 × 7 = 42 hours.
- A year: you're on for half the days, so about 182 shifts before leave.
Forces balance longer shifts against your contracted hours in different ways, such as fewer shifts in some cycles. Your duties office can tell you how yours does it.
How often you get a weekend off
An 8-day cycle moves forward one weekday each time round. Your rest days land on a different part of the week every cycle, and the same days come round again every 8 weeks.
In those 8 weeks you get 3 full weekends off, with both Saturday and Sunday as rest days. Other weekends you'll have one of the two days, or neither.
Rules your rota has to follow
- 11 hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next. Day 2 ends at 19:00 and Night 1 starts at 19:00 the next day, which is 24 hours.
- No more than 7 days between rest days, and two rest days a week. Four on comfortably meets both.
- The roster should be published at least a month before it starts.
When a change breaks one of these, the rules on rest between shifts apply. If a rest day gets cancelled, work out what it's worth. If you finish late, see police overtime explained.
Where this comes from
- Annex E paragraphs 3(b), 3(c), 3(e)-(g) and 4(a) (rest days, rest between shifts, publishing the roster), from the determinations under the Police Regulations 2003, GOV.UK.
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 22 (duty), legislation.gov.uk.
This is general guidance, not legal advice, and it isn't a decision by your force. If something matters, check it with your Federation rep.
Your 4 on 4 off, set up in a minute
Pick 4 on 4 off in SHFTRS, enter the date of your first Day, and change the times to match yours. Every shift, rest day and change is then on your phone, with what you're owed. It's built by police, for police.