Police guides · officers in England and Wales
Police shift patterns explained
Most front-line officers rotate through Earlies, Lates and Nights in blocks, with a run of rest days after each block. The two patterns you'll meet most are 6 on 4 off and 4 on 4 off. Each force sets its own times, so the ones here are examples.
Rotas are set by each force, so your shifts and times may differ from the ones here. The rules on this page are the national ones for full-time constables and sergeants in England and Wales.
The shifts that make up a pattern
Policing covers all 24 hours, so a pattern is built from shifts that overlap at each end. The names vary between forces: an Early is a Day in some, and a Supernoon is a long Late. The shapes are the same.
| Shift | Example times | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Early | 07:00 to 16:00 | 9 h |
| Late | 14:00 to 23:00 | 9 h |
| Night | 22:00 to 07:00 | 9 h |
| Supernoon | 16:00 to 03:00 | 11 h |
| Long Day | 07:00 to 17:00 | 10 h |
| 12-hour Day | 07:00 to 19:00 | 12 h |
| 12-hour Night | 19:00 to 07:00 | 12 h |
A pattern is a fixed cycle of these shifts and rest days that repeats. The cycle is what matters: it decides how many hours you work on average, how often a weekend falls on your rest days, and how far ahead you can see your days off.
6 on 4 off
A 10-day cycle: six shifts in a row, then four rest days. The six shifts usually step forward through the day, two Earlies, two Lates, two Nights. It's the common pattern for response teams.
| Day of cycle | Shift | Times |
|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | Early | 07:00 to 16:00 |
| 3 and 4 | Late | 15:00 to 00:00 |
| 5 and 6 | Night | 22:00 to 07:00 |
| 7 to 10 | Rest | Four rest days |
On 9-hour shifts it works out at about 37.8 hours a week, and you get 3 full weekends off every 10 weeks. Your second Night ends at 07:00 on your first rest day, so that day mostly goes on sleep. The full 6 on 4 off guide has the hours, the weekends and the changeover gaps.
4 on 4 off
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 and 2 | Day | 07:00 to 19:00 |
| 3 and 4 | Night | 19:00 to 07:00 |
| 5 to 8 | Rest | Four rest days |
On 12-hour shifts it works out at 42 hours a week, and you get 3 full weekends off every 8 weeks. As with 6 on 4 off, the last Night runs into the first rest day. The full 4 on 4 off guide explains how forces balance the longer shifts against your contracted hours.
The two side by side
| 6 on 4 off | 4 on 4 off | |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle | 10 days | 8 days |
| Shifts in a row | 6 | 4 |
| Usual shift length | 9 h | 12 h |
| Shift types | Early, Late, Night | Day, Night |
| Hours a week on average | 37.8 | 42 |
| Shifts a year, before leave | about 219 | about 182 |
| Full weekends off | 3 in every 10 weeks | 3 in every 8 weeks |
| Days off in a row | 4 | 4 |
The trade is shift length against the number of shifts. 4 on 4 off gives fewer, longer shifts and the same four rest days; 6 on 4 off gives shorter shifts and a slower rotation through the day. Both give you four days off in a row, with the first one shortened by the last Night.
Variations you'll see
- Supernoons. A long Late, usually on Friday and Saturday, added to a 6 on 4 off cycle to cover the busiest evenings. Some forces lengthen the Friday and Saturday Days too. Response shifts explained.
- 10-hour shifts on 4 on 4 off, or a Late in place of one of the Days. The shape stays four on, four off.
- Different rest-day blocks. Some forces run their own cycle lengths. Whatever the pattern, the rules below still apply to it.
Your duties office can tell you the exact cycle you're on and the date it started. Those two things let you work out every shift and rest day ahead.
Rules every pattern has to follow
Whatever the cycle, your roster has to meet the national rules on rest:
- 11 hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next.
- Two rest days a week, and no more than 7 days between rest days.
- The roster is published at least one month before it starts, and covers at least 3 months.
Both patterns above meet these comfortably when worked as rostered. It's changes that break them: a late finish into an Early, or a rest day cancelled. The rest between shifts section of Quick regs covers what you're owed when that happens.
When your pattern changes
Each kind of change to your rostered pattern has its own rule:
- You finished late: overtime at time and a third, after the 30-minute rule. How overtime works.
- A rest day was cancelled: time and a half with fewer than 15 clear days' notice, another rest day otherwise. Work out what it's worth.
- You were called back between shifts: overtime, with travelling time, and no 4-hour minimum. How a recall is paid.
- You worked a public holiday: double time, with a 4-hour minimum. How bank holiday pay works.
Several of these turn on when you were told, not when the shift happened. Write down the date and time you were told about every change.
Sleeping on a rotating pattern
Every pattern here ends its block with Nights, so the first rest day is a sleep day. A nap before the first Night, bed soon after getting in between Nights, and a short sleep then an early night after the last one get you back onto days fastest. Sleeping after night shifts.
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.
- Shift times and cycle figures are the examples used in the 6 on 4 off, 4 on 4 off and response shifts guides.
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 pattern, set up in a minute
Pick 6 on 4 off, 4 on 4 off or your own cycle in SHFTRS, enter the date it started, 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.