How the Panama schedule works
Platoon APlatoon BPlatoon CPlatoon DFederal holiday
One turn of the ring is one 28-day cycle, starting at the top. The outer ring is day shifts, the inner ring nights.- Weeks 1 and 2: the 2-2-3 pattern on day shifts.
- Weeks 3 and 4: the same pattern on night shifts.
- Each crew gets every other weekend off.
Names vary between employers: some call the fixed version Panama and the rotating one Pitman. Check the days and nights against your own schedule.
Who works it
Police departments, hospitals and plants that want every crew to share the night work.
Panama calendars by year
Printable year calendars with every platoon in color, holidays marked and a .ics file for each platoon.
Hours and overtime
With the default alignment, platoon A works 183 shifts in 2026, 2,196 hours in all, an average of 42.1 hours a week. In a Sunday-to-Saturday week, that is 36 to 48 hours, and 26 of the 51 full weeks go over 40.
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, most private-sector employees earn overtime for hours over 40 in each fixed workweek, and weeks are not averaged. On a 12-hour rotation, a long week can carry overtime even though the two-week total is 84 hours. Which hours count depends on the day your employer's workweek starts. Source: 29 CFR 778.104. Check a week with the time card calculator or the overtime calculator.
Other rotations
Not listed? Build any cycle on the shift calendar generator.
Questions
What does the default start date mean?
Platoon A starts its first rotation on Monday, January 5, 2026, and the other platoons follow in order. That is a starting point, not your department's calendar. Enter a date you know under Line it up and the whole year moves to match.
Is this my department's official calendar?
No. It follows the pattern and the date you choose. Departments set their own start dates, Kelly days, trades and holiday rules, so check the result against your department's published schedule.
How do I line it up with my shift?
Pick your platoon, then enter the date of the first day of any rotation you worked or will work, such as the first shift after your long break. Every other day of the year lines up from it, backward and forward.
Can I skip vacation days or trades?
Yes. On the generator, tap a shift in the month view or type the dates under More options. Skipped shifts leave the .ics, the printout and the totals. They are saved in the link you copy.
How are holidays counted?
The calendar marks the 11 federal holidays on the actual date, such as July 4, and counts a holiday as worked when one of your shifts starts that day. When a holiday falls on a weekend, the observed weekday is listed too. Your employer's holiday pay rules may use either date.
Is my schedule saved?
Your settings stay in this browser so the generator opens where you left it. Copy link puts them in a link you can send to your phone or share with your crew. Nothing is sent to our server.
How do I add the .ics file to my phone?
iPhone: open the downloaded file and tap Add All, or import it into a new calendar so it is easy to remove later. Google Calendar: on a computer, go to Settings, Import and export, choose the file and the calendar to add it to. Outlook: File, Open and export, Import, or drag the file onto the calendar. Each shift becomes one timed event, and 48-hour tours are one event.
Which time zone should I pick?
Choose your department's time zone so shifts stay at the right time if you travel. Device time writes times with no zone, and every calendar shows them as local time on the device. Across daylight saving changes, a shift keeps its clock times: 7:00 AM to 7:00 AM is 23 or 25 hours on those two nights, and the totals here count the scheduled length.