Three 12-Hour Shifts (Healthcare)

Common in hospitals: three 12-hour shifts per week giving 36 hours straight time and four days off, with overtime triggered above 40 unless a 207(k) exemption applies.

Shift length

12 hours

Cycle length

7 days

Roles using it

3 in our directory

Three 12-Hour Shifts (Healthcare) runs on a 7-day cycle with shift blocks of about 12 hours. Common in hospitals: three 12-hour shifts per week giving 36 hours straight time and four days off, with overtime triggered above 40 unless a 207(k) exemption applies. See the Three 12-Hour Shifts (Healthcare) fatigue research summary for context on circadian impacts.

Workers on this pattern average roughly 42 compensable hours per week when the rotation is in steady state. Some weeks land above 40 and some below, which is why payroll for these schedules is best modeled across the full cycle rather than week by week. ShiftClock's rotating shift planner does that math automatically. Operators replacing legacy rosters often start from a rotating-shift roster template library.

Common overtime triggers include the federal 40-hour FLSA threshold, daily double-time rules in jurisdictions such as California, and 207(k) work periods for public safety agencies. Employers should be careful that averaging arrangements do not violate the workweek-based FLSA test even when the schedule averages out cleanly across the cycle.

This pattern is most often used for Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Respiratory Therapist. (3 occupations in our directory currently follow it.) Each linked occupation page shows the median wage, overtime rule, and break policy for that role.

If you are designing a new schedule, compare this pattern against alternatives in the schedule directory before committing. Worker preference, fatigue research, and overtime cost should all enter the decision. ShiftClock links every schedule to its corresponding calculator so you can prototype the pay outcome before publishing the roster.

Occupations that use this pattern

Calculate hours for this pattern

Use the rotating schedule planner for multi-week views, or the 12-hour shift calculator if your shift is a single 12-hour block. For overtime impact, run the totals through the weekly FLSA overtime calculator or, for police and fire, the section 7(k) calculator.