24/48 or 48/96: the honest comparison
Both patterns cover the clock with three platoons and both average 56 hours a week. The difference is the shape of your life between tours, and crews feel it from the first month.
The cycles side by side
| 24/48 | 48/96 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle | 24 on, 48 off (3 days) | 48 on, 96 off (6 days) |
| Average week | 56 hours | 56 hours |
| Commutes per month | About 10 | About 5 |
| Longest break | 2 days, constantly | 4 days, constantly |
| Roughest stretch | None built in | Hour 30 to 48 in busy houses |
What 24/48 gets right
You are never away from home more than a day, recovery debt never compounds past one tour, and in high-call-volume stations that ceiling on continuous fatigue is genuinely protective. The price is rhythm: a third of all days are duty days forever, and the 2-day breaks are short for real rest plus real life.
What 48/96 gets right
Four consecutive days off, every cycle, without spending leave. Family time, second jobs, projects and actual holidays fit inside the pattern instead of around it, and half the commuting disappears. The weak point is the back half of the 48 in busy stations: sleep-broken nights stack, and the second day runs on reserves. Quiet and medium houses mostly report the trade as clearly worth it.
If your department is voting
Pull the station's night call data before deciding; the same pattern is humane at 2 night calls and brutal at 8. And whichever wins, the calendar is unlivable in a normal app: put your platoon and pattern into ShiftAl once and see your real year, the free weekends, the true hours, with alarms only on duty mornings.
How does a 48/96 schedule work?
Two consecutive 24-hour tours at the station, then four full days off, repeating every 6 days per platoon with three platoons covering the clock.
Do 24/48 and 48/96 pay differently?
Base scheduled hours are identical at a 56-hour average, so contractual pay is usually the same; differences come from overtime patterns, trade practices and any Kelly day arrangements layered on top.
Which schedule is better for sleep?
In quiet stations, 48/96, because the 4-day break allows full recovery. In very busy stations, 24/48, because fatigue never stacks past one tour. Call volume, not preference, is the real deciding factor.
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