The DuPont schedule, also known as the “DuPont 12-hour rotation”, is a method of scheduling that divides employees into four separate teams, each working across two 12-hour shifts over a four-week cycle.
For example:
4x night shifts
3x days off
3x day shifts
1 x day off
3 x night shifts
3 x days off
4x day shifts
7 x days off
(Total = 28 days)
The main benefits of the DuPont scheduling method are that employers can keep operations running around the clock, while employees enjoy a lengthy break at the end of each cycle. Since the schedule dedicates that they regularly switch between day and night shifts, however, this can sometimes be difficult for staff to adjust to and can cause fatigue, leading to employee absence.
The DuPont schedule is named after the US-based chemical company of the same name, with the scheduling method remaining common in the manufacturing industry to this day.