If you work in petrochemical refining, heavy manufacturing, or continuous operations, chances are you’ve encountered the infamous DuPont schedule. Engineered in the 1950s by the E.I. du Pont de Nemours Company, this 12-hour rotating shift system was built to keep industrial plants running 24/7/365 without missing a beat.
For workers, the DuPont schedule offers a unique trade-off: intensive blocks of day and night work balanced by a legendary 7-consecutive-day vacation built directly into every 4-week cycle. But how does the math actually work, and how does FLSA overtime impact your paycheck? Let’s break down the mechanics.
How the DuPont Schedule Works (The 4-Week Rotation)
The DuPont system relies on 4 distinct crews rotating across 12-hour shifts over a 28-day cycle. Unlike fixed schedules, every crew rotates between day shifts (typically 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM) and night shifts (7:00 PM – 7:00 AM).
In any given 4-week period, a single crew experiences the following pattern:
- Week 1: 4 consecutive NIGHT shifts → 3 days OFF
- Week 2: 3 consecutive DAY shifts → 1 day OFF → 3 consecutive NIGHT shifts
- Week 3: 3 days OFF → 4 consecutive DAY shifts
- Week 4: 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OFF (The "DuPont Break")
The Hours & Pay Math: How Overtime Stacks Up
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees must receive time-and-a-half pay for any hours worked beyond 40 in a standard 7-day workweek. Because 12-hour shifts create uneven weekly hour counts, your gross pay varies depending on where you are in the 28-day cycle.
| Week | Shifts Worked | Total Hours | FLSA Overtime Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 4 Night Shifts | 48 hrs | 8 hrs OT |
| Week 2 | 3 Day + 3 Night | 72 hrs* | 32 hrs OT* |
| Week 3 | 4 Day Shifts | 48 hrs | 8 hrs OT |
| Week 4 | 0 Shifts (Rest) | 0 hrs | 0 hrs OT |
*Note: Exact weekly hour splits depend on your employer’s defined FLSA workweek start day and time.
Over the full 28-day cycle you work 14 twelve-hour shifts: 168 hours, or 42 hours per week on average. Do not use that average to estimate overtime. Under the standard FLSA rule, overtime is counted one workweek at a time, so a 72-hour week produces 32 overtime hours even though the next week has none. In the Sunday-aligned example above that is 8 + 32 + 8 = 48 overtime hours per cycle (an average of 12 per week), not 2.
Your overtime depends on where your workweek starts
Your employer defines the payroll workweek (for example Sunday 12:00 AM to Saturday 11:59 PM). Because the DuPont cycle is 28 days and a workweek is 7 days, the same crew can see between 16 and 48 overtime hours per cycle depending on which crew day the workweek begins on:
| Workweek begins on cycle day | Overtime hours per 28 days | Average per week |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 8, 15 or 22 (first night of the 4-night block) | 48 hrs | 12 hrs |
| 2, 9, 16 or 23 | 36 hrs | 9 hrs |
| 3, 10, 17 or 24 | 24 hrs | 6 hrs |
| 4, 11, 18 or 25 | 16 hrs | 4 hrs |
| 5, 12, 19 or 26 | 16 hrs | 4 hrs |
| 6, 13, 20 or 27 | 24 hrs | 6 hrs |
| 7, 14, 21 or 28 | 36 hrs | 9 hrs |
Assumes 12 paid hours per shift (no unpaid meal deduction), the standard 40-hour weekly threshold and a 1.5x overtime rate. Night and weekend differentials are added on top and raise the overtime rate (see the calculator).
Public-safety employers: the 7(k) exception
Fire protection and law enforcement employers may use a work period of up to 28 days under FLSA section 7(k). For fire protection that threshold is 212 hours per 28 days and for law enforcement 171 hours (29 CFR 553.230). A DuPont cycle is 168 hours, so on a 28-day 7(k) work period a fire-protection crew would have no statutory overtime from the schedule alone. Contract rules (CBAs) can still pay more. Check which method applies to you before relying on the weekly numbers above.
Pros & Cons of Working DuPont
Key Advantages
- 7 consecutive days off every 4 weeks.
- Built-in weekly overtime on the 48-hour and 72-hour weeks (standard FLSA).
- 14 full days off every 28-day cycle.
Key Challenges
- Frequent flips between day and night shifts.
- Brutal 72-hour work weeks (6 shifts in 7 days).
- Sleep disruption during rapid shift flips.
The Bottom Line
The DuPont schedule is a favorite among experienced industrial operators who know how to manage circadian fatigue and love having a 7-day break every month without using PTO. Plug your wage, differentials and workweek into the DuPont schedule pay calculator to see your exact gross pay for the next rotation.
DuPont pay calculators by job
- Power plant operator
- Production line worker
- Maintenance technician
- Machine operator
- Firefighter
- Registered nurse
- Police officer
- Warehouse associate
Compare with other rotations: 2-2-3 Pitman, 4-on-4-off, 24/48, or read the other shift guides.