5/4-9 Schedule Calculator
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Calculate the 5/4-9 compressed schedule — The federal 5/4-9 compressed plan: five 9-hour days week one, four 9-hour days + a day off week two (one 8-hour day balances to 80). See your average weekly hours, annual hours, and the next weeks of the rotation from any start date.
Quick answer: The 5/4-9 Schedule runs a 14-day cycle with 9 shifts of 8.89 hours — averaging 40.0 hours/week (2086 hours/year) across 1 crews for continuous coverage.
The Pattern
The federal 5/4-9 compressed plan: five 9-hour days week one, four 9-hour days + a day off week two (one 8-hour day balances to 80). Four numbers define it:
| Cycle length | 14 days | Shifts per cycle | 9 x 8.89h |
| Average week | 40.0 hours | Annual hours | ~2086 |
| Crews for 24/7 | 1 | Typical users | US federal agencies |
Worked Example
At $28/hour, the 40.0-hour average week grosses about $1,120/week — but pay varies BY WEEK with the rotation: weeks containing more shifts cross 40 hours and trigger overtime under weekly-OT rules, while light weeks run short. Many employers average or use period-based agreements; check how yours handles the heavy weeks.
Strengths and Trade-offs
Works well: a fixed day off every pay period without the 10-hour days of a 4/10; standard across federal agencies.
Watch for: the schedule day off is fixed by agreement — swapping it mid-period needs approval, and holidays landing on it trigger in-lieu rules. Night blocks also trigger night differentials where policy provides.
Overtime and Pay-Period Mechanics
Fixed-cycle schedules interact awkwardly with weekly overtime laws: a 14-day cycle does not align with 7-day workweeks, so some weeks exceed 40 hours even though the AVERAGE is 40.0. US employers handle it with premium built into rates, period agreements, or straight OT payment on heavy weeks; California daily rules add 1.5x past 8 hours (2x past 12) on every 8.89-hour shift unless an alternative workweek was adopted — see the California overtime calculator.
Living on This Rotation
Sleep research favors forward rotation and consistent blocks; the long off-stretches are this pattern’s reward — plan them like mini-vacations rather than recovery-only time. Swaps should trade like-for-like blocks to keep the cycle (and the pay averaging) intact. For planning days off around the rotation, the cycle preview below maps any month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 5/4-9 compressed schedule?
The federal 5/4-9 compressed plan: five 9-hour days week one, four 9-hour days + a day off week two (one 8-hour day balances to 80). It averages 40.0 hours/week over the 14-day cycle.
How many hours a year is this schedule?
About 2086 hours — 9 shifts x 8.89 hours per 14-day cycle, across 365 days.
Does this pattern trigger overtime?
Weeks with more shifts than average can exceed 40 hours even though the cycle averages 40.0 — weekly-OT jurisdictions owe premiums on those weeks unless a lawful averaging agreement applies.
How many crews does 24/7 coverage need?
1 crews rotate this pattern for continuous coverage — each crew offset within the cycle.
What is a 5/4-9 schedule?
A federal compressed plan: 80 hours per biweekly period worked as eight 9-hour days plus one 8-hour day, with one scheduled day off each period.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026