2-2-3 Shift Annual Leave Planner
Plan annual leave around a repeating 2-2-3 work/off cycle and identify efficient blocks of time away.
Your 2-2-3 rota
Calculated locallyYour optimised leave options
Planning resultBest single breaks
These show the longest qualifying continuous break found for each number of leave shifts up to your per-break limit.
Best break targets
Quick answers for common planning goals, ranked from the same rota search.
Use the whole leave budget efficiently
The optimiser selects non-overlapping breaks to maximise total calendar days away within the leave budget you entered.
A 14-day work/off cycle
The 2-2-3 preset models a fourteen-day sequence of two work, two off, three work, two off, two work and three off. Employers use variations of 2-2-3 arrangements, so compare this sequence with your actual published pattern before relying on the result.
Find where leave bridges the gaps
The optimiser searches for rostered work shifts that sit between existing off periods and shows how many calendar days each potential leave block could create.
Use custom mode for a different variation
If your employer's 2-2-3 arrangement uses a different sequence or rotates days and nights in a way that matters to your leave dates, switch to the custom repeating pattern and enter the cycle exactly as your roster uses it.
Use the leave balance and rota dates supplied by your employer. Work Decisions UK only models the calendar pattern you enter and does not determine employment rights, leave deductions or approval.
The 2-2-3 preset used here
| Cycle section | Sequence |
|---|---|
| Days 1–4 | Work, Work, Off, Off |
| Days 5–9 | Work, Work, Work, Off, Off |
| Days 10–14 | Work, Work, Off, Off, Off |
This defined 14-day preset contains seven work and seven off positions. The phrase “2-2-3” is used for variations in real workplaces, so use custom mode if your published sequence is different.
Optimise your actual dates
The useful part is not a generic example calendar. Your position within the repeating cycle changes the best leave dates, so the optimiser asks for one date you know is day 1 of your cycle and generates the planning year from that anchor.
Example: five leave shifts bridge three separate off blocks
This site's defined 2-2-3 preset is WWOOWWWOOWWOOO. If 1 January 2027 is day 1 of that sequence, the first fourteen days expand as follows.
| Dates | Cycle positions | Example action |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 January | Work, work | Outside the example break |
| 3–4 January | Off, off | No leave required |
| 5–7 January | Work, work, work | Book three leave shifts |
| 8–9 January | Off, off | No leave required |
| 10–11 January | Work, work | Book two leave shifts |
| 12–14 January | Off, off, off | No leave required |
Booking the five stated work positions joins the three existing off blocks into a 12-day break from 3 to 14 January. This example also shows why the phrase “2-2-3” is not enough on its own: if your employer rotates a different sequence, both the dates and the result will change.
Compare WWOOWWWOOWWOOO with your published roster. If it differs, select Custom and enter the actual repeating cycle.
The defined 2-2-3 preset and rota arithmetic
See the calculation in a worked scenario, the assumptions to check and the point where contract or official guidance should take over.