These shifts are much easier on the troops if you have four shifts. That rotation is two 10-hour days (7 AM to 5 PM) followed by two 14-hour nights (5 PM to 7 AM) and then four days off.
We do a 10-14 as Chief Waller explains. With 4 platoons, it works to an average of a 42 hour work week over our cycle.
As we are a tourist destination with a huge population increase in the summer season, we actually have a work schedule that is different from most. We go to a 24 on/48 off, 3 platton system from November 1st, to May 1st, and then to the 10's-14's from May 1 to November 1 2ith 4 platoons.
You have to look at your pay-period and the average cycle, and not just the total week hours.
We have to augment our on-duty strength in the season, and this provides us with that ability. Our population grows from 7500 residents of so in a little more than a square mile district to over 100,000. Our Island has about 15,000 - 17,000 residents total with about a 7 mile length and about a mile to maybe a mile and a half wide. Summer population can total 250,000 to an estimated 500,000 on busy week-ends. There are 3 seperate municipalities.
Hence the difference. Contract-wise it was little tough to negotiate for the differences, but it all worked out, with some concessions and gains.