Thoughts on an optional oncall rotation

Date : December 6, 2024
Categories :
Tags : Teams ,Rotation ,Team ,Clear ,Experience

Thoughts on an Optional On-Call Rotation

In today’s fast-paced tech environment, many teams are grappling with the challenge of on-call rotations. As a member of a team that has implemented an optional on-call rotation, I wanted to share my experiences and insights regarding its benefits and drawbacks.

The Structure of Our On-Call Rotation

Our team’s on-call rotation is entirely optional, allowing members to volunteer for the responsibility in exchange for extra pay. This model has its advantages; not only does it provide a financial incentive, but it also prevents the chaos of having too many people on call at once. However, there are some trade-offs to consider.

The Good: Learning and Integration

Recently, I signed up for the on-call rotation, and while the pager isn’t constantly buzzing, there are definitely instances of late-night pages. These pages often come from other teams in our global organization who need assistance during their working hours. While the extra pay is attractive, I find that being on call has also helped me integrate more deeply into the core aspects of our team’s work.

Being on call provides an opportunity to learn about the system’s intricacies and common issues that arise. It’s a chance to troubleshoot in real-time and to understand the impact of our work on other teams. However, this learning experience comes with its own set of challenges.

The Bad: Sleep Disruption

One of the most significant downsides has been the disturbance to my sleep. As someone who relies on a good night’s rest to manage stress and maintain focus, being woken up in the middle of the night can be detrimental. Many commenters echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that sacrificing sleep for extra pay is not a sustainable trade-off. The consensus is that there should be clear escalation protocols and criticality levels for paging during off-hours. If the issue can wait until regular working hours, it should.

The Need for Clarity and Protocol

Several thoughtful comments highlighted the importance of addressing false positives and ensuring that pages are reserved for critical incidents. If teams are paging on-call staff for non-critical issues, it may indicate a need for better documentation or a lack of training in self-service troubleshooting. This is particularly pertinent in a global organization where teams might rely on others without fully understanding the implications of their requests.

Establishing clear boundaries around what warrants a page is essential. Regular reviews of paged incidents, along with root cause analyses, can help organizations eliminate recurring issues and reduce unnecessary disturbances.

Strategies for Improvement

For those considering an on-call role, it’s critical to approach it with a mindset focused on improvement. Use the experience to identify and address ongoing problems within your team’s workflow. Engaging in technical debt tasks during quieter periods can also leverage the on-call experience into tangible improvements for the team.

Additionally, organizations should consider training teams in different time zones to share the on-call burden. This strategy could significantly reduce the number of nighttime pages and ensure that no one is unduly disturbed after hours.

Conclusion: A Personal Decision

Ultimately, whether to participate in an on-call rotation is a personal decision. It requires weighing the value of sleep against financial incentives and the potential for professional growth. For those who choose to volunteer, it’s crucial to set clear boundaries and advocate for a healthy work-life balance.

As we’ve seen from the discussion, the implementation of on-call rotations can vary widely between organizations. By establishing clear protocols, engaging in continuous learning, and fostering a culture of support, teams can make on-call rotations a more manageable and productive experience.

What are your thoughts on on-call rotations? Have you had experiences that shaped your perspective? Let’s discuss!

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