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You can be on call without ever getting paged. As long as the expectation exists that you're available, it doesn't matter whether you actually get paged or not

You can be on call without ever getting paged. As long as the expectation exists that you're available, it doesn't matter whether you actually get paged or not - you're already shifting your plans so you stay within reach of a laptop, with cell signal, etc. Being paged is the least bad part of being on call. The restrictions on your life outside of work are what really grate.

CydeWeys 10y ago
I disagree. Being paged in the middle of the night is the worst part of being on call, especially if it's a bad incident that takes hours to resolve. That can ruin your entire next day. Having to bring my laptop with me to social events isn't nearly as bad. It's rare that being on-call affects my plans.
- user5994461 10y ago
  You're both right. If you are on call one week every 3 months, it's mostly the calls that are annoying, especially at night. If you are on call more often (e.g. 1/2 weekend for small companies/teams), it stops mattering how often pages happen. You are mentally on-call all the time and are forced to be physically ready. It's a huge drain on your life.
  - CydeWeys 10y ago
    I'm on call a day at a time roughly every nine days or so. It definitely matters how often pages happen. On my team they are very infrequent, so being oncall is hardly a burden at all. I just have to remember to bring my laptop. Maybe it's a psychological thing, with different people responding differently. But it isn't a huge drain on my life, at all.
  - TheGrumpyBrit 10y ago
    It depends on the arrangement too. If you're on a flat rate for being on call, being called out is the worst part. If you only get paid if you get called, being called out kind of makes it worth changing your plans. I get a small amount for each day I'm on call, plus an extra payment if I'm actually called. That seems a fair balance - I'm compensated reasonably for making myself available, and the actual callout payment makes it worth getting up at 3am a couple of times a year.
zippergz 10y ago
For me, both were terrible. The restrictions were a huge pain in the ass, and annoying to my wife. But I'm REALLY not at my best if I don't get a good night's sleep, so every night that I got paged during the night basically ruined me for the next day.

CydeWeys 10y ago

I disagree. Being paged in the middle of the night is the worst part of being on call, especially if it's a bad incident that takes hours to resolve. That can ruin your entire next day. Having to bring my laptop with me to social events isn't nearly as bad. It's rare that being on-call affects my plans.

user5994461 10y ago
You're both right. If you are on call one week every 3 months, it's mostly the calls that are annoying, especially at night. If you are on call more often (e.g. 1/2 weekend for small companies/teams), it stops mattering how often pages happen. You are mentally on-call all the time and are forced to be physically ready. It's a huge drain on your life.
- CydeWeys 10y ago
  I'm on call a day at a time roughly every nine days or so. It definitely matters how often pages happen. On my team they are very infrequent, so being oncall is hardly a burden at all. I just have to remember to bring my laptop. Maybe it's a psychological thing, with different people responding differently. But it isn't a huge drain on my life, at all.
- TheGrumpyBrit 10y ago
  It depends on the arrangement too. If you're on a flat rate for being on call, being called out is the worst part. If you only get paid if you get called, being called out kind of makes it worth changing your plans. I get a small amount for each day I'm on call, plus an extra payment if I'm actually called. That seems a fair balance - I'm compensated reasonably for making myself available, and the actual callout payment makes it worth getting up at 3am a couple of times a year.

zippergz 10y ago

For me, both were terrible. The restrictions were a huge pain in the ass, and annoying to my wife. But I'm REALLY not at my best if I don't get a good night's sleep, so every night that I got paged during the night basically ruined me for the next day.