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Genuine question: how do companies/teams that run services deal with peak vacation periods? E.g. Christmas holidays. Even if everyone wants to take the last two

by turnip1979 12y ago

Genuine question: how do companies/teams that run services deal with peak vacation periods? E.g. Christmas holidays. Even if everyone wants to take the last two weeks of the year off, you have to have someone keeping the lights on. Also, what happens if a high priority problem comes in? Are the team leads/managers careful not to schedule work around the holidays?

liveoneggs 12y ago
I am on vacation next week but am still the primary on-call. I will take pages if I'm available or pass/escalate to the next guy if I'm not. Since I'm on vacation it's understood to be a best effort. Normally I would switch with someone but it's a busy vacation week so we just figure it out. I took a two hour call the morning of thanksgiving, for reference.
- jellicle 12y ago
  > I am on vacation next week but am still the primary on-call. Whatever that is, it isn't vacation.
  - coldcode 12y ago
    It's like the difference between vacation and prison. In both case you are away from home.
- smackfu 12y ago
  Do you at least get compensated for on-call?
- philwelch 12y ago
  That sounds like a shitty vacation combined with doing a bad job at being oncall.
shawabawa3 12y ago
I imagine by offering more money I would gladly work on christmas for 2x pay (especially if I had unlimited vacation I could take at other points) and if something does go majorly wrong over christmas, your clients will probably understand
steven2012 12y ago
We have an open vacation policy for 2014, and I will take the last two weeks off (I've taken off about 5 weeks so far this year), but I will be available if need be. I don't mind, I don't expect any issues, and even if there are, it's not like I wouldn't be called in if I had a limited number of days off (which will happen next year).
vidarh 12y ago
Many companies in Europe pretty much shuts down during christmas period and often during specific weeks during the summer. You'll have a skeleton staff to deal with operational issues etc., but that's it. Some key people will typically need to take turns taking time less time off in some types of companies.
smackfu 12y ago
Year-end change freezes are common in anything oriented at businesses. In general, busy vacation times are claimed as first-come / first-served. It seems like that would screw some people, but in practice, it usually works out, since the only people who want to take the whole holidays off are people who are travelling, and that is generally 50% or so.
johnward 12y ago
Someone needs to be available to cover issues but they should also get paid some type of bonus for working on a holiday in my opinion.
conradfr 12y ago
Ask in advance what people want, balance things based on seniority, past holidays, etc. Also surely most people will answer their phone in case of an emergency, if nobody abuse it. I remotely fixed bugs in cyber coffees while traveling in Australia years ago. Nowadays you can practically work with only your smartphone on hand.

liveoneggs 12y ago

I am on vacation next week but am still the primary on-call. I will take pages if I'm available or pass/escalate to the next guy if I'm not. Since I'm on vacation it's understood to be a best effort. Normally I would switch with someone but it's a busy vacation week so we just figure it out. I took a two hour call the morning of thanksgiving, for reference.

jellicle 12y ago
> I am on vacation next week but am still the primary on-call. Whatever that is, it isn't vacation.
- coldcode 12y ago
  It's like the difference between vacation and prison. In both case you are away from home.
smackfu 12y ago
Do you at least get compensated for on-call?
philwelch 12y ago
That sounds like a shitty vacation combined with doing a bad job at being oncall.

shawabawa3 12y ago

I imagine by offering more money I would gladly work on christmas for 2x pay (especially if I had unlimited vacation I could take at other points) and if something does go majorly wrong over christmas, your clients will probably understand

steven2012 12y ago

We have an open vacation policy for 2014, and I will take the last two weeks off (I've taken off about 5 weeks so far this year), but I will be available if need be. I don't mind, I don't expect any issues, and even if there are, it's not like I wouldn't be called in if I had a limited number of days off (which will happen next year).

vidarh 12y ago

Many companies in Europe pretty much shuts down during christmas period and often during specific weeks during the summer. You'll have a skeleton staff to deal with operational issues etc., but that's it. Some key people will typically need to take turns taking time less time off in some types of companies.

smackfu 12y ago

Year-end change freezes are common in anything oriented at businesses. In general, busy vacation times are claimed as first-come / first-served. It seems like that would screw some people, but in practice, it usually works out, since the only people who want to take the whole holidays off are people who are travelling, and that is generally 50% or so.

johnward 12y ago

Someone needs to be available to cover issues but they should also get paid some type of bonus for working on a holiday in my opinion.

conradfr 12y ago

Ask in advance what people want, balance things based on seniority, past holidays, etc. Also surely most people will answer their phone in case of an emergency, if nobody abuse it. I remotely fixed bugs in cyber coffees while traveling in Australia years ago. Nowadays you can practically work with only your smartphone on hand.