Choosing the right on-call shift pattern is critical to group coverage and responder workload. Here are three common shift examples to help you find what works for your group.
1. Weekday 8-5 Shift (Basic Shift)
When to use: Groups that operate during standard business hours only, with on-call coverage during work days.
How it works:
- One responder is on call Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM
- Responder rotates weekly (or bi-weekly) to the next group member
- No weekend or after-hours coverage
- If primary doesn't respond, escalate to group manager
To set this up: Create one shift covering Mon-Fri, 8 AM - 5 PM. Add group members in rotation, set your timezone, and configure a simple escalation policy (Primary → Group Manager).
Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Basic Weekday Shift
1. Navigate to your group and create a shift
Go to the Teams section and select your group. Click "Create shift" to start setting up a new shift.
2. Name your shift and select the schedule
Enter a shift name like "8am to 5pm Shift" and select the schedule template "Off hours (workday 8:00 - 5:00)" to automatically define weekday business hours.
3. Set up roster and rotation internval
Define how often the primary roster rotates. Select "Weekly" rotation and "Rotate every 1 Week" with rotation day set to "Sunday" so handoffs happen weekly on the same day.
4. Add group members to rotation
Add your group members who will rotate through this shift. Select the members you want to include in the rotation pool.
5. Configure escalation policy
Set up escalation to ensure coverage if the primary responder doesn't respond. Create an escalation policy with two steps:
- Step 1 (Primary): Notify Primary (Responder level). Wait 15 minutes before escalating.
- Step 2 (Group Manager): After 15 minutes, escalate to Group Manager. Notify manager immediately.
6. Add escalation steps
Click "Add escalation step" to add the Group Manager as the second level. This ensures if the primary responder doesn't acknowledge within 15 minutes, the group manager is automatically notified.
7. Save and publish
Review your shift configuration, then click "Save & publish" to activate the shift and escalation policy.
Best for: Small groups, internal services, business-hours-only incidents, distributed support groups with defined business hours.
2. 24/7 Around-the-Globe (Follow-the-Sun)
When to use: Groups supporting global infrastructure or customers across multiple time zones, requiring 24/7 coverage.
How it works:
- Create 3 permanent shifts covering 3 regions: Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific
- Each shift covers business hours in that timezone and runs continuously
- US shift: 9 AM - 6 PM PT (covers Americas)
- EU shift: 9 AM - 6 PM CET (covers Europe)
- APAC shift: 2 PM - 11 PM IST (covers Asia-Pacific)
- Team members rotate within their own region (weekly or bi-weekly)
- Shifts overlap by 1-2 hours for handoff communication
- Coverage cycles continuously: as US hands off to EU, EU hands off to APAC, APAC hands off back to US
Example (rotating within each region):
- US shift (continuous): Week 1 John, Week 2 Mary, Week 3 Sarah, repeat
- EU shift (continuous): Week 1 Alice, Week 2 Bob, Week 3 Charlie, repeat
- APAC shift (continuous): Week 1 Dev, Week 2 Priya, Week 3 Yuki, repeat
Best for: Global groups, infrastructure platforms, multi-region deployments, groups distributed across continents.
Key consideration: Plan handoff times carefully. Document what needs to be communicated between regions (active incidents, known issues, system status).
3. Weekday and Weekend Shifts
When to use: Groups that need coverage 7 days a week but want different responders for weekends.
How it works:
- Create two shifts: one for weekdays (Mon-Fri), one for weekends (Sat-Sun)
- Use the same hours for both (e.g., 8 AM - 5 PM)
- Assign different group members to weekday and weekend rosters
- Rotate each shift independently on your chosen cadence (weekly, bi-weekly)
- Each responder does either 1 weekday week OR 1 weekend week per rotation cycle
Example schedule (4-week rotation):
- Week 1: John (weekdays), Sarah (weekend)
- Week 2: Mary (weekdays), John (weekend)
- Week 3: Sarah (weekdays), Mary (weekend)
- Week 4: John (weekdays), Sarah (weekend) — cycle repeats
Best for: Groups with weekend incidents but lighter weekend workload, groups wanting to balance on-call burden by splitting weekday/weekend duty.
Key consideration: Friday-to-weekend handoff matters. Consider a brief overlap on Friday afternoon so the weekday responder can brief the weekend responder on any known issues.
Next steps: Choose the example that matches your group's needs, then reference our Getting Started with On-Call Scheduling guide for setup instructions.
