Ask HN: Does your on-call rotation suck? Can I join it?
7 asciifree 6 7/9/2025, 11:53:59 AM
Hi HN
I'm doing some field research on unique ways on-call rotations can be unhealthy. It would be great to hear some anecdata from the community about /why/ you feel your on-call rotation sucks - and I figure it would be even better to experience it firsthand :)
I do understand asking to join/shadow your rotation is probably not practical however I am 100% serious and happy to sign whatever.
Cheers & may your pager stay silent
I stopped hitting snooze as I got older. I either wake up or give up and sleep in..
Inadequate staff is the only reason on-call exists. Sure, people might be mostly sitting around all night being paid and not being terribly busy.
But if a company needs someone at night, they need someone at night. Companies getting away with not paying for that is why oncall sucks.
In other words oncall sucks because companies don’t pay for solving the problems that require it. There’s no self correcting feedback.
A tool can’t fix that and oncall is not inevitable. Good luck.