On-Call Schedule Generator

An on-call rotation is a recurring schedule that assigns team members to be the primary responder for incidents during a specific time window. Rotations ensure 24/7 coverage while distributing the workload fairly across the team, preventing burnout and keeping response times low.

A fair on-call schedule distributes shifts equally among all team members, accounts for holidays and time off, and avoids back-to-back shifts for the same person. Using a round-robin rotation with holiday exclusions is the most common approach. Teams should also consider compensatory time off or extra pay for weekend and holiday shifts.

The three most common rotation types are daily (each person covers one day), weekly (each person covers a full week), and biweekly (each person covers two weeks). Weekly rotations are the most popular because they provide continuity without being too long. Daily rotations work well for larger teams, while biweekly rotations suit smaller teams.

Holidays can be handled by either skipping them entirely (the rotation pauses and resumes after the holiday) or by assigning them separately with volunteer-first policies. Many teams maintain a holiday exclusion list so the generator can skip those dates and extend the rotation accordingly, ensuring no one is unfairly assigned to a holiday shift.