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Overview

The On-Call Shifts page provides a real-time view of who is responsible for responding to incidents—now and in the future. Unlike schedules, which define rotation logic, this page reflects the actual shifts generated by schedules, rotation rules, and overrides. It is the most accurate source of truth for understanding who will be paged at any given moment. This view is designed for both responders and managers. Responders can quickly see when they are on call next, while managers can validate coverage, identify gaps, and make last-minute adjustments without modifying the underlying schedule structure.

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Viewing On-Call Shifts in the Web App

To access on-call shifts, navigate to On-Call → On-Call Shifts. Shifts are automatically grouped by their current status to help you quickly assess coverage:
  • Currently On-Call shows shifts that are active right now and will receive pages immediately if an alert triggers.
  • Upcoming On-Call displays future shifts generated by schedules and overrides.
  • Inactive On-Call highlights shifts belonging to schedules that are not attached to an escalation policy and therefore will not page responders.
This grouping makes it easy to confirm both present and future coverage at a glance.

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Understanding Shift Types

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Always On-Call Shifts

Always on-call shifts represent continuous coverage without a defined end time. These shifts appear under Currently On-Call and are rendered as a solid horizontal bar at the top of the calendar view. This pattern is commonly used for roles such as incident commanders, executive escalation paths, or safety officers who must always be reachable.

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Recurring On-Call Shifts

Recurring shifts are generated from rotation rules defined in schedules. These shifts appear under both Currently On-Call and Upcoming On-Call, depending on their timing. In the calendar view, recurring shifts are displayed as vertical blocks that reflect their start and end times. These shifts form the backbone of most on-call programs and are automatically recalculated as schedules evolve.

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Viewing Shifts for Other Users

The On-Call Shifts page is not limited to your own coverage. You can view shifts for any user by selecting them from the User dropdown. When a different user is selected, both the shift list and calendar update immediately to reflect that user’s responsibilities. This is especially useful for managers validating team coverage or responders coordinating handoffs.

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Identifying Holiday and PTO Conflicts

Holiday calendars can be overlaid on the shifts view to surface potential coverage risks. When a holiday or PTO event overlaps with an on-call shift, Rootly highlights the conflict directly on the calendar. From either the holiday event or the affected shift, you can immediately create an override to reassign coverage. This allows teams to address conflicts proactively without restructuring schedules.

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Creating Overrides for On-Call Shifts

Overrides allow you to temporarily reassign on-call responsibility without modifying the underlying schedule or rotation logic. They are ideal for handling PTO, sick leave, or unexpected availability changes. To create an override:
  1. Navigate to On-Call → On-Call Shifts.
  2. Select the user whose shifts you want to override.
  3. Click Create Override or select a specific shift and choose Create Override from the shift details.
  4. Select the timeframe and the user who will take over coverage.
  5. Confirm to apply the override.
Overrides always take precedence over rotation-generated shifts and are fully auditable.

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Reassigning or Reverting Overrides

Overrides are flexible and reversible. Shifts that are overrides are clearly labeled to avoid confusion.

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Reverting an Override

Reverting an override restores the original assignee for that shift. This can be done directly from the On-Call Shifts page or from the schedule editor.
Reverting an override is non-destructive and does not alter the original schedule or rotation.

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Reassigning an Override

If coverage needs change, an override can be reassigned to a different user. This updates the shift immediately and preserves the override’s audit history.

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Best Practices

A healthy on-call program relies on visibility and intentional management. Use the On-Call Shifts page as your daily operational dashboard. Regularly review upcoming shifts to catch gaps early, especially around holidays and weekends. Avoid modifying schedules to handle short-term changes. Overrides are designed specifically for this purpose and help keep your rotation logic stable and predictable. Finally, ensure that all schedules shown as Inactive On-Call are either intentionally dormant or connected to escalation policies. A schedule without an escalation policy will never page responders.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A shift is marked as inactive when its schedule is not attached to any escalation policy. In this state, the shift exists for visibility but will not trigger paging. To activate it, add the schedule to an escalation policy that is assigned to a service or team.
No. Overrides temporarily replace the on-call assignee for a specific time window but do not modify the underlying schedule or rotation rules. Once reverted or expired, the original schedule resumes automatically.
Overrides cannot overlap with other overrides for the same shift. Rootly enforces this to ensure paging behavior remains predictable and unambiguous.
Users with On-Call Admin or On-Call User roles can create, update, and revert overrides. Observers have read-only access.
Shifts are generated based on schedule rotation rules and continuously recalculated as schedules or overrides change. Upcoming shifts always reflect the latest configuration.