SA Tenets – Oncall Applies In Both Directions
This is a continuation of the “SA Tenets” series of posts in which I discuss my beliefs about System Administration and work in general
Oncall Applies In Both Directions
Most products do not fail at convenent times. So most SAs will find themselves carrying a pager for an oncall shift. I have one major rule that says “oncall applies in both directions” and no one ever understands what I mean (so it probably needs a new name). Here is what I mean.
Oncall Is an Intrusion
Being paged to fix a problem at work is an intrusion on you private life. And in most cases it is considered “part of the job” and doesn’t garner any additional compensation. But it really is worth more than your normal work – it’s an emergency. And an interruption. And involves more work (finding a computer, finding a network, establishing a VPN, etc). Companies generally do not acknowledge this fact.
Intrusions Happen at Work, Too
If your work is allowed to intrude on your life, then your life is allowed to intrude on your work. Plumbers must be let in, packages received, recitals attended, and almost always during business hours. And if your job caused you to miss four hours of sleep last night, then I don’t really want you touching production machines – better to sleep in and come to work with a sharp mind.
It’s basic work/life balance – remind your boss (and HR) if (s)he balks.
Reader Comments
One thing which I’ve observed which may warrant a mention are those situations where it’s not easy to resolve a break/fix situation solo.
I’ve always encouraged folks to reach out when they get that afterhours page to the subject matter experts for the complex in question if it’s not a basic situation, yet it rarely happens.
Always especially disappointing to hear about someone struggling with a issue+resolution for four hours in the middle of the night when a three minute phone call to a team member could have provided information necessary to resolve it quickly.
In short – don’t hesitate to reach out for help!
(and make sure your manager knows that more than just you were inconvenienced….)
This really comes back to one of my truisms, which is that the only real measure of job performance is work output, not the hours you work. Plus it helps prevent your spouse from looking at your laptop as “the Other Woman”!