On Call Hell

Hello, Hello ... is anyone there?

It’s something I will probably never forget, dragging that stupid phone around with me everywhere I went. Being on edge, dang thing usually went off about 11:30 PM. Horrible. Not a way to live.

I still remember saying “Forget this,” and going to a concert. Got in trouble the next day for not answering. I thumbed my nose at them and got away scot-free.

On call. The dreaded bane and destroyer of Engineers and Developers since God said let there be light. Let there be “On Call,” and it was so. And may Engineers by the sweat of their brows plow the dusty earth of code at midnight. Our penance.

On-Call in real life.

This is an interesting topic in the context of tech folk. Everyone has had their own experiences with on-call, good, bad, and some in between. There are various types of on-call, cultures, and times, so no two on-call rotations are alike in most companies. Startups to corporate giants, all trying to suck the life out of us.

Yet, even with that, it is universally despised.

Why? Why do we hate it so much? I mean we techies are lampooned as being overpaid buggers, so what’s the big deal about being on call every once in a while?

We will get to that later, but for now, let’s talk about what types of on-call lie around in the shadows waiting to jump on you.