“On Call”
As of 11AM this morning, and until 11AM next Tuesday, I’m “on call” . . . which means that if something breaks, especially at 3AM, I’m the first guy responsible for fixing it.
This is actually a new form of “on call” for me–this is the first time I have been in a “rotation”. At other, smaller companies, I have spent years on-call. Now, that isn’t quite so bad in a small environment where things seldom fail, but it is something of a drag to keep your boss informed of your weekend travel plans so he can watch for pages in your stead. In a larger environment, a week spent on-call can be particularly onerous, because there are plenty of things that will break. But, come the end of the week, you pass the baton . . .
So, this week, I will get my first taste, and over time I will have a better sense as to whether “on call” is better in a smaller environment or a larger environment. I have a feeling that while this week could be rough, that the larger environment is an overall better deal: there is a secondary on-call person, there is an entire team I can call for advice on different things, and the big company provides nice things like a cellular modem card, and bonus pay for on-call time.
Hoo-rah!!
