On-call roster (in shift work): Schedule for employees who must be available to work on short notice.
On-call roster
A schedule for employees required to be available to work at short notice, typically in service-oriented industries. It ensures adequate coverage during peak demand or emergencies, allowing you to respond rapidly to workforce needs. These can be due to sudden staffing shortfalls caused by illness, vacation, or unexpected surges in demand.
Healthcare facilities, IT companies, restaurants, and service-oriented businesses each utilize on call rosters differently. For instance, hospitals maintain emergency on call rosters where medical professionals must respond within minutes, while restaurants might use on call scheduling to adjust staffing levels based on customer volume with several hours’ notice.
Key Components of an Effective On Call Roster System
A robust on-call roster system includes clear communication about how and when staff are notified, expectations for response time, and the method of choosing on-call employees. A well-designed on call roster incorporates several crucial elements:
Response Time Requirements
Organizations must clearly define how quickly on call staff should be available when contacted. This ranges from immediate response requirements in emergency services to 2-4 hour windows in retail environments.
Notification Systems
Modern on call roster management typically employs digital scheduling software that notifies employees through multiple channels, ensuring reliable communication when coverage is needed.
Rotation Fairness
Successful on call rosters distribute responsibilities evenly among eligible employees, preventing burnout and maintaining team morale.
How we can help
With many options available, not every tool is suitable for managing an on-call roster. We’re inviting you to try out our self-scheduling software, Zelos Team Management, which is developed specifically for on-demand rosters in mind. Sign up for a free account on our website to see if it suits your requirements!
Shift work glossary
- Schedule adherence
- Schedule lock
- Schedule optimization
- Schedule request period
- Schedule template
- Schedule transparency
- Scheduling conflicts
- Scheduling constraints
- Scheduling fairness
- Scheduling horizon
- Seasonal roster
- Self-scheduling
- Self-scheduling rules
- Shift bidding
- Shift differential
- Shift eligibility
- Shift Fatigue
- Shift marketplace
- Shift pattern
- Shift release
- Shift rotation
- Shift swapping
- Shift trade
- Split roster
- Split shift
- Staggered shift roster
- Swing shift