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Backup on-call

Overview​

The Dev - Backup schedule in incident.io identifies who can replace the primary on-call when they are unable to cover a shift — whether known in advance or during the shift itself. It removes the need to manually ask around for coverage.

Backup is not paged automatically and has no escalation path — it is always manually invoked.

When to use the backup​

Planned absence — if you know in advance you cannot cover your shift.

During a shift — if the primary becomes unavailable mid-shift, backup steps in immediately.

Primary not responding — if the primary is not answering, contact the backup directly.

In all cases, replacements are temporary — do not modify the base rotation as a result.

How to use the backup​

  • Use "Request Cover" in incident.io to ask the backup to take the shift, or
  • Override the shift directly (if permissions allow)
  • Mention @oncall-backup in Slack to reach the backup directly

Schedule structure​

The backup rotation follows the same order as the primary, offset by roughly half the team size. This keeps the gap between someone's primary and backup duties as large as possible. See the on-call schedule in incident.io.

Edge case: backup and primary are the same person​

This should not happen given the rotation offset, but if it does — use the next person in the Dev - Backup rotation as the backup for that week. That person will effectively cover two consecutive backup weeks as a result.

Adding a new member​

When adding someone to the Dev - Backup rotation, place them in the same position relative to their neighbors as they appear in the primary Dev rotation.

For example, if a new member is added to the Dev rotation right after John Doe, they should also be placed right after John Doe in the Dev - Backup rotation.

The order must stay in sync between the two rotations at all times.

Covering for each other​

Replacements are treated as one-off exceptions — there is no automatic compensation in the rotation.

Example: if B covers for A, the schedule does not later force A to cover for B.

If coverage imbalances accumulate over time, they can be addressed manually.