Being on-call can sometimes feel overwhelming. If that feeling goes unnoticed for too long, it often translates into burnout. And early burnout signs usually show up in ways, like how people respond to incidents or how they feel about the schedule. This guide walks through four such signs and what you can do about them.
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1. Escalating more often
When someone starts escalating incidents more frequently than they used to, it can signal they are running low on bandwidth.
This often happens when the energy required to investigate and fix an incident starts to feel like a drag. It is not about them lacking the skills or knowledge. They are just running low on the mental bandwidth to engage deeply with each problem. If you notice this shift happening consistently across multiple rotations, it might be an early sign that burnout is starting to set in.
What you can do when escalations increase
It is worth checking whether there’s too much alert noise. When the on-call engineer gets paged for low-priority incidents that could wait, they start passing more things up the escalation chain. Cutting down that noise usually gives them the mental space to engage with what actually matters.
In Spike, the resolve timer can automatically close low-priority incidents after a set window. It keeps the queue cleaner without any manual work.
2. Incidents being ignored
When someone juggles regular work alongside on-call duties, they often end up prioritizing one over the other. Low-priority incidents can start to feel like something to tackle later, especially when a deadline or project task feels more pressing. Over time, those postponed incidents begin to pile up in the queue.
This pattern usually signals that the responder cannot quite keep up with both responsibilities at once. The incidents are not being dismissed out of carelessness; they are just getting pushed aside because there is only so much bandwidth available. When you notice this happening consistently, it can be a useful early sign that someone might be edging towards burnout.
What you can do when incidents get ignored
When someone is expected to ship features and respond to incidents at the same time, one of them usually gives. So, scheduling lighter workloads during on-call weeks is probably the most practical first step. A clear boundary between on-call time and regular work helps too, even if it begins as an informal team understanding.
3. Not enough recovery
Most teams start with a rotation that feels reasonable at first. Early shifts go fine, and everyone settles into the rhythm. But over time, people might begin to notice that the recovery window between shifts does not feel quite as restful as it used to.
This often happens when teams set up a schedule and leave it running without checking back in. What worked initially can stop working as incident volume shifts or as people cycle through more rotations. Without regular conversations about how the shifts actually feel, fatigue can quietly accumulate. A schedule that seemed sustainable can gradually become harder to maintain, often leading to burnout.
What you can do when recovery falls short
Recovery usually comes down to how much time someone gets between shifts. If that gap is too short, no amount of tweaking other things fixes the underlying problem. One option worth considering is a gap shift, which is a slot in the rotation where no one carries primary on-call responsibility. It acts as a shared breathing room for the whole team before the next cycle begins.
With Spike, you can schedule these gap slots directly into your rotation without any workarounds.
4. Not meeting SLAs
When SLAs start slipping regularly, it often signals that the responder is struggling to keep up. They might try to resolve incidents within the agreed timeframe, but the volume makes it hard to hit those targets consistently. Over time, missed SLAs can add pressure and make people feel like they are falling behind.
This often points to SLAs being set too strictly for the actual workload. A six or eight-hour resolution window might have seemed reasonable when the team first discussed it. But maintaining that pace over multiple rotations can become exhausting and push people towards burnout. If you notice SLAs being missed more often than met, it might be time to check if those targets still fit your team’s reality.
What you can do when SLAs slip
It is probably worth asking whether every incident needs an SLA at all. Most teams find it useful to set strict targets only for critical incidents and leave lower-priority ones without a hard deadline. This one distinction can reduce the pressure considerably.
Burnout does not always show up as exhaustion. Sometimes it looks like more escalations than usual or incidents that keep getting postponed. If you spot these patterns on your team, it is probably time to make some adjustments to your rotation. Small changes early on can help keep the schedule sustainable for everyone.
FAQs
How do I know if someone is burnt out or just having a bad week?
A bad week usually resolves itself after some rest. Burnout patterns persist across multiple rotations. If you notice the same behaviors for three or four shifts in a row, it might be worth having a conversation.
How often should we check in about the on-call workload?
Most teams find that monthly conversations work well. Some prefer the first or second Friday of each month. The key is making it regular, so you catch these on-call burnout signs and fix them before it affects the team.