Overview

Sizemotion's on-call scheduling system helps teams manage incident response coverage with flexible rotation patterns, automatic shift generation, and comprehensive notifications. The system supports:

  • Schedule configurations with team assignments and timezone settings
  • Rotation layers for primary, secondary, and escalation coverage
  • Automatic shift generation from layer patterns
  • Shift acknowledgment tracking with timestamps
  • Email and in-app notifications when shifts are assigned
  • Activity feed integration for visibility across teams

Create a Schedule

Navigate to On-Call → Schedules and click "Create Schedule".

Required Fields

  • Name: Descriptive title (e.g., "Backend Production On-Call")
  • Team: Select which team owns this schedule
  • Timezone: Set the schedule's timezone for accurate shift times
  • Description: (Optional) Additional context or runbook links

Once created, you'll be directed to the schedule detail page where you can add rotation layers and view the generated shifts calendar.

Rotation Layers

Layers define who rotates when. A schedule can have multiple layers stacked for different coverage patterns (e.g., primary weekday rotation + weekend rotation).

Creating a Layer

  1. From the schedule detail page, click "Add Layer"
  2. Fill in the layer configuration:
    • Name: Layer identifier (e.g., "Primary Rotation")
    • Rotation Type: Daily, Weekly, or Custom interval
    • Handoff Time: When shifts change (e.g., 09:00)
    • Start Date: When this layer begins
  3. Add Users: Drag and drop team members to set rotation order
  4. Restrictions: (Optional) Limit to specific days or time ranges

Rotation Types

  • Daily: Shifts rotate every day at the handoff time
  • Weekly: Shifts rotate every week (7 days)
  • Custom: Specify rotation length in hours (e.g., 12-hour shifts)

Restrictions

Fine-tune coverage with day-of-week and time restrictions:

  • Day restrictions: Only Mon-Fri, weekends only, or specific days
  • Time restrictions: Business hours (9-5) or off-hours coverage
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Pro Tip: Use multiple layers to handle different coverage patterns. For example: Layer 1 for weekdays 9-5, Layer 2 for nights/weekends.

User Order Management

Users are assigned to shifts in rotation order. Use the drag-and-drop interface to:

  • Reorder users in the rotation sequence
  • Add new team members mid-rotation
  • Remove users who are no longer on-call

Handoff Notes

Add handoff notes to each layer to document:

  • Runbook links or escalation procedures
  • Special instructions for the rotation
  • Context for incoming responders

These notes are included in shift assignment emails.

Managing Shifts

Shifts are automatically generated from your layer configurations. Each shift represents one person's on-call period.

Shift Information

Each shift includes:

  • User: Who is on-call
  • Period: Start and end timestamps
  • Schedule & Layer: Which schedule and layer generated the shift
  • Acknowledged: Whether the user has acknowledged the shift
  • Handoff Notes: Any notes from the layer configuration

Shift Acknowledgment

When assigned to a shift, users receive a notification with an "Acknowledge" button. Acknowledging a shift:

  • Confirms the user is aware of their assignment
  • Timestamps when acknowledgment occurred
  • Provides visibility to team leads on shift readiness

Overrides

Temporarily replace scheduled users for vacations or swaps:

  1. Navigate to the schedule detail page
  2. Click "Add Override"
  3. Select date range and replacement user
  4. Add notes explaining the override

Notifications & Acknowledgment

Sizemotion sends comprehensive notifications when shifts are assigned to keep everyone informed.

Email Notifications

When assigned to a shift, users receive an email containing:

  • Schedule name and team
  • Shift period (start and end times)
  • Handoff notes from the layer
  • "View Schedule" button linking to the schedule

In-App Notifications

Users also see an in-app notification in the notification bell with:

  • Unread badge count
  • Clickable link to schedule detail
  • Mark-as-read functionality

Activity Feed

Shift assignments appear in the activity feed with:

  • Schedule name and end time
  • Visual icon (headset) for quick identification
  • Link to schedule detail page
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Current Shift Status: If you're currently on-call, an ephemeral "On call" event shows in your activity feed with hours remaining.

Calendar View

The schedule detail page includes a visual calendar showing:

  • Upcoming shifts with user names and times
  • Color-coded layers to distinguish rotation types
  • Overrides highlighted differently from regular shifts
  • Week/month views for planning ahead

Click any shift in the calendar to view details or add overrides.

Best Practices

Fair Rotation Distribution

Monitor shift distribution to ensure no one is overloaded. Review the calendar monthly and adjust user order or add team members as needed.

Clear Handoff Notes

Include essential information in layer handoff notes:

  • Runbook links for common incidents
  • Escalation paths (who to contact for help)
  • Known issues or ongoing incidents
  • Monitoring dashboard links

Acknowledgment Tracking

Regularly check that shifts are being acknowledged. Unacknowledged shifts may indicate:

  • Notification issues (check email delivery)
  • User availability problems (vacation, time off)
  • Need for schedule adjustments

Timezone Awareness

For distributed teams, set the schedule timezone to match where most team members are located, or create separate schedules per region.

Layer Stacking Strategy

Common layer configurations:

  • Primary + Secondary: Two layers with different users for backup coverage
  • Weekday + Weekend: Separate rotations for business hours and off-hours
  • Regional: Different layers for APAC, EMEA, and Americas timezones
  • Escalation: Additional layer for senior engineers or managers

Regular Schedule Reviews

  • Review schedules weekly with your team lead
  • Adjust rotation order based on availability
  • Update handoff notes with new runbooks or procedures
  • Remove users who have changed roles or teams