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On-Call

Create on-call schedules and escalation policies to ensure the right person is notified at the right time.

What is On-Call?

On-call management ensures that when an incident occurs, the appropriate team member is notified and can respond. Encompass allows you to create schedules that rotate responsibility among team members and escalation policies that define what happens if someone doesn't respond.

Note: On-call features are available for organization accounts only.

Creating a Schedule

  1. 1
    Navigate to On-Call

    Click "On-Call" in the sidebar, then "Create Schedule".

  2. 2
    Name your schedule

    Give it a descriptive name like "Primary On-Call" or "Weekend Coverage".

  3. 3
    Add team members

    Select who will be part of the rotation.

  4. 4
    Configure rotation

    Set the rotation type (daily, weekly) and when rotations start.

Rotation Types

TypeDescriptionBest For
DailyRotates to the next person each day at a specified timeHigh-alert environments with frequent incidents
WeeklyRotates to the next person each week on a specified dayMost teams - balances responsibility with continuity
CustomDefine custom rotation intervals (e.g., every 3 days)Unique scheduling requirements

Schedule Overrides

Life happens. Overrides let you temporarily change who's on-call without modifying the underlying schedule:

  • PTO coverage - Assign someone else when a team member is on vacation
  • Shift swaps - Trade shifts with a colleague
  • Holiday coverage - Special coverage during holidays
  • Emergency changes - Quick handoffs when needed

Overrides have a start and end time. Once the override period ends, the regular schedule automatically resumes.

Escalation Policies

Escalation policies define what happens when an incident isn't acknowledged within a certain time. They ensure incidents don't go unnoticed.

How Escalation Works

  1. 1.Incident is triggered, notification sent to on-call person
  2. 2.If not acknowledged within timeout (e.g., 5 minutes), escalate to next level
  3. 3.Continue escalating through levels until acknowledged or all levels exhausted

Example Escalation Policy

1

Primary On-Call

Notify immediately, escalate after 5 minutes

2

Secondary On-Call

Notify if primary doesn't acknowledge, escalate after 10 minutes

3

Team Lead

Last resort notification

Viewing Current On-Call

The On-Call page shows at a glance:

  • Who is currently on-call for each schedule
  • When the next rotation occurs
  • Any active overrides
  • Upcoming schedule for the week/month
IncidentsStatus Pages