Question:

How can I handle a conflict with a colleague over the on-call rotation schedule for a client that requires out of hours support?

I agreed to be one of the two on-call engineers for a client that pays extra for out of hours support, which involves being available for calls from 8am to 9am and 6pm to 10pm on weekdays, on a one week on and one week off basis. However, my colleague who also wants to do it asked me to change the schedule to one day on and one day off, because he does not want to miss his social life. I refused, because I think the weekly schedule is more manageable and fair, and I have some prior commitments on some Fridays. He accused me of being unreasonable and said that we have to sort out the rota ourselves. I have more experience than him and I know that weekly rotas are the norm in most jobs. Am I wrong for sticking to the original plan? How can I resolve this situation without causing trouble at work?

Answer:

How to deal with a colleague who wants to change the on-call rotation schedule

On-call rotations are a common practice in many jobs that require out of hours support for clients or customers. They can be a source of extra income, but also a source of stress and conflict, especially if the schedule is not agreed upon by all the parties involved. In this article, we will explore a scenario where a colleague wants to change the on-call rotation schedule from a weekly basis to a daily basis, and how to handle it without causing trouble at work.

You are one of the two on-call engineers for a client that pays extra for out of hours support, which involves being available for calls from 8am to 9am and 6pm to 10pm on weekdays, on a one week on and one week off basis. You agreed to do it because you are fine with the schedule and you can use the extra money. You also have some prior commitments on some Fridays, which your employer is okay with.

However, your colleague who also wants to do it asked you to change the schedule to one day on and one day off, because he does not want to miss his social life. He said that he and his friends tend to do things in the evenings at short notice, and he does not want to miss out on them. He also said that he was told that it was up to the two engineers to work out the rota among themselves.

You refused, because you think the weekly schedule is more manageable and fair, and you have some prior commitments on some Fridays. You also have more experience than him and you know that weekly rotas are the norm in most jobs. He accused you of being unreasonable and said that you have to compromise.

The problem

The problem in this scenario is that there is a mismatch between your and your colleague’s expectations and preferences regarding the on-call rotation schedule. You prefer a weekly schedule because it allows you to plan your personal life more easily, and it is consistent with the industry standards. Your colleague prefers a daily schedule because it gives him more flexibility and freedom to enjoy his social life.

The problem is also exacerbated by the lack of clear communication and guidelines from your employer. Your colleague said that he was told that it was up to the two engineers to work out the rota among themselves, which implies that there is no official policy or procedure for the on-call rotation. This leaves room for ambiguity and disagreement, and puts the burden on you and your colleague to negotiate and resolve the issue.

The solution

The solution to this problem is to find a way to communicate and collaborate with your colleague in a respectful and constructive manner, and to seek guidance and support from your employer if needed. Here are some steps that you can take to achieve this:

• Acknowledge your colleague’s perspective. Even if you disagree with your colleague’s request, you should try to understand where he is coming from and what his motivations and needs are. You can say something like, “I appreciate that you want to have more flexibility and enjoy your social life, and I respect that. I also understand that you want to do the on-call rotation and earn the extra money.”
• Explain your perspective. You should also explain your own reasons and preferences for sticking to the weekly schedule, and how changing it would affect you. You can say something like, “However, I prefer the weekly schedule because it works better for me and my personal life. I have some prior commitments on some Fridays that I cannot change, and I also like to plan ahead and know what to expect. Changing the schedule to a daily basis would make it harder for me to do that, and it would also be unfair to me because I would have to do more on-call shifts than you.”
• Propose a compromise. If possible, you should try to find a middle ground that can satisfy both of you and your client. You can say something like, “Maybe we can find a way to accommodate both of our needs and preferences. For example, we can keep the weekly schedule, but I can cover the odd day here and there if something comes up for you, as long as I have nothing planned. Or we can alternate the weeks, so that one week you do Monday to Thursday, and I do Friday to Sunday, and the next week we switch. Or we can ask our employer to assign another engineer to the on-call rotation, so that we can have more options and flexibility.”
• Seek feedback and confirmation. After proposing a compromise, you should ask your colleague for his feedback and confirmation. You can say something like, “What do you think of these suggestions? Do you think any of them would work for you and the client? Are you willing to try them out and see how they go?”
• Escalate the issue if necessary. If you and your colleague cannot reach an agreement, or if your colleague is unwilling to compromise or cooperate, you may need to escalate the issue to your employer. You can say something like, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can resolve this issue by ourselves. I think we need some guidance and support from our employer. Can we talk to our manager and see what they think? Maybe they can help us find a solution that works for everyone.”

The conclusion

On

-call rotations are a common practice in many jobs that require out of hours support for clients or customers. They can be a source of extra income, but also a source of stress and conflict, especially if the schedule is not agreed upon by all the parties involved. In this article, we explored a scenario where a colleague wants to change the on-call rotation schedule from a weekly basis to a daily basis, and how to handle it without causing trouble at work. We suggested some steps that you can take to communicate and collaborate with your colleague in a respectful and constructive manner, and to seek guidance and support from your employer if needed. We hope that this article was helpful and informative, and that you can apply these tips to your own situation. Thank you for reading.