---
sourceDocument: Australia IT Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/it-service-management

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    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia IT Service Management

ft:clusterId :

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bundleId :

    - itsm

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Definitions of On-Call Scheduling terms

# Definitions of On-Call Scheduling terms {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated March 12, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read  
Some terms have specific meaning in the On-Call Scheduling
application.

Shift
:   A shift is the time period during which the members of a roster
    are on-call. You can view the details of any shift from the
    calendar.

Roster

:   A roster is a set of members that is on call for a shift.
    Because there is typically a roster for each
    escalation level (primary, secondary, tertiary),
    there are typically multiple rosters for a shift.
    The members of any roster are contacted in the order
    that is defined by the escalation policy.

Roster members (members)
:   The members of a roster are the users that have been added to a single roster. Roster members typically have the itil role. During an assigned shift, members must be available to act if notified of an escalation.

    * Users must be members of the same group.
    * The shift manager (rota_manager role) might or might not be a roster member.
    {#c_OnCallSchedulingConcepts__ul_nzm_qtt_mlb}

Rotation

:   Rotation is the process of exchanging the turn of duty of
    members of a roster.

    Members' From and To dates determine when they are
    members of the roster.

Schedule
:   A schedule specifies the times that shifts are active. For
    example, a company that wants coverage of tasks around the
    clock would use a 24-7 schedule. Companies that provide
    support around the globe could use a follow the sun schedule
    to cover time zones across continents.

Escalation
:   Escalations are a series of notifications to roster members for
    a task. The notifications happen in the order specified by
    the escalation path for the shift.

Notification
:   On-Call Scheduling sends escalation notifications to
    members of a shift. Notification methods include email,
    voice, Slack, SMS, Microsoft Teams, and mobile push.

Holidays and time off
:   Roster members can request time off. Managers can plan for and
    manage holidays and requests for time off.
**Related concepts**   

* [On-Call Scheduling](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/00Qz6chZn3_jkDF74s931g "The On-Call Scheduling application identifies the assigned and available member of a support group, for example, when assigning an incident.")