A six-person SRE rotation is redesigning its primary on-call coverage. Which shift length best aligns with common SRE guidance for limiting burnout?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
Google SRE guidance favors primary on-call shifts that are short enough to avoid fatigue, with about one week being a common upper limit. Engineers should also get adequate time off after a shift so they recover before their next turn. Long or open-ended shifts degrade response quality and increase the chance that people miss critical pages. The right length depends on alert volume and team size, but the principle is to keep shifts bounded and sustainable.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. A three-month shift is far beyond sustainable limits. Fewer handoffs do not compensate for the sustained fatigue and reduced effectiveness it causes.
- C. Continuous daily twelve-hour shifts with no rest period cause burnout quickly. Guidance stresses recovery time between on-call duties.
- D. Without a fixed length, responders cannot plan rest or know when coverage ends. Bounded, predictable rotations are the recommended approach.