I’m curious whether it’s appropriate for front-end developers to participate in an on-call schedule that focuses on monitoring backend systems. Given that front-end engineers typically lack the expertise to resolve backend issues, their main role in this context would be alerting the proper backend team for resolution. My manager has mentioned that due to an imbalance in team composition, I might need to assist with on-call responsibilities. I’m already managing a heavy workload and am concerned about potential burnout, so I wonder if this approach is common in other organizations.
In my experience, requiring front-end engineers to participate in on-call rotations primarily focused on the backend can be counterproductive. While cross-functional training is valuable, expecting a role to cover responsibilities for which it is not equipped can increase stress and reduce overall efficiency. I have seen teams suffer from delayed resolution times and diminished focus on core responsibilities when forced into support roles outside their expertise. It is important to assess workload distribution and ensure that teams have adequate backup so that specialists can focus on their strengths without risking burnout.