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Hey Soylentils,
One of my least favorite parts of my job is on call work. I'm wondering if there are any standard practices when it comes to afterhour on call work. At the moment, I am on call 50% of the time. (I share it with one other person). When I am on call, I am expected to answer the ticket within 15 minutes, which means:
- I can't leave the city
- Going to a restaurant/movie/etc is a gamble.
- Sometimes I have to drop whatever I'm doing and answer a call.
Thankfully, I don't get many calls -- Maybe one per week that I can resolve in 30 minutes. In exchange for carrying the pager, I am paid a flat rate of $250CAD/week. After taxes, it works out to more like $150. I am sick to death of carrying the pager. I hate being restricted in my movements on my time off. I like to get out to the mountains, and because of pager, I can't.
Now, there are rumors that the company might remove that $250/week because of "the economic times". That basically would mean that I am giving up my freedom 50% of the time for nothing, and that I should be happy to have a job. Needless to say, I'm a little upset at that prospect...
So, Soylentils, what are your pager practices? Do you get paid for on call work? What happens if you miss a call? Do you have a backup on-call person? Do you get time off in lieu?
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Thursday December 10 2015, @06:38AM
But in the US if you're on call they legally have to pay you minimum wage. On the other hand, that law is rarely enforced and it comes down to supply and demand. How badly do you need that particular job?
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 3, Informative) by SuperCharlie on Thursday December 10 2015, @01:24PM
That is not accurate. People who qualify as salaried (exempt) employees do not make overtime and any amount paid above salary is at the company's digression. All our on call people are salaried and make peanuts for on call.
(Score: 2) by Fnord666 on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:41PM
That is not accurate. People who qualify as salaried (exempt) employees do not make overtime and any amount paid above salary is at the company's digression. All our on call people are salaried and make peanuts for on call.
Wait, you get paid to be on call?
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Thursday December 10 2015, @04:43PM
Many companies abuse the "salaried" designation. Just because you're salaried doesn't mean they can pay you less than minimum wage once all hours are accounted for.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 10 2015, @04:59PM
You also have to watch out for negotiation of different times. For example, if you assume the same job (other than on call requirements) and experience NOC being paid $60,000 and OC are paid $70,000 and they are responsible for 1/3 of OC time, then you are violating the law. The on call portion of that salary is only $10,000, which is only $3.42 an hour, because the only reason they are getting the additional money is because of the on call time. True, real life situations can be more complicated but they are still breaking the law if you can compact all the job responsibilities and end up with a similar shortfall.