Work on-call

CWestwater

Hi, just wanted some advise. At work we have company provided mobiles and laptops. I work in IT. Anyway, I do unpaid overtime as needed to get things done and have always been happy to do this to help.

Anyway, now they want me to be on call once a month on a Saturday night from midnight until 6am (to cover some maintenance that happens in the US). If something goes wrong we have to be online and helping within fifteen minutes of being notified by a call. They wanted me to do it for nothing!

Myself and the other UK based guy that have been told to do it have pushed back. The guys in the US are having to do it for nothing, but our US based manager doesn't understand that they can't just make us do it in the UK.

So after a while they have come back and offered us:

If we get called, we get two hours double time (that's it - no more. So we have to stay in on a )
We don't do it (not fair on the US guys that will have to do it every second week).
The least preferred option would be to pay us for the six hours.

When we said the third option would be our preferred option, our manager didn't seem happy. We then counter offered with six hours at normal rate - 10%. We are still waiting on a response.

Oh to top it off we have been doing the on call rotation for 3 months now. What do people think? Am I being unreasonable for wanting something for putting my life on hold once every four weeks on a Saturday night?

ohreally

CWestwater wrote: »

The least preferred option would be to pay us for the six hours.

When we said the third option would be our preferred option, our manager didn't seem happy

Following consultation, you have indicated you would be prepared to accept one of the employers options, your manager subsequently takes the strunts.

Thank him for his offer, but inform him on reflection you feel compelled to maintain the status-quo.

CWestwater wrote: »

Oh to top it off we have been doing the on call rotation for 3 months now. What do people think?

Your living dangerously by doing this. Reach agreement quickly or stop doing the on-call.

Savvy_Sue

Do you actually get called?

We pay a few of our staff £50 for a week of on-call: it's 5 evenings, including Saturdays, from about 9pm to midnight, later on Fridays and Saturdays. BUT they're very unlikely to get a phone call, and even less likely to have to attend.

I agree that the longer you just do it, the less likely you are to get the result you want. It's a change to your T&C, so at the least you need to say that you're doing the on call unpaid 'under protest'.

Poppy9

How much of a fuss you make about it depends on how well paid you currently are, how easy it is for them to replace you and how easy it will be for you find another job.

You do need to get a protocol sorted, even though it's only once a month as what happens if the on call person is taken ill, has a family emergency etc. Who covers, does anyone get paid?

agrinnall

I did a lot of unpaid on-call when i was a contractor, but as an employee there have always been agreements on various payments to be made. In general it's been a fixed payment for the period on-call - rarely more than the £50 Sue has mentioned - plus different payments for time spent on calls received, remote log in, and actually having to go on site, sometimes with a minimum time paid even if it takes less than that.

ladylouise62

What they do it for in the US is fairly irrelevant as pay & conditions are different there. It may be different now, but the last time I knew anything about it they earned more than us, paid a little less tax, but only had 2 weeks paid holiday compared to the UKs standard 4/5. If you go that way then I could be compared with Indian workers who will be earning a pittance with probably no paid leave and very few rights.

In the UK I think that it is normally expected to get some pay for being on call (although I can only say that from my/friends experiences). Even if you don't get called, you could not enjoy alcohol on a Saturday night, and if you need access to a specific computer connection then you could not go away..,.and all for no pay.
As someone has already said - you cannot keep doing it for no pay or you will be deemed to have accepted it. Certainly, on the employers side there is a rule of "custom and practice" which means that even if it is not written into your contract, if the company always does that then it is deemed to be added to your contract, and I suspect that it could work both ways if you are not careful.

I would suggest that you demand some bonus payment ("without prejudice" which means that the existence of this temporary agreement bares no relation to any final agreement) until it is finally settled and set a date by which payment arrangements will be settled.