Oncall rates, IT

PaulJM

My employer is currently working up a proposal for us to go on call - we're home workers in an IT service management environment. 
Just so I can be forearmed, it'd be really helpful, if you're happy to, if anyone could tell me what they're currently getting paid for this kind of oncall work? A retainer plus time worked for eg? 

TELLIT01

I think you may be surprised by the different rates paid.  It's a long time since I did on-call but when the first employer introduced it they simply said we were expected to be available, but would only be paid if called out.  That very quickly changed when nobody heard their phone ring in the evenings or at weekends.  Even when it was changed the on-call payment was minimal, but at least a rota was introduced.  That was an engineering company.

When I worked for a financial institution we received an on-call payment of about £100 per week and an hourly rate on top if actually called out. 

DullGreyGuy

From a legal and practical point of view it depends on a matter of factors such as if you have to be a certain place whilst on call, wear a uniform or not, respond within a very short timescale etc... note that being banned from drinking alcohol is not considered a restriction. 

If those are triggered then the whole shift is considered working time for the purposes of working out if you are being paid minimum wage etc whereas if you can be anywhere, wear anything etc then responding to the call is all that counts. 

What it is in practice varies massively... some pay a low retainer but pay 1.5x for the hours actually worked, some pay a higher retainer but standard time for the hours worked.

On the rare occasions I've done it its been exceptional and agreed at simply my standard rate which is charged by the half day (over or under 4hrs) but my rate of pay isn't going to risk me getting anywhere near NMW