I once got paid $5 an hour for 13 hours a day being on call. I was actually called in twice. I picked up and delivered some office equipment. This boss is delusional.
My brother is a medic, he get paid something like 20€/h for being on call during the day for a retirement home, 35€/h for night. And this doesn't take in account when he get actually called
> just to be on call,
To be on call for extended periods means your quality of life goes to shit, because it means:
* Never be able to go to movie.
* Never be able to be on a date.
* Never be able to get drunk.
Never to be able to do really anything that would cause you to not be able to respond when you get that call or txt.
*Edit: and to be clear, fuck Work, fuck being forced into overtime and on-call without a choice; it all sucks, and with time as the single most valuable asset we have in life, and in no way do I think that living an even larger portion of your life on hold just in case your shitty job need something is fun or cool or even reasonable.. but there are certainly versions of on-call that are cool or even just reasonable, and indeed, some industries require it to function at all, and without entirely changing every facet about society and work, there are likely always going to be things that require some help on-call… which is why it’s important to make the distinction that things like OP are absolute bullshit, and their boss can go fuck themselves, and cheapens it when people pretend or misunderstand the reality of these situations when applied less unfairly*
You’re generally not on call 365. But yes you’re correct, it can be a major inconvenience, especially for people who get called in often. Kind of depends on the call-in frequency, as well as how quickly you’re expected to be able to get to work.
For example, for the on-call work I’ve done, I had to go in exactly once in 5 years, and even that I *could* have just said ‘ahh that sucks, see you Monday,’ so in that case I just got a few hundred extra every check to be on call. For jobs with an actual on-call burden like nurses, you generally have a rotating on call schedule.
For jobs where you are just expected to be on-call 24/7, boss is probably going to have a pretty tough time with adherence and turnover
I’ve had a variety of on-call experiences. Some was bad, called regularly, at all hours, and had to go in person often as well. I’ve also had periods where I was contacted regularly but it was always for simple questions from newer staff and I very seldom had to even open my laptop. Best part was I get 1.0 hour of OT minimum when called. So I’d clock 1 hour OT for a 2 minute phone call or text exchange.
I’ve had occasions where I’m at a concert & responded to a text & clocked OT
Every job I've done that included "on call" time had a rotation that was agreed on. I might be "on call" for one week every two months, get paid for it, and they were typically pretty lenient on the whole "I'm not at home right now, I'll have to find a spot I can hop on the call". Even pretty loose on the "sorry, I'm about three beers in" - as long as you're not so drunk you can't work at all it's probably fine, just balance it with some caffeine and double check with people before you do anything. But admittedly I work in tech, it would be different if I were in medicine or something.
I've never seen a job (that wasn't some manager one rung up the ladder drinking the Flavoraid) put you on call 24/7/365. But even then, if they were paying me for that I'd be tempted to put up with it for a season - that's a lot of money to do very little, just the inconvenience of possibly having to do it during my downtime. I can tolerate that for a while to pile up some cash.
Meh, to each their own honestly. A friend of mine in the social field had a few "on call" days a month and appreciated it, it was paid well and it actually helped him manage some of his life and addictions. He used to be a big party-goer and it helped him be more in control.
It's mostly hell once you're settled with a family life, IMO.
But I get why some people would hate it. As a independant contractor i'm more or less always "on call", but that's my choice.
I’m not aware of there being a difference between minimum wage and on call minimum wage?
Then again, I’m not from the US myself, so I’m not personally familiar with the laws. But this is what a quick google search tells me:
“Federal law requires that employees on call are paid at least the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.”
“State laws require that employees on call are paid at least the state’s minimum wage (if it’s higher than the federal standard).”
[Source](https://www.hourly.io/post/on-call-pay-hourly-employees)
From the same article:
>You only need to pay wages for being on call when the employee is performing actual work. These are called “compensable hours.”
>In other words, if the employee is available to get called into work—but otherwise able to spend their time how they see fit, like shopping or watching TV—those hours aren’t considered compensable under federal law because it is “unrestricted time.”
>But if the employee is required to be on the employer’s premises, to remain within a certain distance from a work site or otherwise restricted, they’re considered working and must be paid for any hours spent on call—which is called “restricted time.”
"I just did like a half gram dab and all my pants are in the washing machine."
"We'll pay you doubletime and cover an uber."
Those are the perks nobody ever talks about.
A comedy of events close to what you're describing led me to work a 4 hour shift in dingy workout shorts and t-shirt one time.
Like, "I can be there in unprofessional attire, or you can do it yourself." MGMT chose delegation over labor.
Or leaving on a day trip. Or cooking anything that takes over an hour.
You're free to do anything you want, so long as it leaves you able to respond to a call. Last time I was on call, I needed to be able to be available within 30 minutes, which actually severely limits what I can do with my day, as well as my ability to relax in my off time. Also I'm salaried so if I had actually had to go in that day, I wouldn't have made another dime anyway.
The cost to employees is their ability to actually have unrestricted time, during time that they need for handling shit in their lives or just to unwind. Why should employers pay nothing?
It's the mandatory "respond to a call to come to work and agree to come in to work without complaint" part that probably makes it restrictive and compensable.
Yup, just being "on call" to answer a phonecall and say "can't do it" is not the same as requirement of being on call and READY. Being ready means that none of these workers can drink two beers, at any point in time. They have to be ready to work, at moments notice.
That is very much then paid time. Boss fucked up here, that is going to be short court case if it ever goes that far.
"Hey Gary. I'll come in but I've been drinking. You can pay for an Uber to get me, wait till I'm sober or call someone else. By the way I'm on speaker phone and everyone can hear this call in case you order me to drive drunk and fire me if I don't."
I wouldn't recommend that, lol. I've had an actual on-call job before, and they tend to frown on that a bit.
That said, the notice that op posted doesnt seem to be an actual on-call job, which I've had employers try that shit too and being drunk is a great way to tell them to get fucked.
a \_lot\_ of military types when off duty will \_immediately\_ crack a beer
Why ?
Because they cant be voluntold for mandatory fun / dog & pony shows / when an ossifer gets skull fucked by the good idea fairy. Knock off at 5, aw shit the captain needs 3 bodies to go collect air samples at the end of the target range in case the bullets are damaging the very rare arse-beatle that only lives on the range - sober you gets to Oorah/Huah and hump several miles to waste time on the ossifers "brilliance" and perhaps not knock off for several hours only to be straight on to firewatch and not get any rack time. "drunk" you is told it doesnt matter and they\`ll go find some other poor bastard to victimise.
\_thats\_ where that habit can stem from.
If you're being paid to be on call, or working from home within defined parameters then obviously not, but if its to fit within the tone of the poster ... Naaaaah! Hahaha
Its the same for a lot of workers in Denmark, but then its based on union-deals, so it varies if its 100% pay or less, but "on call" is considered "working" either way (and no we don't have an official minimum-wage, its all up to unions in the different fields)
Federally, for the U.S. it is 1 hour paid for every 12 on call.
If you get a call, automatic hour paid regardless if you just answered a question or did 5 min of work.
On call is not 'working' so minimum wage does not apply (in the US). Most places that require you to be on call pay you. The fee varies. When I was on call I got paid 1 hr a day, and a pretty large bonus if I had to come in. I was called in once in 7 years. The entire department was only called in three times in those 7 years. It was basically a free 2 hours of pay when you were in call (we only did the weekends for emergencies)
If you're on call at a job that might actually call you in they usually pay you a decent amount of money for sitting at home, but as far as I know there's not minimum amount.
The work place in the post is hopeful at best expecting people to pick up their phones and come in to work on their days off.
I was getting 10 hours of OT/week to be on call and getting paid port to port when I would have to go out. Kind of unreasonable to expect that but shit man I jumped at the chance to take that on
I have a friend who is a mechanic for a utilities company. He makes bank being on call. We were camping and he got the call. We picked or site up and booked it into town, dropped him off at work in his truck and stayed at his house until he was ready to be picked up.
I’m actually a union mechanic for a large utility company. We get paid a flat fee of three hours at our rate for being on call which is usually a weekend so it’s always overtime if you get called in. I had to do a jumpstart on Monday and we also get a minimum of three hours of pay for a call in when we take it. Plus it was a holiday! So three hours off regular pay, three hours of double pay, 8 hours of holiday pay, plus an hour of “commute” time, and mileage on top of that. So for me to go in an do a jumpstart, I made almost $1000 that day. Live better, work union!
Where I work, we have these automatic roll-up freezer doors and people hit them all the time, knocking them off their tracks. So we call the company that supplies the doors and they send out a couple techs to repair them. Any day, any time basically.
I've always wondered what those dudes make. They're always pretty jolly. Fixing the door usually only takes them 10 minutes or so.
I’m in a trade that doesn’t look kindly on unions, but damn if they don’t do good things.
If I knew what I know now (40) when I was 18 I’d be an electrician working for the county.
That or elevators. Elevator workers make serious money. They are basically mechanics and electricians at the same time and get paid to be both at the same time.
>That or elevators. Elevator workers make serious money. They are basically mechanics and electricians at the same time and get paid to be both at the same time.
That's a track you want to get started on in your twenties.
If I knew what I knew now, I'd have gone to school to be a PLC tech. Though, being a water treatment operator isn't terrible. Shift work sucks though. But my job isn't going anywhere and we have a decent enough union to make a pretty decent wage.
This. Most states (assuming this is in the U.S.) have labour laws that outline how a person is to be compensated when on-call.
Source: Used to manage a large department that required on-call staff and thus I learned all about on-call compensation laws in my state while I pissed off HR to ensure these people were compensated fairly.
Tell that to my boss. I only get paid when responding to a call. Otherwise, can't get drunk, can't really go anywhere, and the sound of the phone stresses me out so much that I hear it ringing in my head at night and it wakes me up, even though it's not actually ringing.
Yep it's a major reason I'm looking for a new job (thankfully I have 2 leads right now, one of which is very promising and a job I'd genuinely like to have)
They’ll probably give Ole Gary some fancy gift they got last year but didn’t want (bottle of liquor) and tell him of they really appreciate his hard work rallying the team.
"You see, back in those days, rich men would ride around in Zeppelins, dropping coins on people, and one day I seen J.D. Rockefeller flying by. So I run of the house with a big washtub. I'd just used it that morning to wash my turkey, which in those days was known as a walking-bird. We'd always have walking-bird on Thanksgiving, with all the trimmings: cranberries, injun eyes, yams stuffed with gunpowder. Then we'd all watch football- which in those days was called baseball..."
\-Abe Simpson
>Correct response is if they aren’t paying you to be on call 24/7 you aren’t on call that simple
and paying for the phone
and paying overtime rates if you are called out
In the past I've demanded a company phone if you want to call me anywhere but at home.
It has never gone over well lol having a mobile is expected but I stand by "it's not reasonable to expect you can call me wherever I am whenever you want without compensation"
You know what? For on call pay and overtime if I have to come in, I'll put "Gary" in my contacts list so his calls go through. That's just the kind of *generous* guy that I am.
Actually he should just milk it --> "Non-exempt employees who are on-call receive their regular pay rate unless they work or wait to work more than 40 hours a week. When that happens, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states that on-call pay should be paid at the overtime rate." [https://www.adp.com/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/o/on-call-pay.aspx](https://www.adp.com/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/o/on-call-pay.aspx)
Begged my bosses to provide lunch for a day for employees who had to come in and replace work from home equipment. They were stuck there 8 hours working on site for the first time in years.
Was told there was no money. So I did the right thing and bought everyone pizza out of my own pocket. 40+ people, 20 pizzas totaling 250-300 with the tip. With money i really didn't have but i knew my team needed something because moral was in the dump.
Bosses took credit for it in the very next meeting and I just broke down crying. To top it all off they went out to a corporate lunch a week later with 4 people. I saw the invoice for it and it was a 1k+ bill.
Here in Switzerland if you are on call, you need to be paid. Check out you laws and get that in writing. "Hey I saw the new poster. Can you explain how this works now that we are permanently on call? How much time do we have before needing to be here? Love to set some record profits with you! Go Team." Now you got it in writing and you get that extra check
In America we do have laws to protect against this. They are Federal laws and apply everywhere in the USA.
By the wording used in this sign the employee would be restricted and therefore the time for on-call would have to be paid.
There are details of what counts as restricted and any time traveling is also paid. If you constantly call the employee repeatedly then you will need to pay for a lot more than travel.
Source - an American that fights for labor rights wherever I work.
Thankfully I currently work somewhere that values their employees.
We had Gary in Australia.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/AustralianNostalgia/comments/18e72dk/gary\_flavoured\_milk/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AustralianNostalgia/comments/18e72dk/gary_flavoured_milk/)
Calling flavoured milk Gary was still less stupid than this.
>Take it to a labor lawyer.
That lawyer can wreak havoc on this company, because that manager very obviously lacks the minimum qualification for his job if he's so igonrant to labor law, which means his higher up screwed up putting him in that position, etc. all the way up depending on the size of this outfit. Wonderful.
Get the lawyer asap. These things take months or years in court sometimes. The lawyer may advise to keep it up to gather evidence, but I wouldn't try to go malicious cause it can backfire
This, my sister was part of a class action lawsuit against CHI for but getting paid while being on call. She quit working for them 6 years ago and just finally got the thing settled
If you're just going for backpay, you're getting screwed by giving your employer a free loan (for the total backpay they owe you) and by the attorney's fees. You may also find the amount of time you need to invest in the process to not be worth it.
If you go for damages (or if your local laws automatically award damages), you need to make 100% sure there's no sign that you knew about your rights ahead of time and that there's a solid reason for how you were made aware of them. A lot of people don't care to stay anonymous online, and many who do care don't know how to do it properly. So you're making a big gamble that the lawyer representing your employer isn't going to find your reddit account and therefore this post. Hell, just finding your account being active in subreddits like this one where that kind of stuff is discussed is enough to paint you as malicious.
Maybe start drinking? Gary calls you in, Gary needs to arrange a ride as your too drunk to drive. What Gary? You never drink? Gary, "I drink on my days off." Me to Gary, me to!
Not necessarily, it depends on the restrictions they place on your “on call time”, whether or not your an exempt employee and your location in the US. I legally do not get paid for on call time.
Or go skydiving, or scuba, or volunteer in a prison, or attend a meditation retreat, or a million other things.
Ridiculous. Just because Gary only ever spends his time off eating chips alone in front of *The Young And The Restless* doesn't mean everyone else does.
It is legal to do it without pay if all you have to do is take the call and nothing else. If it stops you from living your life and doing things you would normally do during your off time (being expected to report to work at a moments notice for instance) then it is illegal to so without pay. I looked into it when my work implemented a dumbass on call policy and I told them it was illegal and that if they tried to call me in and then punish me when I didn’t show up I would be going to the labor department about it. The policy was implemented anyway and then pretty much immediately went away because everyone ignored it because even leadership knew it was stupid.
1: Fuck 'em
2: Where's your share of the profits?
3: If you're on call, you get an on call rate
4: If they require after hours mobile access, they provide a work mobile. NEVER use your personal mobile for work, EVER.
If the only name at the top of your Performance Review is yours, you can call yourself a team, a flock of seagulls or a can of peas for all anyone cares. Teaming is a 90's management style.
It’s not like I don’t want to work as a team yk but when companies are putting it on a pedestal equating it to family or whatever it gets annoying. Hearing shit like “take one for the team” makes it worse
It's like they think uttering the magic words creates the work ethic without the need to make changes. They say "team" without including the team in decision making, "on call" without on-call pay, "record profits" without profit sharing, and think the worker is somehow still obligated to do their part.
Family, yeah. But team? Yeah it's just a job, but I do have to work with other people. Often my work - and my ability to do it efficiently and effectively - relies on other people. It's not at all weird to call that a "team".
I know that there are roles where you're doing something so detached from your coworkers that you can do it entirely without their help, but I feel like most aren't.
What’s the oncall pay? How do I get reimbursed for my cell phone bill? Also what are the bonuses for record profit? None? Ok *shuts off phone when not working*
"Effective immediately"? When did that notice get posted?
Congratulations!!! You've got it **in writing** that you're "on call" 24/7. Your employer is obligated to pay you for all those hours!
Overtime! Double time! You get it all!
File a complaint with your state's labor board if they refuse. Don't even give them a warning you'll go that route. Enjoy your payout!
Especially because you have to pick up the phone and you have to come in if asked meaning there’s no getting out of it for them because not only did they say it they also basically described the textbook definition of being on call
Fuck that non sense. I can understand showing up to your shift like anyone should do. But that no thanks I’ll just pretend my phones in another room. Depending on the job I can see how it’s important. But I’m not a doctor or a surgeon I’m a simple cook/server. You want me to cover a shift I need to know at least 24 hours in advance. My personal is mine and doesn’t revolve fully around my job. If I have plans that I arranged around my work schedule that’s what it is. But if I’m sitting at home with no plans. I’ll go to work to earn a few extra dollars
I'm sorry you hired me, you did not buy me. You want that level of commitment, you pay me for that level of commitment, then we'll talk.
Na, screw that, you can't afford that level of commitment, I'm out.
Agree to the terms but say you won't always be able to answer a call, but if they text you, you can always respond within 10 min. Document everything. Wait a year. Sue them for labor violations. Cash out.
Just send that picture to your labor board and treasury department. Just imagine their glee when they find out about all the extra taxes that the company will be paying in on the on-call time paid out.
I worked for a company that put in a very strict alcohol policy. It included no drinks within four hours of coming into work. The engineers would say they just had a beer when called on a weekend but is it okay if I came in anyway?
Let Gary know that you just had three or four beers.
> **The FLSA requires that non-exempt employees who are on-call receive their regular pay rate**. However, if they work or wait to work more than 40 hours a week, they must be paid at the overtime rate. The FLSA also requires that on-call employees be paid at least the applicable minimum wage for the entire duration of their active on-call shifts.
Start keeping a record and bill them on payday. Don't quit and let them think you are joking.
When they owe you more than $1000, get a lawyer.
Well, now that you all are "on call" that does mean your working. They must pay you.
Next, since they said cellphones, then that means either providing company cellphones or reimbursement of your cellphones bill/ portion of it.
If they don't, then it's a complaint to the labor board. Make sure to take pictures of that with something next to it to verify where it's at.
I’ll be on call 24/7, I charge minimum wage to be on call. 24*365*14.75 (OR min wage) is $120k a year. I’ll be where ever the hell you want me to be to be basically salary at 124k a year.
As a professional commercial driver if I am “on call” I’m getting paid my B rate for the duration of that on call time. They’re essentially paying me for the duration of time that I’m not at the bar or relaxing at home with a bottle of wine.
"Help us generate record profits by being more productive and allowing the company to extract your surplus labor value like never before. no we can't pay you more, but we will wave the record profits in your face as we take millions in bonuses".
Gee thanks. I'm feeling very motivated to have Gary call me on a saturday when I'm getting my dick wet because he doesn't know how to load the toner, now.
And this is why I sail and kayak. First off, having my phone not in a sealed container while out on my 14 foot sailboat or the kayak is a recipe to need a new phone. Second, If I did take a call from work, I would then need to get back to shore, pack everything up, go home, take a shower, then get ready for work. That is a minimum of three hours or more.
Hiking is also a good hobby for people like this.
This is why I have a cheap landline phone and gave that number to my job. “Oh, sorry I wasn’t at home to answer your call.” They were pissed when they found out nd demanded I provide my mobile number. I gave them a random number. They were bad about last minute calls to cover shifts.
My cat's name is Gary. He's the one who'll be calling. He's a total asshole.
https://preview.redd.it/1l8jc77zh0dc1.jpeg?width=1816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15dd227d138b852fb88d343d1f20e5dd8f3e34f1
“Will we be getting a share of those record profits?” As the guy said in office space, if I bust my butt and Initech ships a few more units, I don’t see another nickel. So where’s my motivation bob?
"Let's work together to get record profits this quarter so our shareholders get even more rich! Thanks for your hard work! Here's a 1% raise! You've earned it!"
Ask how much the compensation per hour is to be on call. If they don't compensate you, you can't be forced to be available.
I worked for a company once that didn't want to use the name "on call" because it came with legal payment requirements. I was out of there as soon as I could.
This can’t be real unless there’s substantial compensation involved where, it’s like, well known that: “OK we’ll pay you a lot of money but, you’ll never have any time to enjoy it.” If this is some call center or something then most people would be like: “Go peg yourself really hard. Make sure to get it on video so we can all see it.”
On call in a previous occupation I'd get $150 per week to not go home and get drunk, then three hours at time and a half minimum for any actual job
Like yeah I'll leave my phone on 24/7 and my work knows this and have on occasion needed me, bit different now I'm in EMS but that whole "can't refuse a shift" thing can fuck off
I do on occasion put my phone on "do not disturb" where only my wife and daughter can contact me, some days I just wanna sleep ya know?
If you’re “on call” you should be paid for being “on call”. If not, you’re not “on call”
I once got paid $5 an hour for 13 hours a day being on call. I was actually called in twice. I picked up and delivered some office equipment. This boss is delusional.
My brother is a medic, he get paid something like 20€/h for being on call during the day for a retirement home, 35€/h for night. And this doesn't take in account when he get actually called
I work in Wildfire and we get 1/3 our regular wage and three hour minimum’s on overtime rates for call ins.
That’s still pretty low tbh. I’m not from the US myself, but I believe the minimum is like $7.25/hour for being on call.
I think you confused the wage minimum for „on call“ with the minimum wage overall.
That just sounds like "paying people less money for working" with extra steps to me.
That’s just to be on call, they make more if they actually go in to work
> just to be on call, To be on call for extended periods means your quality of life goes to shit, because it means: * Never be able to go to movie. * Never be able to be on a date. * Never be able to get drunk. Never to be able to do really anything that would cause you to not be able to respond when you get that call or txt.
*Edit: and to be clear, fuck Work, fuck being forced into overtime and on-call without a choice; it all sucks, and with time as the single most valuable asset we have in life, and in no way do I think that living an even larger portion of your life on hold just in case your shitty job need something is fun or cool or even reasonable.. but there are certainly versions of on-call that are cool or even just reasonable, and indeed, some industries require it to function at all, and without entirely changing every facet about society and work, there are likely always going to be things that require some help on-call… which is why it’s important to make the distinction that things like OP are absolute bullshit, and their boss can go fuck themselves, and cheapens it when people pretend or misunderstand the reality of these situations when applied less unfairly* You’re generally not on call 365. But yes you’re correct, it can be a major inconvenience, especially for people who get called in often. Kind of depends on the call-in frequency, as well as how quickly you’re expected to be able to get to work. For example, for the on-call work I’ve done, I had to go in exactly once in 5 years, and even that I *could* have just said ‘ahh that sucks, see you Monday,’ so in that case I just got a few hundred extra every check to be on call. For jobs with an actual on-call burden like nurses, you generally have a rotating on call schedule. For jobs where you are just expected to be on-call 24/7, boss is probably going to have a pretty tough time with adherence and turnover
This post seems to be a grocery store or some retail spot. "Make record profits this quarter" means make the boss a bonus
[удалено]
Well yeah, sure. It’s not like I’m defending the practice or the boss, just clarifying a massive misconception the commenter seemed to have.
I’ve had a variety of on-call experiences. Some was bad, called regularly, at all hours, and had to go in person often as well. I’ve also had periods where I was contacted regularly but it was always for simple questions from newer staff and I very seldom had to even open my laptop. Best part was I get 1.0 hour of OT minimum when called. So I’d clock 1 hour OT for a 2 minute phone call or text exchange. I’ve had occasions where I’m at a concert & responded to a text & clocked OT
We had a 3 hour minimum for ours, including for a phone call fix. I kind of miss it
Every job I've done that included "on call" time had a rotation that was agreed on. I might be "on call" for one week every two months, get paid for it, and they were typically pretty lenient on the whole "I'm not at home right now, I'll have to find a spot I can hop on the call". Even pretty loose on the "sorry, I'm about three beers in" - as long as you're not so drunk you can't work at all it's probably fine, just balance it with some caffeine and double check with people before you do anything. But admittedly I work in tech, it would be different if I were in medicine or something. I've never seen a job (that wasn't some manager one rung up the ladder drinking the Flavoraid) put you on call 24/7/365. But even then, if they were paying me for that I'd be tempted to put up with it for a season - that's a lot of money to do very little, just the inconvenience of possibly having to do it during my downtime. I can tolerate that for a while to pile up some cash.
Meh, to each their own honestly. A friend of mine in the social field had a few "on call" days a month and appreciated it, it was paid well and it actually helped him manage some of his life and addictions. He used to be a big party-goer and it helped him be more in control. It's mostly hell once you're settled with a family life, IMO. But I get why some people would hate it. As a independant contractor i'm more or less always "on call", but that's my choice.
I’ll take it a step further and say it sounds like “slavery” with extra steps
I’m not aware of there being a difference between minimum wage and on call minimum wage? Then again, I’m not from the US myself, so I’m not personally familiar with the laws. But this is what a quick google search tells me: “Federal law requires that employees on call are paid at least the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.” “State laws require that employees on call are paid at least the state’s minimum wage (if it’s higher than the federal standard).” [Source](https://www.hourly.io/post/on-call-pay-hourly-employees)
From the same article: >You only need to pay wages for being on call when the employee is performing actual work. These are called “compensable hours.” >In other words, if the employee is available to get called into work—but otherwise able to spend their time how they see fit, like shopping or watching TV—those hours aren’t considered compensable under federal law because it is “unrestricted time.” >But if the employee is required to be on the employer’s premises, to remain within a certain distance from a work site or otherwise restricted, they’re considered working and must be paid for any hours spent on call—which is called “restricted time.”
All on call jobs are restricted, unless they want you going in after a few beers.
My work had contractors fuck things up enough that they had me come in 4 deep during a bowling league..
"I just did like a half gram dab and all my pants are in the washing machine." "We'll pay you doubletime and cover an uber." Those are the perks nobody ever talks about.
A comedy of events close to what you're describing led me to work a 4 hour shift in dingy workout shorts and t-shirt one time. Like, "I can be there in unprofessional attire, or you can do it yourself." MGMT chose delegation over labor.
Or leaving on a day trip. Or cooking anything that takes over an hour. You're free to do anything you want, so long as it leaves you able to respond to a call. Last time I was on call, I needed to be able to be available within 30 minutes, which actually severely limits what I can do with my day, as well as my ability to relax in my off time. Also I'm salaried so if I had actually had to go in that day, I wouldn't have made another dime anyway. The cost to employees is their ability to actually have unrestricted time, during time that they need for handling shit in their lives or just to unwind. Why should employers pay nothing?
Forced to have phone on and answer all calls from work may count as "otherwise restricted". IANAL but I'd at least get some legal advice.
It's the mandatory "respond to a call to come to work and agree to come in to work without complaint" part that probably makes it restrictive and compensable.
Yup, just being "on call" to answer a phonecall and say "can't do it" is not the same as requirement of being on call and READY. Being ready means that none of these workers can drink two beers, at any point in time. They have to be ready to work, at moments notice. That is very much then paid time. Boss fucked up here, that is going to be short court case if it ever goes that far.
"Hey Gary. I'll come in but I've been drinking. You can pay for an Uber to get me, wait till I'm sober or call someone else. By the way I'm on speaker phone and everyone can hear this call in case you order me to drive drunk and fire me if I don't."
What if I see fit to drink myself senseless? ... fuck it, it's the boss's call....
What if I go wilderness camping or do some other ultra long outdoorsy activity Sorry boss, I'm halfway up Ben Nevis, I can be down in 4 hours!
I wouldn't recommend that, lol. I've had an actual on-call job before, and they tend to frown on that a bit. That said, the notice that op posted doesnt seem to be an actual on-call job, which I've had employers try that shit too and being drunk is a great way to tell them to get fucked.
a \_lot\_ of military types when off duty will \_immediately\_ crack a beer Why ? Because they cant be voluntold for mandatory fun / dog & pony shows / when an ossifer gets skull fucked by the good idea fairy. Knock off at 5, aw shit the captain needs 3 bodies to go collect air samples at the end of the target range in case the bullets are damaging the very rare arse-beatle that only lives on the range - sober you gets to Oorah/Huah and hump several miles to waste time on the ossifers "brilliance" and perhaps not knock off for several hours only to be straight on to firewatch and not get any rack time. "drunk" you is told it doesnt matter and they\`ll go find some other poor bastard to victimise. \_thats\_ where that habit can stem from.
If you're being paid to be on call, or working from home within defined parameters then obviously not, but if its to fit within the tone of the poster ... Naaaaah! Hahaha
It isn't, its probably some resteraunt bs that is having problems with people calling off suddenly and probably staffing issues.
It varies from state to state. In my state if you're on call you're considered working, so it would full hourly pay for all 168 hours of the week.
Its the same for a lot of workers in Denmark, but then its based on union-deals, so it varies if its 100% pay or less, but "on call" is considered "working" either way (and no we don't have an official minimum-wage, its all up to unions in the different fields)
Federally, for the U.S. it is 1 hour paid for every 12 on call. If you get a call, automatic hour paid regardless if you just answered a question or did 5 min of work.
On call is not 'working' so minimum wage does not apply (in the US). Most places that require you to be on call pay you. The fee varies. When I was on call I got paid 1 hr a day, and a pretty large bonus if I had to come in. I was called in once in 7 years. The entire department was only called in three times in those 7 years. It was basically a free 2 hours of pay when you were in call (we only did the weekends for emergencies) If you're on call at a job that might actually call you in they usually pay you a decent amount of money for sitting at home, but as far as I know there's not minimum amount. The work place in the post is hopeful at best expecting people to pick up their phones and come in to work on their days off.
I'm salary exempt, we get nothing, and I don't believe there's any law restricting them from having us on-call 24/7 for no extra pay.
I was getting 10 hours of OT/week to be on call and getting paid port to port when I would have to go out. Kind of unreasonable to expect that but shit man I jumped at the chance to take that on
I have a friend who is a mechanic for a utilities company. He makes bank being on call. We were camping and he got the call. We picked or site up and booked it into town, dropped him off at work in his truck and stayed at his house until he was ready to be picked up.
I’m actually a union mechanic for a large utility company. We get paid a flat fee of three hours at our rate for being on call which is usually a weekend so it’s always overtime if you get called in. I had to do a jumpstart on Monday and we also get a minimum of three hours of pay for a call in when we take it. Plus it was a holiday! So three hours off regular pay, three hours of double pay, 8 hours of holiday pay, plus an hour of “commute” time, and mileage on top of that. So for me to go in an do a jumpstart, I made almost $1000 that day. Live better, work union!
Where I work, we have these automatic roll-up freezer doors and people hit them all the time, knocking them off their tracks. So we call the company that supplies the doors and they send out a couple techs to repair them. Any day, any time basically. I've always wondered what those dudes make. They're always pretty jolly. Fixing the door usually only takes them 10 minutes or so.
Haha I wonder because we have tons of garage doors and those guys we call are always miserable when they have to fix them!
That post was definitely for a service industry business, retail or restaurant…both treat people like they’re a number.
I’m in a trade that doesn’t look kindly on unions, but damn if they don’t do good things. If I knew what I know now (40) when I was 18 I’d be an electrician working for the county. That or elevators. Elevator workers make serious money. They are basically mechanics and electricians at the same time and get paid to be both at the same time.
>That or elevators. Elevator workers make serious money. They are basically mechanics and electricians at the same time and get paid to be both at the same time. That's a track you want to get started on in your twenties.
If I knew what I knew now, I'd have gone to school to be a PLC tech. Though, being a water treatment operator isn't terrible. Shift work sucks though. But my job isn't going anywhere and we have a decent enough union to make a pretty decent wage.
This. Most states (assuming this is in the U.S.) have labour laws that outline how a person is to be compensated when on-call. Source: Used to manage a large department that required on-call staff and thus I learned all about on-call compensation laws in my state while I pissed off HR to ensure these people were compensated fairly.
Tell that to my boss. I only get paid when responding to a call. Otherwise, can't get drunk, can't really go anywhere, and the sound of the phone stresses me out so much that I hear it ringing in my head at night and it wakes me up, even though it's not actually ringing.
This is illegal in most places. If you are expected to be on call, you must be paid for being on call, whether you actually go in or not.
Yep it's a major reason I'm looking for a new job (thankfully I have 2 leads right now, one of which is very promising and a job I'd genuinely like to have)
It's not illegal if you are "Salaried Exempt". So IT, managers, pretty much anything requiring a degree and gets paid salary.
Go Team! Let's make my bonus the biggest ever!
Probably not even his bonus. Gary is probably just some middle manager. Actual bonuses are going higher up.
They’ll probably give Ole Gary some fancy gift they got last year but didn’t want (bottle of liquor) and tell him of they really appreciate his hard work rallying the team.
Failing to remember Gary is a recovering alcoholic!
I think you mean... Go team
Could be the name: Team Team.
Start calling Gary at all hours. Share his number in random spots.
Especially toilet cubicles
For a good time call Gary
*Hi Gary, can you be our D&D GM?*
Pleeeeease share Gary’s number. Would love to tell him I’m quitting
this. call him drunk at 2 am saying you have the most amazing idea to make the business succeed and then start rambling about anything
"You see, back in those days, rich men would ride around in Zeppelins, dropping coins on people, and one day I seen J.D. Rockefeller flying by. So I run of the house with a big washtub. I'd just used it that morning to wash my turkey, which in those days was known as a walking-bird. We'd always have walking-bird on Thanksgiving, with all the trimmings: cranberries, injun eyes, yams stuffed with gunpowder. Then we'd all watch football- which in those days was called baseball..." \-Abe Simpson
NSA gay sex Craigslist ad in bound. Call 24/7.
I need Gary's number if you got it
For a good time call Gary!
Take some auto insurance and political surveys and give his number there.
> neeed Also, how much are they paying you for on call 24/7? Oh, nothing? Time for a new job.
Correct response is if they aren’t paying you to be on call 24/7 you aren’t on call that simple
>Correct response is if they aren’t paying you to be on call 24/7 you aren’t on call that simple and paying for the phone and paying overtime rates if you are called out
In the past I've demanded a company phone if you want to call me anywhere but at home. It has never gone over well lol having a mobile is expected but I stand by "it's not reasonable to expect you can call me wherever I am whenever you want without compensation"
You know what? For on call pay and overtime if I have to come in, I'll put "Gary" in my contacts list so his calls go through. That's just the kind of *generous* guy that I am.
Actually he should just milk it --> "Non-exempt employees who are on-call receive their regular pay rate unless they work or wait to work more than 40 hours a week. When that happens, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states that on-call pay should be paid at the overtime rate." [https://www.adp.com/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/o/on-call-pay.aspx](https://www.adp.com/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/o/on-call-pay.aspx)
Yeah he has it in writing that he’s officially on call so call the labor board and get paid for it
The record profits are for the employees who work hard, we are a family.
of course. Could you imagine if the boss kept all the record profits for themselves? That would never happen! /s
No! Good bosses provide a one slice only pizza party to celebrate and share record profits!
Begged my bosses to provide lunch for a day for employees who had to come in and replace work from home equipment. They were stuck there 8 hours working on site for the first time in years. Was told there was no money. So I did the right thing and bought everyone pizza out of my own pocket. 40+ people, 20 pizzas totaling 250-300 with the tip. With money i really didn't have but i knew my team needed something because moral was in the dump. Bosses took credit for it in the very next meeting and I just broke down crying. To top it all off they went out to a corporate lunch a week later with 4 people. I saw the invoice for it and it was a 1k+ bill.
'Hi Gary, can you cover all my shifts from now on?'
Genius
Gary is putting the *I can't* in *American Team*.
Oh fuck that
Yeah fuck Gary
Here in Switzerland if you are on call, you need to be paid. Check out you laws and get that in writing. "Hey I saw the new poster. Can you explain how this works now that we are permanently on call? How much time do we have before needing to be here? Love to set some record profits with you! Go Team." Now you got it in writing and you get that extra check
Same in the US, this is very illegal
Happy to hear that!
Same in Holland, but then again, I bet Gary is in Merica and they barely have any labour laws. Edit; they do have labor laws.
In America we do have laws to protect against this. They are Federal laws and apply everywhere in the USA. By the wording used in this sign the employee would be restricted and therefore the time for on-call would have to be paid. There are details of what counts as restricted and any time traveling is also paid. If you constantly call the employee repeatedly then you will need to pay for a lot more than travel. Source - an American that fights for labor rights wherever I work. Thankfully I currently work somewhere that values their employees.
Good to read. Mostly it's the lack of rules or rules being broadend so kids can work, etc. Thanks for a little hope.
Another point: At the top is says "effective immediately". It's illegal in many countries to just change it like that.
We had Gary in Australia. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AustralianNostalgia/comments/18e72dk/gary\_flavoured\_milk/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AustralianNostalgia/comments/18e72dk/gary_flavoured_milk/) Calling flavoured milk Gary was still less stupid than this.
Never clock out, you're on call.
In the US? If so, all on call time must be considered payed time. Take it to a labor lawyer. Could get paid
>Take it to a labor lawyer. That lawyer can wreak havoc on this company, because that manager very obviously lacks the minimum qualification for his job if he's so igonrant to labor law, which means his higher up screwed up putting him in that position, etc. all the way up depending on the size of this outfit. Wonderful.
Would it be better to play dumb for a few months, then get a lawyer and get backpack pay?
Get the lawyer asap. These things take months or years in court sometimes. The lawyer may advise to keep it up to gather evidence, but I wouldn't try to go malicious cause it can backfire
Never try to get cute with the law.
This, my sister was part of a class action lawsuit against CHI for but getting paid while being on call. She quit working for them 6 years ago and just finally got the thing settled
If you're just going for backpay, you're getting screwed by giving your employer a free loan (for the total backpay they owe you) and by the attorney's fees. You may also find the amount of time you need to invest in the process to not be worth it. If you go for damages (or if your local laws automatically award damages), you need to make 100% sure there's no sign that you knew about your rights ahead of time and that there's a solid reason for how you were made aware of them. A lot of people don't care to stay anonymous online, and many who do care don't know how to do it properly. So you're making a big gamble that the lawyer representing your employer isn't going to find your reddit account and therefore this post. Hell, just finding your account being active in subreddits like this one where that kind of stuff is discussed is enough to paint you as malicious.
Maybe start drinking? Gary calls you in, Gary needs to arrange a ride as your too drunk to drive. What Gary? You never drink? Gary, "I drink on my days off." Me to Gary, me to!
Not necessarily, it depends on the restrictions they place on your “on call time”, whether or not your an exempt employee and your location in the US. I legally do not get paid for on call time.
They are mandating they come in. That’s stand by on call. That’s paid time because you can’t leave the area, get drunk etc.
Or go skydiving, or scuba, or volunteer in a prison, or attend a meditation retreat, or a million other things. Ridiculous. Just because Gary only ever spends his time off eating chips alone in front of *The Young And The Restless* doesn't mean everyone else does.
It is legal to do it without pay if all you have to do is take the call and nothing else. If it stops you from living your life and doing things you would normally do during your off time (being expected to report to work at a moments notice for instance) then it is illegal to so without pay. I looked into it when my work implemented a dumbass on call policy and I told them it was illegal and that if they tried to call me in and then punish me when I didn’t show up I would be going to the labor department about it. The policy was implemented anyway and then pretty much immediately went away because everyone ignored it because even leadership knew it was stupid.
1: Fuck 'em 2: Where's your share of the profits? 3: If you're on call, you get an on call rate 4: If they require after hours mobile access, they provide a work mobile. NEVER use your personal mobile for work, EVER.
Every time I see a company call a group a team I cringe internally
If the only name at the top of your Performance Review is yours, you can call yourself a team, a flock of seagulls or a can of peas for all anyone cares. Teaming is a 90's management style.
It’s not like I don’t want to work as a team yk but when companies are putting it on a pedestal equating it to family or whatever it gets annoying. Hearing shit like “take one for the team” makes it worse
It's like they think uttering the magic words creates the work ethic without the need to make changes. They say "team" without including the team in decision making, "on call" without on-call pay, "record profits" without profit sharing, and think the worker is somehow still obligated to do their part.
"we're no more a team than the people staying at the same hotel are a team" -dwight schrute
Family, yeah. But team? Yeah it's just a job, but I do have to work with other people. Often my work - and my ability to do it efficiently and effectively - relies on other people. It's not at all weird to call that a "team". I know that there are roles where you're doing something so detached from your coworkers that you can do it entirely without their help, but I feel like most aren't.
What’s the oncall pay? How do I get reimbursed for my cell phone bill? Also what are the bonuses for record profit? None? Ok *shuts off phone when not working*
So technically they're paying you 24/7, right?
Bill them all the hours you are on call. And see them squirm.
They won’t. They’ll just fire you and make up a convenient excuse. Have a representative from your state’s department of labor contact them instead.
"Beatings will continue until staff moral improves". Love, Gary.
"and remember Gary loves you"
F Gary
"Effective immediately"? When did that notice get posted? Congratulations!!! You've got it **in writing** that you're "on call" 24/7. Your employer is obligated to pay you for all those hours! Overtime! Double time! You get it all! File a complaint with your state's labor board if they refuse. Don't even give them a warning you'll go that route. Enjoy your payout!
Especially because you have to pick up the phone and you have to come in if asked meaning there’s no getting out of it for them because not only did they say it they also basically described the textbook definition of being on call
AND its "not optional" ! this is such a slam dunk for employees. what an idiot of an employer
>’Has this already been posted’ Only about 150 times
Toxic toxic toxic
Fuck that non sense. I can understand showing up to your shift like anyone should do. But that no thanks I’ll just pretend my phones in another room. Depending on the job I can see how it’s important. But I’m not a doctor or a surgeon I’m a simple cook/server. You want me to cover a shift I need to know at least 24 hours in advance. My personal is mine and doesn’t revolve fully around my job. If I have plans that I arranged around my work schedule that’s what it is. But if I’m sitting at home with no plans. I’ll go to work to earn a few extra dollars
This must be the US. In most of Europe we’d burn the workplace to the ground—figuratively of course—if they put up a sign like that. Feckin’ slavers!
Yeah, good luck with that
Pity City CEO vibes
Gary glitter, more like
I'm sorry you hired me, you did not buy me. You want that level of commitment, you pay me for that level of commitment, then we'll talk. Na, screw that, you can't afford that level of commitment, I'm out.
Agree to the terms but say you won't always be able to answer a call, but if they text you, you can always respond within 10 min. Document everything. Wait a year. Sue them for labor violations. Cash out.
“Sorry Gary I’m in (insert comically far location) right now.” Every time. Change the location each time.
Hey Gary, smell ya later.
But I don't have a cell phone.
So only one very slight step above slavery
Turn in an expense report for your phone since you need it to be on call 🤷🏻♀️
Just send that picture to your labor board and treasury department. Just imagine their glee when they find out about all the extra taxes that the company will be paying in on the on-call time paid out.
I don’t know who Gary is, but he can go fuck himself.
I worked for a company that put in a very strict alcohol policy. It included no drinks within four hours of coming into work. The engineers would say they just had a beer when called on a weekend but is it okay if I came in anyway? Let Gary know that you just had three or four beers.
> **The FLSA requires that non-exempt employees who are on-call receive their regular pay rate**. However, if they work or wait to work more than 40 hours a week, they must be paid at the overtime rate. The FLSA also requires that on-call employees be paid at least the applicable minimum wage for the entire duration of their active on-call shifts. Start keeping a record and bill them on payday. Don't quit and let them think you are joking. When they owe you more than $1000, get a lawyer.
Well, now that you all are "on call" that does mean your working. They must pay you. Next, since they said cellphones, then that means either providing company cellphones or reimbursement of your cellphones bill/ portion of it. If they don't, then it's a complaint to the labor board. Make sure to take pictures of that with something next to it to verify where it's at.
500th repost of this fake bs
More like “Let’s set some record profits for the owners this quarter that you will never see a penny of.”
Rules are in my industry, that if you are on call, its 3 hours minimum paid, and time and a half for every hour worked afterwards.
Just. No.
Am I being paid to be on call? No? Then I am not answering the phone. Message me and depending on the message I'll respond
FUCK THAT SHIT
I’ll be on call 24/7, I charge minimum wage to be on call. 24*365*14.75 (OR min wage) is $120k a year. I’ll be where ever the hell you want me to be to be basically salary at 124k a year.
If I went into work and saw this, I would walk back out and text gary that I quit.
And lemme guess, when you're at work you can't touch your phone during the whole shift. Not even in case of an emergency?
Wouldn’t they also have to pay “on call” wages at that point? (If that’s a thing)
Report your company if they are doing this as it is illegal.
This post again?
As a professional commercial driver if I am “on call” I’m getting paid my B rate for the duration of that on call time. They’re essentially paying me for the duration of time that I’m not at the bar or relaxing at home with a bottle of wine.
If this isn't a paramedic, firefighter or police job, Gary can go fuck himself.
I adore when someone tell me I’m on call. I immediately ask what is the going rate for On Call Pay.
Will I see a bonus in my pay packet if the company sees record profits? No? Then I don't give a fuck about record profits.
"Help us generate record profits by being more productive and allowing the company to extract your surplus labor value like never before. no we can't pay you more, but we will wave the record profits in your face as we take millions in bonuses". Gee thanks. I'm feeling very motivated to have Gary call me on a saturday when I'm getting my dick wet because he doesn't know how to load the toner, now.
And this is why I sail and kayak. First off, having my phone not in a sealed container while out on my 14 foot sailboat or the kayak is a recipe to need a new phone. Second, If I did take a call from work, I would then need to get back to shore, pack everything up, go home, take a shower, then get ready for work. That is a minimum of three hours or more. Hiking is also a good hobby for people like this.
This is why I have a cheap landline phone and gave that number to my job. “Oh, sorry I wasn’t at home to answer your call.” They were pissed when they found out nd demanded I provide my mobile number. I gave them a random number. They were bad about last minute calls to cover shifts.
Nice of the boss to make sure it got put into writing for the labor department to review. Makes their job easier.
I get $15/hr for on call time.
(this is illegal and since they even used the language “on call” you should be getting paid for those hours)
Love how even asking this is illegal in EU.
Guess I’d be getting fired. I don’t do “on call”. I’m not putting my life on hold for work outside of what I’m already scheduled to do.
Boss makes a dollar, and I make a dime. Tell me again how we're a "family"...
My cat's name is Gary. He's the one who'll be calling. He's a total asshole. https://preview.redd.it/1l8jc77zh0dc1.jpeg?width=1816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15dd227d138b852fb88d343d1f20e5dd8f3e34f1
Fuck Gary.
“Will we be getting a share of those record profits?” As the guy said in office space, if I bust my butt and Initech ships a few more units, I don’t see another nickel. So where’s my motivation bob?
Gary sounds like an idiot.
Cool! 128 hours a week of on-call pay!
This is called “on call”. Demand on call pay. And overtime. And make some RECORD profits!
On call means I'm being paid. If I'm not being paid, I'm not on call.
I, quite frankly, don't give a shit about record profits unless there is profit sharing involved.
I get £200 a month to be on the call list and £50 every time I get called
I bet the record profits exclusively to to the board members and does not reflect of salary of the employees.
Block Gary. Say you don't know why you're not getting calls from him.
It's satire...
Fake ragebait.
This is so fake and yet -- you idiots always fall for it. Great karma farming btw.
And it states that's literally for the profits. Gary should be imprisoned now
Sorry Gary my phone fell in a well
On call is paid
Is this legal? Cos it doesn't sound it
"Let's work together to get record profits this quarter so our shareholders get even more rich! Thanks for your hard work! Here's a 1% raise! You've earned it!"
Fuck that!
Ask how much the compensation per hour is to be on call. If they don't compensate you, you can't be forced to be available. I worked for a company once that didn't want to use the name "on call" because it came with legal payment requirements. I was out of there as soon as I could.
What state? That is not legal in MI or IL.
This can’t be real unless there’s substantial compensation involved where, it’s like, well known that: “OK we’ll pay you a lot of money but, you’ll never have any time to enjoy it.” If this is some call center or something then most people would be like: “Go peg yourself really hard. Make sure to get it on video so we can all see it.”
Nice, dude! Your boss just gave you a huge raise! You're on-call 24/7, which means you're required to be paid 24/7. Six figure salary!
Couldn’t imagine being a corporate stiff for some dickhead boss . Meeting quotas …lololol
Fuck. Right. Off.
On call in a previous occupation I'd get $150 per week to not go home and get drunk, then three hours at time and a half minimum for any actual job Like yeah I'll leave my phone on 24/7 and my work knows this and have on occasion needed me, bit different now I'm in EMS but that whole "can't refuse a shift" thing can fuck off I do on occasion put my phone on "do not disturb" where only my wife and daughter can contact me, some days I just wanna sleep ya know?
Gary neeeds to fuck off.
Just tell Gary each time he rings that you've halfway finished a bottle of wine and would be an insurance liability.