On call allowance

Sirrel Squirrel

Sirrel Squirrel

Sirrel Squirrel

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I'm potentially starting a new job where I get an on call allowance added to my annual salary. I take it that when I'm actually called out you are paid an hourly rate for the actual work? Is that normal?
 
It is for my missus. Also a bonus for being on call too which increases the longer she's on it (yearly). They have called it a recruitment retention bonus. speaks volumes.....
 
Depends, some do some don't. If you don't get pay, you may just get the hours back.
Not spoken to the company?
 
When I do on-call (we switch between 3 of us) I get paid a certain amount each hour that I need to be available (16.5 hours during the week, 24 hours the weekend) and then get another payment for being actually called out per hour worked.
 
It depends entirely on the policy of the company. Some bay TSB and callout overtime. Some only pay callout, some only pay TSB, some pay an allowance that's over the expected amount of OT and some pay an allowance that's less than the TSB you'd get on an hourly rate and still don't pay any OT.

When I was on-call I'd get an hourly rate for telephone standby and then an overtime hourly rate of 1.5x for each hour I worked.
 
Your contract should specify.

As an example for me, I was on a weekly rota with some other guys. We got a fixed rate for being on call that week, regardless of if anything happened.

Obviously we had to be close to work (within a 2h radius) and not be on the **** etc.

I know some that only get paid per hour, rounded up. Some get a smaller allowance per week they're on call with extras added if you're actually called out.

I think it's unfair to only get paid if you're actually called out. The times you're on a on call rota you're having to limit what you can do/where you can go.
 
I'm paid £X.XX an hour when I'm away from work, if I get called in, I get 2 hours travelling time at my normal hourly rate, and 2 hours working time at 1.5 my hourly rate. If the job only takes 5 minutes, I still get that 2 hours working time, if I'm there longer than 2 hours it continues on my 1.5 rate until I'm done.

I'm on call right now.
 
Sirrel Squirrel said:
I'm potentially starting a new job where I get an on call allowance added to my annual salary. I take it that when I'm actually called out you are paid an hourly rate for the actual work? Is that normal?
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If you've agreed to that... but then again if that is what you've agreed to then you perhaps wouldn't be asking the question. If you're expecting an hourly rate in addition to the allowance then get it clarified in advance by talking to your manager/employer.
 
ThaReaperGuy said:
When I do on-call (we switch between 3 of us) I get paid a certain amount each hour that I need to be available (16.5 hours during the week, 24 hours the weekend) and then get another payment for being actually called out per hour worked.
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similar here, we get weekly retainer for being on call and then call-outs are extra on top.

first hour is 200% 2nd is 150% 3rd is 100%

then different rates for weekends, bank hols, late nights etc
 
When I used to do it we were given a choice of a flat rate of £500 per week or a lower rate + hourly when called. 24/7 cover, switching between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 depending on staffing levels. This was after we all grouped together and pushed for change as we were underpaid for years (much lower rate plus doing 'freebies' ie overnight on call while only agreed until 10pm)

One thing I will say is don't undersell yourself. It can be incredibly limiting to your social life or weekend plans etc. Luckily for us we never got called, best of both worlds :)
 
For me it's a flat fee for the week plus an hourly rate when the phone rings. Entirely depends on the company though, some might not do that.
 
we get an amount for on call and then an amount per hour of called though the amount for being called is below normal overtime rates
 
I guess if we're giving examples no one got an hourly rate at my firm everyone was a salaried employee - we had 24/7 coverage via a combination of shifts on week days and simply having teams in Asia, the US and UK. Then on call cover on weekends from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday UK time.

on weekday nights a more senior support person, if not on shift, would be on call for serious issues and paid an extra daily rate for this

couple of CS managers could expected to be called if something serious requiring escalations occurred - they'd not get an on call allowance but would get a flat payment if called (and would generally take a day/half day off if woken up at 2am for a few hours)

more senior manager elsewhere in the company or head of CS wouldn't get on call but could potentially be called, frankly anyone up to an including the CTO or CEO could be called (but very rarely). They get paid enough with large base salaries and decent variable compensation as it is.

developers could expect to be called occasionally for urgent issues if the senior on call techie guy couldn't handle it or if an urgent change to the code was required - they got no on call allowance but some developers could rotate this duty within their team other specialist guys might be the only person for a specific area. It was simply expected as part of their job, some of them were on six figure packages so could hardly complain and as one director pointed out they're less likely to get called if they write better code.
 
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