Should i go to sleep while working on call out of hours?

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 09:30

I work in the UK PR office for a major theme park resort in Orlando as a press/PR/publicity manager. We have a rota (1 night at a time) for the out of hours on call officer for media enquiries that need urgent attention. We usually get around 2 calls an hour and 5 emails an hour to the office during the night. Some of them don't really need urgent attention and could wait until office hours but the on call officer is "not allowed to ignore any enquiry that comes through to the office while they are on call". Should I just stay up all night when I'm on call?

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 09:42

ci_newman said:
On-call isn't the same thing as working an entire shift.

2 calls and 5 emails per hour is not on-call, that is a working shift. On-call is to be on stand-by INCASE you are are needed. 7 enquiries an hour is not on-call.

Are you paid an hourly rate for the whole shift, or some on-call allowance?

Well the 7 enquires is just an average, sometimes it's less, occasionally more and very very really none.

Our employer calls it's being on call and not paid any extra for it, we are salaried if that makes any difference.

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 09:50

ci_newman said:
Your employer is shafting you At the very least, I assume you don't work a day shift either side of that night on-call window?

Yes we work day shifts 5 days a week as well.

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 09:54

Andyt_uk said:
Sounds like you need a new job. What does your contract say? A salary is typically for 37/40hrs a week within a certain time period as 9-5. Being salaried isn't a reason for them to have you work all night for free

Will find my contract in a bit

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 10:03

The Head of Publicity (our head of department) is only on the On Call Rota once a fortnight!!

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 10:08

Haggisman said:
I don't understand how a "media enquiry" can be that urgent unless there's some kind of major incident going on? As others have posted, how are you supposed to get any sleep if you're answering a query every ~10 mins? That's definitely not "on-call"

As we are dealing with theme parks, even something like a ride breakdown is considered "urgent" to the media!!

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 10:12

Uther said:
Are theme parks even open?

They are in Orlando.

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 10:16

m@rty said:
Take them to court, it’s the american way to resolve everything

Wouldn't be able to afford it anyway.

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 10:24

d_brennen said:
Are all the calls "why are you open?"

Nope, and also it's in Orlando so theme parks can open in America.

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 10:24

Chrisc said:
i hope so, due to go orlando at the end of may!

Theme parks in Orlando are open.

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 10:25

Haggisman said:
At 3am?

Bear in mind the 5 hour time difference.

Balloonflights · 14 Jan 2021 at 10:34

Haggisman said:
Oh my bad, I didn't see you were based in the UK!

Seems a bit strange to require someone to do that as a night shift though, surely it would be easier for everyone if that was handled locally.

Either way, they are taking the **** out of you! However, since you are UK based, I would guess* that UK employment laws apply, in which case you probably have more rights than if you were US based.

* I am not an employment lawyer, and emphasise that this is very much just a guess.

It's fine don't worry.

We are the EMEA (80% of our role is UK PR and 20% is for the wider EMEA region) PR team for the resort. The team based in Orlando only handle domestic and Latin America PR.

Our contracts are bound under UK employment law.