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'on call rates'

  • 12-12-2012 9:09pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,050 ✭✭✭


    What would a fair price to expect from an employer to keep an employee ' on call ' to a client/contract at weekends/unsocial hours. Even if the person was never called in surely they could expect pay for 'waiting by the phone' so to speak.

    Any ideas on how much/percentage of basic rates for example ?

    Thanks.


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭freestyla


    Me too would like to know exactly that.

    Also, I've heard there is separate payment for doing remote work or having an intervention at customer place/system?

    What does legislation say about working scheduled hours outside office hours? Can I chase payments retroactively?


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,937 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Thespoofer wrote: »
    Any ideas on how much/percentage of basic rates for example ?
    Every 6 weeks I have to be on call for one week (7 nights 8pm to 8am). For this I get approximately 10% added to my basic gross salary (senior management position). The on-call shift is in addition to my normal day shift for that week. I do not get any extra payment for any hours accrued while on call but I do get an extra week's annual leave to make up for the extra hours done. A lot of the time I can solve problems over the phone but it still means that for that week, I can't drink, must have a work phone with me at all times, and I can't really stray too far from home.
    freestyla wrote: »
    I've heard there is separate payment for doing remote work
    Some employers pay a subsistence payment to employees who are required to be away from their normal place of work for more that a specific period of time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭silja


    It's been a few years since I did this in Ireland but I got 10% too, and if I had to actually work (rarely) I got overtime/ holiday pay as appropriate. I think how much you get would depend on what your restrictions are and how often they expect you to actually be called in. I worked in that job almost 2 years, did on-call 3 nights and one weekend every month, got a phone call maybe half a dozen times and called into work once. But I had to have the phone with me, no drinking and be able to get into work within 45 minutes during on-call.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,430 ✭✭✭testicle


    I get 100% for a week on-call.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,937 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    testicle wrote: »
    I get 100% for a week on-call.
    100% extra on top of normal pay? Seems very generous.

    And do you do on-call in addition to your normal hours?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,430 ✭✭✭testicle


    100% extra on top of normal pay? Seems very generous.

    And do you do on-call in addition to your normal hours?

    Yes to both. It's an absolute bastard though, lots of calls.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭duckysauce


    An employer can hire employees to be available to work, but where they are not called to work the employee will receive compensation as follows;

    If you are required to be available for work at any time and are not actually called, you must be paid for 25 per cent of that time. If you are required to be available between 1 and 5 pm (4 hours) but are not called you must be paid for 4 hours.
    If you are required to work less than 25 per cent of the hours for which you have been asked to be available, you must be compensated for the difference between the hours actually worked and 25 per cent of the time you have been asked to be available. For example if you have been asked to be available for 40 hours but only actually work for 8 hours [20 per cent of available hours], then you will be compensated for the difference between 10 hours [25 per cent of 40] and 8 hours [hours actually worked] which is 2 hours.
    Compensation is not payable, however, when an employee is paid for making themselves available for work - such as call out, stand-by or fall-back allowance .

    If your hours are rostered on a weekly basis, you must be given at least 24 hours notice of any proposed changes. Where there are problems with rosters please alert your union representative to the issues. If you are not a member of a union please click here.

    Zero-hour contracts or employment on an on-call basis without compensation are in breach of employment legislation (source: Organisation of Working Time Act 1997).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,770 ✭✭✭danthefan


    In my company you get €70 for being on call up to midday on the weekends. If something happens after midday on a Saturday you can leave it til the Sunday for example. Then you get the overtime rate if you do get called.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭freestyla


    So it's clear that everybody is paying something.

    I found out how it is in out company, and must say it's really poor payments but still something.. whereas I got absolute 0 :(

    Does anyone think I've got chance to get backpaid? I wouldn't ask for everything over past 2 years but some kind of decent compensation for the work I've done?

    I worked over 2 years (1 week per month) like this so we are talking about few grands here which is, of course, worth fighting for. But not sure is it worth fight against big international IT company?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,195 ✭✭✭digiman


    I done it about 2 years ago and used to get E35/day for a weekday and E65/day for a weekend plus a minimum of 4hours at 1.5xtime during the week and 2xtime at the weekend if I was called out after working hours.
    It used to be a nice little earner as I got called out quite often but didn't mind as I just seen it as a nice handy way of making some extra money apart from the times when you get called during the night when they tell you mobile phone coverage is down to half of Dublin!!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,979 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    freestyla wrote: »
    So it's clear that everybody is paying something.

    I found out how it is in out company, and must say it's really poor payments but still something.. whereas I got absolute 0 :(

    Does anyone think I've got chance to get backpaid? I wouldn't ask for everything over past 2 years but some kind of decent compensation for the work I've done?

    I worked over 2 years (1 week per month) like this so we are talking about few grands here which is, of course, worth fighting for. But not sure is it worth fight against big international IT company?

    I was told to do on-call for roughly 45 Euros a week after tax. I politely refused and stated my reasons. I would suggest you do the same.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,593 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    duckysauce wrote: »
    An employer can hire employees to be available to work, but where they are not called to work the employee will receive compensation as follows;

    If you are required to be available for work at any time and are not actually called, you must be paid for 25 per cent of that time. If you are required to be available between 1 and 5 pm (4 hours) but are not called you must be paid for 4 hours.
    If you are required to work less than 25 per cent of the hours for which you have been asked to be available, you must be compensated for the difference between the hours actually worked and 25 per cent of the time you have been asked to be available. For example if you have been asked to be available for 40 hours but only actually work for 8 hours [20 per cent of available hours], then you will be compensated for the difference between 10 hours [25 per cent of 40] and 8 hours [hours actually worked] which is 2 hours.
    Compensation is not payable, however, when an employee is paid for making themselves available for work - such as call out, stand-by or fall-back allowance .

    If your hours are rostered on a weekly basis, you must be given at least 24 hours notice of any proposed changes. Where there are problems with rosters please alert your union representative to the issues. If you are not a member of a union please click here.

    Zero-hour contracts or employment on an on-call basis without compensation are in breach of employment legislation (source: Organisation of Working Time Act 1997).

    Mod-note: Can you give us a link for this please?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭duckysauce


    Mod-note: Can you give us a link for this please?

    yep

    http://www.unionconnect.ie/rights/3/

    under the on call working section


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,937 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    duckysauce wrote: »
    An employer can hire employees to be available to work, but where they are not called to work the employee will receive compensation as follows;

    If you are required to be available for work at any time and are not actually called, you must be paid for 25 per cent of that time. If you are required to be available between 1 and 5 pm (4 hours) but are not called you must be paid for 4 hours.
    If you are required to work less than 25 per cent of the hours for which you have been asked to be available, you must be compensated for the difference between the hours actually worked and 25 per cent of the time you have been asked to be available. For example if you have been asked to be available for 40 hours but only actually work for 8 hours [20 per cent of available hours], then you will be compensated for the difference between 10 hours [25 per cent of 40] and 8 hours [hours actually worked] which is 2 hours.
    Compensation is not payable, however, when an employee is paid for making themselves available for work - such as call out, stand-by or fall-back allowance .

    If your hours are rostered on a weekly basis, you must be given at least 24 hours notice of any proposed changes. Where there are problems with rosters please alert your union representative to the issues. If you are not a member of a union please click here.

    Zero-hour contracts or employment on an on-call basis without compensation are in breach of employment legislation (source: Organisation of Working Time Act 1997).
    Those regulations do not apply to those who do on-call in addition to their normal working hours.
    danthefan wrote: »
    If something happens after midday on a Saturday you can leave it til the Sunday
    Seems odd that a company would pay staff to be on-call for matters which do not require immediate attention!
    I was told to do on-call for roughly 45 Euros a week after tax. I politely refused and stated my reasons. I would suggest you do the same.
    That would not work for those of us who are required to do so under the Croke Park agreement.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,593 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    duckysauce wrote: »
    yep

    http://www.unionconnect.ie/rights/3/

    under the on call working section


    Thanks for the link, I'll add it to our stickies.

    However there are points under other questions that also needed to be noted:
    No, if you are paid wages for making yourself available for work or if you receive an on-call allowance, then you will not be entitled to compensation.
    You will be entitled to payment for 25 per cent of the contract hours or 15 hours whichever is greater.


    Also, I think that the point as the start of the section is important:
    An employer can hire employees to be available to work, but where they are not called to work the employee will receive compensation as follows;


    I think that's the part which clarifies that this information does not apply to people who do on-call on top of their regular jobs.


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