Neglecting On call terms
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Neglecting On call terms
I might accept employment with an employer with the stipulation that I am on-call 1 weekend a month
with no known restrictions on my time but I would have to return calls to the answering service upon receiving a page. I may or may not then be required to go to the workplace. Can I be fired for not going in if my employer is not paying me for the time I am on-call? Also, at a later time can I refuse to cooperate with the on-call stipulation without consequence?
Asked on April 19, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Louisiana
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
Unless you have protection under the terms of an employment contract or union agreement, you must report to the workplace regarding "on-call" time. If you do not, you face termination. In fact, a worker can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, with or without notice (absent some form of legally actionable discrimination). Also, as to pay for on-call time, there are several factors that must be considered in determining if a worker is indeed entitled to compensation for such time. They are: (1) how many calls the employee gets while on call (the more calss, the stronger the case that they should be compensated); (2) how long does the employee have to respond to the call (the sooner it is, the more likely it is that they should be paid); (3) where can the employee go while on call (if they must stay within a specified distance from work, the they usually are entitled to compensation); and (4) what can the employee do during their on-call time; the more restrictions placed on them (i.e. prohibiting alcohol use), then the greater the chance that they will have to be paid. For further information, you can contact your state's department of labor or contact a local employment attorney.
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