24 hr on call

Published

Hi...I just started a new job at a non medical home care company. I was told in the interview that there would be "some rotating on call" and the need to be a "little flexible". Now that I have started I have been told that 24 hr on call 7 days a week is expected. I would not only have to answer calls after hours but also go see new hospice clients. I feel like I was tricked into the position and am wanting to quit. Anyone else ever have this happen and how did you handle it?

Thank you everyone for your replies. I got a good chuckle out of many of them. This position is salaried with no on call pay. I am looking for a new job. I will do my best until then.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

I took call for my old home health job. I had to be available by phone from 5 pm to 8 am Monday-Thursday and 5 pm Friday to 8 am Monday. I rotated with 4 other co-workers. We each took call for a week at a time, and we were paid for it On-call pay broke down to just over $1 per hour, but the hours counted when calculating PTO.

If a home care company has to have 24/7 nurse support, they need to pay the nurse taking call, and have more than 1 nurse on-call. If your employer lied about something that big, what else will they lie about? Get out while you still can.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing.

I got hired to work at a Non-profit site to provide meds and drug testing to clients. On my first day (8hr shift on a Saturday, my co-worker told me, "So we have this crisis phone". And I was like OKAY...and? Well we each take the phone for 7 days and have to answer it anytime it rings. Normally I was very curious, what if I am out of town, or if it does ring at 3am, what am I going to say! My co-worker then kind of got quiet and back peddled by saying, maybe you won't have to take it. The following training day, I went immediately to my Supervisor and asker her about this phone. AND of course I had to take it, and NO EXTRA PAY! Yeah, I quit right there on the spot! I was already taking a pay cut for this job and to get used was just not going to happen to me.:no:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree with the others: RUN. On constant call and no on-call pay? That's crazy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Quit!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That is unreasonable. Find another job then quit. Most, if not all, home health companies have all FT employees rotate call. They are paid a couple of dollars/hour to be on call & the agencies per visit rate for any after hours/weekend visits. Some hospice companies require the nurse case manager to be on call for her/his patients all or most of the time. The reason is you are the nurse the patient & families know the best, & you know the patient & family better than another nurse. However, I believe this is wrong as hospice has the added time that you may put in after hours to be with the patient in his/her final hours.

You may be with a small start up company that does not have the nurses to rotate call with? Even so, they should not be accepting patients when they do not have adequate staff. Sounds like this company may not last & when that happens they suddenly stop paying you or your checks begin to bounce.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

From the department of labor and industry website:

Factors to be considered in making a determination as to whether the employer is exercising control

over the employee when the employee is on call include:

• Is the employee required to remain on premises?

• If allowed off premises, are there excessive geographic restrictions on the employee's movements?

• Is more than merely leaving contact information with the employer required?

• How often is the employee actually contacted while on call?

• Is there a fixed time for an employee to respond while on call, and is the response time unduly

restrictive?

• Can the on-call employee easily trade on-call responsibilities with another employee?

• To what extent is the employee allowed to freely use time while on call?

Such a list is illustrative, not exhaustive.

They also spell out if they are restricting what you can do with your "free time"

If you can't eat a meal or read your children a bedtime story without getting interrupted with calls then you should be compensated for your time.

Lots of great examples on their sites.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hi...I just started a new job at a non medical home care company. I was told in the interview that there would be "some rotating on call" and the need to be a "little flexible". Now that I have started I have been told that 24 hr on call 7 days a week is expected. I would not only have to answer calls after hours but also go see new hospice clients. I feel like I was tricked into the position and am wanting to quit. Anyone else ever have this happen and how did you handle it?

"You lied to me and I'm not working here." bye.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That is typical of some Hospice companies that are sooooo short & cant retain staff because of these unrealistically, fatiguing expectations.

"Run Forest Run!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

If I am reading this correctly you are expected to be the one and only on call person at all times with no additional compensation beyond your regular salary? Yeah, that would be a big "NO!" I am not too familiar with employment/labor law but I can't imagine that expecting you to be available every day, every hour is even legal no matter the compensation or lack thereof.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion