Is On-Call Considered Mandatory Overtime

Agnus · Nov 8, 2005

Is on call mandatory? Is it over and above your 40 hour week? If so then yes it is.

Contact your local labor board and see what they say. Contact SEIU.org. This is a service union that represents nurses in many states ask them what thier take is on the legality of this.

There are other nurse unions out there but they should be able to answer your question then let us know.

dinkypea · Nov 8, 2005

Our on-call is mandatory. We knew about it when we were hired, but that was before the new law went into effect.

Does it really matter if you work 40 hours a week. I am a part-timer who is supposed to work 24 hours a week - wouldn't anything over 24 hours be overtime for me. Some weeks I would work 24, but depending on when I am able to get my call spots, I could work 36 hours in a week.

Our hospital isn't union - if that makes any difference.

Thanks!!

pickledpepperRN · Nov 15, 2005

We used to do voluntary call to avoid having our colleagues work with unsafe staffing.

Now our charge nurse has no patient assignment and we have a break relief nurse.

This RN comes in at 11:00 for a 7-7:30 shift. She relieves for meals and breaks then admits patients, responds to codes, or helps wherever the night supervisor deems best.

Call is still a problem for OR and PACU nurses. Although not required to they sometimes schedule their call befor or after a working shift. That is too fatiguing. I would not gamble with the chance I would be too tired to safely care for patients.