On Call

OC_An Khe · Jul 6, 2008

First question is whether you are compensated by salary or hourly. If you are salary and the institution won't negotiate increased salary then I would give up the management position. There is no profit by being the richest person in the graveyard.

If you are paid hourly check with your state or federal labor board to see it it is legal to be placed on call and not be compensated. I believe at least you should be compensated for the time spent on phone calls. Of course leaving that employer is also a very viable opption.

cjmjmom · Jul 6, 2008

I am assuming you work in a LTC facility, right? Not sure if this helps but I work in a hospital (surgery/PACU) and our call rotates. For the hours I am on-call and at home I make $3.00. When I am called in during on-call hours I get paid time and a half and am guaranteed at least 3 hours once I clock in so if for some reason the case gets cancelled after I have punched in I still make 3 hours of time and a half pay.

I am an hourly staff employee and NOONE in administration or management takes call...

GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN · Jul 7, 2008

Good grief, I'd be outta there,that sounds brutal!!!

NurseWillow · Jul 7, 2008

Yeah, it's LTC. It is now 2:30ish in the am. I popped in my office here to check for messages. I just got another call from a 6am nurse not coming to work. I'm expected to work that shift also even though I will have worked over 8 tonight already. I am having to argue myself out of handing in my notice when my DON comes in. My DON and ADON knew the situation here this weekend (we suspended two nurses) and were fully aware of the shifts needing covering but neither one called or cared enough to come help. This a.m. they'll both be brimming over with sickening empathy for the "rough" weekend I've had. I wonder if I could get "justifiable homicide"? lol

I just need to go back to being a floor nurse and let someone else be dumb enough to pull this on-call crap. I'm burnt out... not to mention the pile of MDS's undone on my desk. Corporate won't care that I was on-call, they want these MDS's done on time. ack!!

Thanks for the replies! :)

Babs0512 · Jul 7, 2008

I work in or/Pacu. I get $2.00 / hr to be on call. If I get called in during 0700-2300 I get time and a half, if I get called in at 2301 I get double time. I am an hourly employee. We take call once a week and every 6th weekend.

The weekends are rough. Call started Friday at 1600 and ends Monday at 0700. There are days your called in and your there for 12 hours, you get home, eat something, and your called back in for another 6 hours. and this goes on all weekend. I absolutely hate my weekend of call. I get little rest (even if I don't get called in, I still can't take my sleep meds when on call). I feel your pain.

I wouldn't do it if I wasn't compensated for it.

Batman24 · Jul 7, 2008

You need to grow a backbone and fast because they are walking all over you and if you allow it they will continue to do it. You seem like a sweet and reliable employee and often they get the worst of it.

I would check with your Dept of Labor to verify the amount of hours you are allowed to work in a 24 hour period. The BON might also be of help. I have a feeling you are way over the limit. I don't know if on call employees fall under different criteria but I can't imagine nurses putting in 18 hours a day is a good idea. Be hard to explain that one in court.

Not being compensated for time on the phone is insane. All the nurses I know who work on call get paid for it. If they don't make changes I'd quit. This is no way to live. I hope things work out.

husker_rn, RN · Jul 7, 2008

I agree with Batman. Nothing is ever going to change unless it has to. I would talk to manangement and tell them the current style is not working. Can you take time off during your regular schedule to make up for time you're called in ? Otherwise you need to look long and hard at the situation. If you don't think of yourself no one else will either.Just my:twocents: