On-call


On-call scheduling, sometimes referred to as on-call shifts are processes used in business where employee work schedules are intentionally unpredictable. Employees who work on-call are expected to be available at any time during their shift, usually with short notice, to carry out their working duties. Depending on the nature of the profession, on-call duties may vary from what is expected during normal working hours to emergency cover only.

Classification

An individual working on-call usually has a regular waged or salaried term of employment, to which working on-call is an addendum. In the case of firefighters, some firefighters may be exclusively on-call firefighters, whereas salaried firefighters work ordinary shifts. In the UK, on-call firefighters are paid a retainer fee. They are then paid per hour for attending incidents and training. When on call, firefighters can be no more than 5 minutes travel time away from their fire station, and cannot consume drugs or alcohol.