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VII 4.62-UMCES Policy on on-Call and Call-Back for Non-Exempt Employees

Download Policy VII 4.62

Approval Date: 12/18/06

    1. On-Call
      1. Eligibility
        1. All regular nonexempt employees of UMCES, who are required to be available to report to work outside the normally scheduled hours for emergencies or other unusual circumstances, are considered in an on-call status and shall receive compensation.
        2. The UMCES Director of Human Resources may approve the payment of the compensation to an exempt employee if it is demonstrated that the nature of work is very specialized or an emergency situation exists.
      2. Provisions
        1. Employees assigned to on-call are required to be accessible if it is necessary for them to return to work. If during the on-call period unforeseen circumstances arise where the employee cannot be reached or is no longer able to respond, the employee must notify the supervisor immediately. The employee shall be removed from on-call status for that day for pay purposes unless the individual had previously responded during that same day.
        2. Designated employees shall normally be assigned to on-call for a period of not more than seven consecutive days (including holidays). On-call status may extend to the maximum of 24 hours for each day, as determined by each department manager. An employee who is assigned to on-call status and cannot be reached or does not report within two hours of being contacted may be subject to disciplinary action and shall be removed from on-call status for that day for pay purposes unless the individual had previously responded during that same day. In instances where designated on-call employees cannot be reached or are unable to respond, the supervising authority may obtain a qualified substitute from any available source.
        3. Employees shall be notified in advance of their assignment to on-call status. Essential employees are not automatically assigned to on-call status.
        4. On-call assignments will be allocated by each department manager on a rotating basis among those employees eligible for such assignments.
      3. Compensation
        1. Employees shall receive on-call pay at the rate of $1.50 per hour, for each hour that they are assigned to on-call. If an employee is assigned to on-call status and is called to work, the employee will be paid according to the on-call rate in addition to any pay due for hours worked. On-call pay shall be included in the base pay for purposes of computation of overtime pay.
        2. An otherwise eligible employee will not receive on-call compensation if the performance of the duties is an extension of the employee’s regular work day or work week.
    2. Call-Back
      1. EligibilityRegular non-exempt employees who are required to return to work on a regularly scheduled on- duty day after going off-duty, or are required to work on a regularly scheduled off-duty day are eligible for call-back compensation.
      2. ProvisionsThis policy applies to employees who are called back to work.
      3. Compensation
        1. Employees on an on call status, who are called back, shall be credited with a minimum of two (2) hours additional work time even if the time spent on duty is less than two hours. Employees who are not on call, and are called back shall be credited with a minimum of four(4) hours additional work time. This circumstance does not apply to the employee who may be working overtime as a continuation of the employee’s normal hourly schedule.
        2. Normally, travel between home and work is not work time. However, where employees have gone home after completing a day’s work or are on scheduled off duty days and subsequently are required to return to the normal place of work or any other location in order to perform a necessary task, travel time is included as work time. Additionally, such hours spent in travel shall be considered as hours worked and count toward the accumulation of overtime hours. Travel time counts toward both the two-hour and four (4) hour minimum call-back time.
        3. An employee who is called back during a qualifying shift will receive a pro-rata shift differential according to the policy entitled, “Shift Differential.”
      4. Definitions:

    “Essential Employee” – An employee of a facility who has been designated as vital to the operation of the facility, whose presence is required regardless of the existence of an emergency condition, and whose absence from duty could endanger the safety and well being of the campus population and/or physical plant. Examples of such employees are police, stationary engineers or other heating plant and maintenance personnel, snow removal employees, food service staff, hospital staff, etc.