What is an on call job?

Which industries typically offer on call scheduling?

Many people associate on-call scheduling with professions in the medical industry (e.g., doctors, nurses, veterinarians), but many other fields offer on-call work as well. Some industry examples include:

• Journalism
• retail
• building maintenance
• Customer service
• Information Technology
• Public safety (e.g., EMTs and firefighters)
• Occupations (e.g., plumbers and electricians)

How to design a fair on call job schedule

A proper on call schedule will ensure that your company gets the coverage it needs, while also protecting employees  from burnout  . Here are some factors to consider when creating a proper schedule:

Identify the time of the call

Determine when your organization needs on-call coverage. For example, restaurants may need on-call coverage for lunch and dinner. Hospitals, on the other hand, operate 24 hours a day, so some positions may be on call even at midnight.

Determine on-call staffing needs and qualified employees

On call employees usually have specific skill sets that may be needed on short notice, so you won't need on call coverage for every position within the organization. Figuring out what type of help you need outside of regular shifts will help you identify qualified employees.

Contact the staff

Next, talk to the employees you've identified and see if they can work on call shifts and what times they would prefer to work. Some employees may have limited availability due to other professional or personal commitments.

Set parameters

What's included in call coverage varies from organization to organization, so make sure all your employees are on the same page by looking at these details:

• Location:  Specify whether employees must remain on premises or can stay home until called in. Alternatively, ask them to stay within a certain radius of the office to ensure they can get there quickly.
• Response times:  Set expectations for employees about how quickly they should respond to calls. This can also help determine what range they should stick to.
• Activities:  Clarify whether employees can engage in personal activities while on call. If not, you may need to compensate them for restricting their personal life during that time.
• Reasons for being called:  For efficiency, employees should only be called for critical reasons. For more minor issues, consider having employees follow troubleshooting steps before contacting an on-call employee or allowing an on-call employee to speak to employees from home about the situation.

Allocate on-call shifts fairly

If you have multiple on-call employees, rotate them into shifts so one person isn't always on call early in the morning or at midnight. This sense of fairness  can improve employee satisfaction  and prevent burnout.

Ask for feedback from employees

Benefits and Drawbacks of an On Call Schedule

On call schedules have their pros and cons, so be sure to consider the full picture when deciding if this model would be the best option for your organization.

benefits

Some of the benefits are as follows:

• Flexible coverage:  Having employees on call gives your company access to coverage when it needs it.
• Quicker response times:  Because on-call staff are required to be either on the premises or within a certain radius of the organization, they will be able to resolve situations faster, which can improve the patient or customer experience.
• Additional compensation for employees:  If your company offers compensation based on call time, employees can earn extra pay without working hours. This model can increase job satisfaction for some people.

Disadvantages

Some of the drawbacks are as follows:

• Additional costs:   According to  the Fair Labor Standards Act , on-call employment structures  have varying compensation requirements  . However, if your on-call employees are entitled to payment even when they are not called, this will increase your business costs.
• Poor work-life balance:  Even when on-call employees are not technically working, it can be stressful to know they will suddenly have to report to work. Having restrictions on their personal lives can lead to   job dissatisfaction  and high  turnover .