IDS Study 841, March 2007

Standby and call-out pay

• Gives details of the standby and call-out arrangements in 35 named organisations
• Looks at formal standby rotas, different levels of time commitment and the conditions attached to standby duty
• Reports on the methods of paying for both standby duty and for call-outs

Approaches to arranging standby cover differ widely according to the circumstances and the needs of the organisation in question. The intention may be to ensure cover is readily available in the event of sickness absence, to provide back-up support for a continuous 24-hour production or customer services operation, or to undertake essential repair work if equipment breaks down. Similarly, businesses that rely heavily on computer systems or communications technology often require IT and engineering staff to be on-call in the event of systems failures outside normal hours.

While a few organisations pay only a standby allowance or just for actual call-outs, most pay both. The relative weighting of each element mainly reflects the anticipated frequency of call-outs. And this varies between different industrial sectors and even between distinct work areas within the same organisation. In general, standby and call-out payments are closely related and should be seen as a complete package when making comparisons.

This Study examines which staff groups are most likely to be covered by standby and call-out arrangements and considers how such schemes operate. It also looks at factors affecting the level of compensation offered, such as whether cover is on a contractual rota basis or more informal, and shows how payments tend to rise with the degree of inconvenience involved. We also consider the legal implications for on-call time and pay, particularly in light of the Working Time Regulations.