Overtime

Some employees are contractually required to undertake standby duty to carry out emergency work as and when the need arises. This is normally in line with a specific roster. These employees are under an obligation outside their normal working hours (including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) to remain on call and to be available to be consulted and if necessary, to be called out for emergency duty.

Payment for standby, disturbance and call out are made in line with the nationally agreed rates of pay.

Standby Duty- Element 337

Element 337 should be used for standby claims, with the correct rate being chosen to reflect the duration of the standby (complete week, broken periods of standby, public holiday).

An extra payment is due for each public holiday that falls within the week of standby and this should also be claimed under element 337.

Each 24-hour period of standby duty should start at the beginning of the working day (or at the same hour on non-working days).

Disturbance and call out when on standby - Element 336

Employees on standby duty, who are contacted or called out, are entitled to claim a further payment for each occasion they are contacted under element 336, although only one disturbance/call out payment can be claimed within each 2-hour period.

However, if a call-out or disturbance lasts in excess of one hour ,the employee is entitled to an additional payment for the whole period of disturbance or call-out at the appropriate overtime rate:

• call-out at plain time (element 027)
• call-out at time and a half (element 047)
• call-out at double time (element 048)

Example 1 (based on 2020 national standby and call out rates)

A 37-hour employee undertaking a complete week of standby (which includes 1 public holiday) is contacted once and subsequently called out for 3 hours to undertake a repair.

Example 2 (based on 2020 national standby and call out rates)

A 35-hour employee undertaking broken standby over one night is disturbed twice in the course of one hour.

Disturbance and call out when not on standby - Element 336

Employees who are not on standby duty but who are contacted or called out are entitled to claim the relevant payment for each occasion they are contacted under element 336, although only one disturbance/call-out payment can be claimed within each 2-hour period.

However, if a call out or disturbance lasts in excess of one hour, the employee is entitled to an additional payment for the whole period of disturbance or call-out at the appropriate overtime rate

• call-out at plain time (element 027)
• call-out at time and a half (element 047)
• call-out at double time (element 048)

An employee performing standby duty will be paid an allowance in accordance with the agreed rates. Each 24-hour of standby is to commence at the beginning of the notional standby session (or at the same time on a non working day).

Example 3 (based on 2020 national standby and call out rates)

A 35-hour worker not on standby duty is contacted and subsequently called out to deal with an emergency that lasts for a period of 4 hours.