[11523] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Policy question
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Kneedler)
Fri Aug 1 20:34:26 1997
Date: Fri, 01 Aug 1997 17:38:30 -0500
From: Bill Kneedler <bkneedle@lib.ci.phoenix.az.us>
In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19970731142226.006dc214@lib.up.net>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
There are several models for handling this. In the places I've worked, it
would be handled either as telecommuting (regular work time; i.e. part of
the 40 hours per week) or as beyond-hours "call-out time" or "stand-by
pay." For call-out time, there are at least two models, and frankly I
don't know what the Fair Labor Standards Act implications of each are at
this time.
1) Person gets so much per hour just to be on-call. For example, in City
of Phoenix, for Unit III, this pay is $3.00 per hour. (Or there may be no
pay for being on call in some organizations.) Then the individual is paid
time and a half (or for holidays, sometimes double or triple time) for the
period of time between when a call is made and when it is resolved. Often
travel time for on-call work is included. So instead of starting to pay a
person only for the time at work, the person is paid from the time s/he
leaves home to the time s/he returns home.
2) Person may not get anything extra for being on call, but there is a
minimum number of hours recorded for each call; for ex., 2 or 3 hours of
pay. So whether a call required 15 minutes or 3 hours of time in a given
situation, the person might receive a minimum of 3 hours of pay. In City
of Phoenix, 3 hours of overtime pay is the minimum.
An important factor is whether or not the individual is "exempt" in your
personnel system, according to the FLSA. If exempt, you don't HAVE to pay
the person anything extra at all. On the other hand, there's such a thing
as abusing exempt staff. I believe in giving them at least equivalent time
off, if we can't pay them extra.
Some outfits do all of this in overtime credits instead of pay. My
philosophy is that if you're already thinly stretched, the use of
time-and-a-half in overtime credits is likely to cripple your operation.
In the City, many departments requiring overtime just budget for it.
In my 36 years experience as a full-time employee of several entities,
police, fire, and public utilities/public works workers tend to achieve
more favorabler on-call agreements than other work categories. And union
workers tend to have more favorable agreements than non-union workers,
although this has certainly become more variable in recent years.
There are any number of permutations of these options.
I would check into the applicability of FLSA to your situation, in
addition to any other laws, statutes, or regulations that might apply to
your organization (federal, state, county, or local).
Undoubtedly there will be some local personnel directors you could contact
regarding prevailing practices in your geographical area. As long as
you're benefitting the employee at least as well as the norm and possibly
better, for a given category of work, you're in a better position to
defend your practice to the employees. And if your benefits aren't
excessive, you'll be in a better position to defend your practice to your
employers.
On Thu, 31 Jul 1997, UPRLC Automated Library Service Office wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I am the systems administrator for a library consortium of 19 libraries,
> sharing an automated system with a union catalogue, etc. We are currently
> bringing up a new WAN / Central Site Server / Help Desk to support the
> system. We have 2 people targeted for the help desk support and are
> planning on having a shared pager for after hours / weekend support, but
> want to be sure to give these people fair compensation for being tied to a
> pager. Is there anyone out there that has this type of structure, or could
> give me advice on "fair compensation" for these non-working / pager support
> hours? Any input you may have would be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> David Aho
> UPRLC Automated Library Services System Administrator
> ALSoffice@lib.up.net
>
>
> *---------------------------------------------------------------------*
> David Aho <ALSoffice@lib.up.net><http://lib.up.net/home/alshome.htm>
> U.P.R.L.C. - Automated Library Services Project Director
>
> U.P.R.L.C. - ALS Office
> 1615 Presque Isle Avenue
> Marquette, MI 49855
> Phone: 906-226-4675
> Fax: 906-228-5627
> *---------------------------------------------------------------------*
>
// Bill Kneedler E-mail: \\
|| Library Info. Systems Manager bkneedle@lib.ci.phoenix.az.us ||
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