On call duties

[proudmary]

Hello all i'm not sure if this is the right place to ask but here goes, I have been asked to provide 'on call' duties at work, this entails answering queries about homelessness from 6.00 p.m to 9.00 a.m. I said I would providing i received the same renumeration as the other person on call (it's only pennies lol �60 per week). The personnel manager is now saying we are actually working illegally as we work all day then are on call all night (there are nights when we recieve no calls at all). I thought if we signed a form saying we didn't mind working over 48hrs per wekk then that was ok? Can anybody clarify? I apologise in advance if this seems a bit garbled,
many thanks

[Lil O'lady]

If I'm reading this right Mary, the organisation is either a public one like a council or a high-quality private charity. They have to demonstrate that their working conditions comply with EU reg's. So your manager either understands or has been told that you all need to work in line with EU regulation. They can't require you to man the helpline and so can't advertise etc that this is available, even if you are personally willing to do the job.
Perhaps your organisation could come to an arrnagement with the local samaritans to forward details for contacts etc.

[Buenchico]

'On call' time, away from the workplace, does not count as 'work' as far as the Working Time Limits are concerned.

Get your personnel manager to read this:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employe es/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029426

Chris

[buildersmate]

It isn't a maximum of 48hrs per week, but an average of 48hrs max over a period of time.
And, as Chris points out, being 'on call' doesn't count as part of it, unless one is actually called out, when the time would have to to logged and included as part of the assessed average of 48hrs max.

[proudmary]

Thank you all very much I have printed off the article from Buenchico, I shall hand it in tomorrow, take care xx