If some of your responsibilities at your job in Missouri involve being on call, you may have to put certain aspects of your life on hold so that you can be available at a moment’s notice. Should your employer have to pay you for this disruption? The answer is not necessarily clear-cut.
Chron.com explains that the federal wage and hour law, the Fair Labor Standards Act, requires your employer to pay you for every hour that you work if you are paid on an hourly basis. One of the big factors in whether or not your time on call counts as work is where you are at the time. Are you required to stay at work? That time counts as work time.
There is still a chance that your time will be paid if you are at home; if your employer requires you to drop everything and go to work at a moment’s notice, or if you must remain in uniform or have work equipment or tools ready at all times, your on-call time may be compensable.
On the other hand, if you can log in from home and work remotely, you may only be paid for the time you are actually performing that work. The same could go for answering phone calls. Your employer may only pay for the time you actually spend on the phone performing work duties.
Other factors may apply, so it is important to review your company’s policies and procedures and the FLSA to determine if you are receiving the pay you deserve. This information is educational in nature and should not replace the advice of an attorney.