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The Global Insight

Do companies have to pay employees to be on call?

Author

Christopher Ramos

Updated on March 22, 2026

According to the Department of Labor (DOL), time spent on call does not necessarily count as time at work. When employees make themselves available in their actual office or workplace for on-call assignments, employers must pay them for the time they spend there.

Do you get paid for on call time?

“On Call” Workers are Entitled to Pay While Waiting For the Call to Work in CA. The time you wait for a call to work is called “reporting time.” If you don’t work or get sent home early, you are entitled to some pay.

What are the rules for paying employees for on call and standby time in California?

For time spent responding to an authorized call to work, including the time spent traveling to and from work, employees will be paid their regular hourly rates, and the employees will be paid for all time spent responding to an authorized call to work, or a minimum of two hours, whichever is greater.

Can my employer require me to be on-call without pay?

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, on-call hours may or may not be considered hours worked. If on-call hours count as hours worked, you need to pay your employees for their on-call time. If on-call hours are not considered hours worked, you do not need to pay your employees while they wait.

What is average on-call pay?

Companies paying overtime for time worked while on call typically pay hourly technical employees at 1.5 times the standard hourly rate. Companies that pay additional flat amounts to hourly on-call employees report paying an average of $250 per week, $23 per weekday, $45 per weekend and $50 per holiday (U.S. dollars).

Can a company force you to be on-call without pay?

Can an employer make you work and not pay you?

It doesn’t matter. If your employer allows you to work, they’re legally required to compensate you for those work hours—so even if it’s your idea to come in early or put in a few hours on your day off, your employer is still legally required to compensate you for that work time.

What are the laws for on call pay?

Federal on-call pay laws require you to compensate employees for hours worked. And, hours worked depends on a number of conditions. Oftentimes, the FLSA determines on-call pay requirements case by case. However, the Department of Labor offers general guidelines for determining on-call pay.

If the time spent on-call is working time, the employer may pay at a rate different than the regular rate of the employee for the work normally done. iF the employee is called in to work, then he should be paid at his regular hourly rate.

How does the Department of Labor determine on call pay?

Oftentimes, the FLSA determines on-call pay requirements case by case. However, the Department of Labor offers general guidelines for determining on-call pay. On-call work laws boil down to whether the employee is restricted or not. If the employee is restricted, their time is generally considered hours worked, and you must give on-call pay.

Is the employer obligated to pay for waiting time?

As with many wage and hour areas, the issue as to whether an employer is obligated to pay wages for waiting or on-call time is a fact-specific analysis. The general rule for payment of wages is that employees are compensated for actual work performed for their employer, whether the work is located on the employer’s premises, or off-site.