Keeping a worker on call instead of present workplace, is a common practice particular-ly in large offices, where workers can replace one another with relative ease.
This practice isn’t, however, a positive experience without fail. It certainly comes with its challenges, and, as many things do, has both its positive and negative aspects. Being aware of what those are can allow an employer to decide whether it would be a benefi-cial practice to engage in.
The Good
Replacing a worker's desk with a phone can have a lot of benefits for employers in par-ticular. One of these benefits is that it creates a convenient way to deal with unex-pected staff absences or similar issues. It means the unforeseen illness of one em-ployee doesn’t overburden others. A busy day that leaves a shop understaffed will be-come an easily solved problem.
It also cuts down costs for the employer. Keeping workers on call means he or she is less likely to hire and pay workers for the day, that ultimately prove unneeded. It keeps an office from being too full or busy, which can increase efficiency for those workers that are present.
For employees, a positive aspect of being put on call is being prevented from spending unnecessary time at the office. Some people might find this more enjoyable than oth-ers, but this system means fewer employees spend time at work without sufficient tasks to carry out.
The Bad
The practice of keeping workers on call can get complicated for both parties. The cost benefits for employers can be bad for employees, who might clear up a day to be avail-able for potential work, but not receive payment if they aren’t called in. This might occur at times.
Thus, it is helpful to ensure that an employee who is put on call doesn’t mind the flexi-ble schedule, and is capable of structuring their day around being on call. A worker who has children, for instance, might find it to be more of a burden. After all, inconven-iencing employees too much makes for an unpleasant work environment.
Calling in workers can come with its geographical challenges. If an employer needs his or her employees to be available quickly when called in, these need to be able to make it to work quickly. Employees that have a longer commute wouldn’t be able to do so.
This does mean that placing on call might entail a considerable amount of organiza-tion, and an employer needs to have the right people or software to take care of this or-ganizing. Employers and workers may need to engage in some negotiation to deter-mine which workers are most suited for being on call. As such the practice may save money for an employer, but not time.
Either way, keeping workers on call should be preceded by extensive planning. Making sure each party knows what it means to turn a desk into a phone can make the experi-ence much more agreeable for both.
By: Barbara Haenen