How often are you on-call?

[Goldenboy]

We are on-call about once every 14 weeks. We do on-call for one full week at a time. This time of year we don't get too many call outs but with all the hours we're working it's still real hard.

The funny thing is for wasting away a week of our lives we get $50.00. It's amazing that the on-call pay hasn't went up in years. I know we're not on-call to often but $50.00 for sitting there and not being able to go anywhere or drink anything is not too much money.

[big boots mcghee]

Out here we have a daily oncall rotation. Some guys pick up more than others, but most guys end up covering oncall at least three dates a month. We get an extra $50 if we cover a Saturday or Sunday but nothing extra for covering weeknights.

[sprayandpray]

We have a rotation like this: Mon thru Thurs we have a different guy each nite and then for Fri-Sat-Sun we have 1 guy do the entire weekend so only 1 person's weekend is screwed up. Works great and it's a lot easier to trade out days with other guys. Of course this doesn't work if you have 5,10,15, 20 per group.

[Mr810]

we are on 1 in every 4 weeks hell when the rifs start some are on every other week thru the winter... winter is a pretty busy time around here for after hour emergencies.. water mains breakin right in left... the most i ever had was 1 in 8 weeks... 14 weeks would be SWEET......... and yeah, 50 bux aint much anymore for on-call... but i guess it's better than a kick in the balls ..ooh wait we get the kick in the balls when that 1 to 3 % raise comes around every year

[gypsygirl]

Wow.. you actually get compensated for being on call??? What a novel idea!! (Oh... did I say that in my out loud voice?) Once about every 6 - 7 weeks... can be pretty crazy. But extra money??? ... that would help!

[TBONE]

NEVER Two hours of pay isnt worth my weekend being ruined a plus I cant hit the bottle I mean prescription liquid for locators

[Goldenboy]

NEVER Two hours of pay isnt worth my weekend being ruined a plus I cant hit the bottle I mean prescription liquid for locators

How do you get away from doing on-call? Do you pay someone else to take you call out time?

[underground quester]

I negotiated with my boss when he was preparing to put me on call. (we have to work for the Co. for 6 mo first ....as a nubee that is).

He was giving me a raise and I negotiated .50 cents an hour less not to be on call.

People here are on call one week at a time. No payment for being on call. Each "call out" is paid at a flat rate. I am not sure what that rate is. Some guys who have a busy week make pretty good money.

I spent an entire career on call, working around the clock some times, holidays, long weekends, even Christmas one year. I said no thanks, I'd had enough (on call) to fill my boots for a while.

He was actually pretty gracious about it. I do however contribute more to the company in other ways...helping nubees, writing training curriculum, taking extra work, etc. so he didn't see it as too much of a hardship.

Most of the young guys put up notes, they want every on call shift they can get... and i tell them Well, fill yer boots guys, after 25 years you too will be pretty tired of it. But for now, they make great paycheques.

[sprayandpray]

We have a guy in the DFWarea that will pay $150 for someone to take his week-ends. He never does a week-end.

[Goldenboy]

How come some people are on-call so often? Do you do a small area on-call? We do half of an entire county when we are on-call. You'd think everyone would have the amount of people on the supervisor team be equal to the number of weeks between on-call rotations.

[underground quester]

How come some people are on-call so often? Do you do a small area on-call? We do half of an entire county when we are on-call. You'd think everyone would have the amount of people on the supervisor team be equal to the number of weeks between on-call rotations.

I get it, so you are saying once every 30 weeks or so you'd be on call once. But how do you do that when you only have 20 locators??? (Just having some fun Golden...LMAO)!

[Mr810]

we do about 6 counties for on call

[Goldenboy]

we do about 6 counties for on call

So if you do six counties on-call and your on-call every 4 weeks I'm guessing you work in a very rural area. We probably have 25-30 locators working in one county where I work.

[Dracula]

I go on about every 8 weeks, unless my wife went shopping with the kids again and then I'll pick up a week from another co-locator....usually get 50 bucks or even more if they are desparte.

[yahoo]

no on call for me but to help out my team i may go out once a year to do one......our contractors here believe that small water leaks in the rich mans yard or the poor mans yard can wait till monday............