4 ms·
I feel like there's a difference between being available 5 days a week 9-5 and actually working those hours, and it seems like you would value the former. It f
by barbs 7y ago
I feel like there's a difference between being available 5 days a week 9-5 and actually working those hours, and it seems like you would value the former.
It feels like there could be some sort of compromise between the two, where employees are contactable during full-time hours, but only to organise actual work hours, which are limited and flexible.
Of course, this would be less convenient for managers than simply having full-time hours, but it would save money spent on wages/salaries and result in more productive happy workers. I also feel there should be some way to reduce the administration burden, perhaps a combination of allowing employees to arrange working hours directly with each other and technology to facilitate this.
- fjeifisjf 7y agoThis is called being on call. Sysadmims and doctors do it.
- barbs 7y agoYeah sort of - although I kind of meant less about being available to drop everything and work on something immediately vs. just being around to answer questions perhaps that may or may not be urgent.
- Arainach 7y agoThat's still on call, though. If I'm expected to answer the phone and answer work questions, I can't be hiking in an area with bad cell coverage. I can't be drunk. I can't be in a theater. Perhaps I can't be on a bike ride if I need to have a laptop nearby. On and on - if it's a restriction on my life during non work hours, it's on call.
- em-bee 7y agoi think it's still different. being on call means i must be able to work during that time. being reachable means that you can pass on your problem, and i'll acknowledge it so that we can together decide what the best next step. sometimes we can solve the problem, sometimes we can find someone else who can also help, and sometimes we need to delay working on the problem and reschedule it for another time. but at least then it's scheduled. on a few occasions i am not reachable at all. but that doesn't happen often. in other words being on call means always to solve the problem immideately, whereas being reachable means i have the option to say no.
- david-gpu 7y agoThat is still work, and an intrusion on what should be free time but no longer is.
- em-bee 7y agobut it's different from being on-call. i understand that in many places, on-call requires the same payment as regular work hours for the whole period, not just for the hours worked. and i don't feel it's an intrusion if being available is optional and not required. it's essentially how every freelancer works. they are available during business hours. but they don't get paid if they don't get called for work by a client.
- 6nf 7y agoIf it's after hours then you're on call and you should be paid to be on call.