Being asked to be on-call when it wasn't part of your original job description

[Casawi]

I don't even know what my job description was.

 

[mugs]

You sound like a fantastic employee.

 

[darkxshade]

I was considering making a parody thread but that's not me.

 

[Kelemvor]

Do you get compensation when you get a call? Everywhere I worked had something that you'd get comp time or extra pay or something if you actually got any calls. Or ask for a raise in order to work on-call since it wasn't something you were supposed to do.

 

[freegeeks]

don't listen to people saying that you are a bad employee for refusing being on call. I was on call for 3 years. At average we had between 10 and 20 calls a week. I was an IPTV network engineer so every call was high priority. Basically it meant I was working 20 hours a day. I had to give up 25% of my personal life because people had problems watching stupid TV shows. I had to take my laptop everywhere with me and when I was not at home I had to make sure that I was in an area with good gprs coverage so I could set up my VPN. It sucked monkey balls and I left after 3 years.

 

[waffleironhead]

Re-read the job description. It probably says"other duties as assigned".
On-call=other duties.

Good luck. Being on-call definitly ruins a good weekend of drinking. :beer:

 

[JS80]

Come back to us when you get your review and a shitty raise.

 

[Geekbabe]

usually off hours pager duty gets booted up the ladder not down, I'd ask that if this is going to be written into your job description that you'd also like on call pay for those hours.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
I've never heard a highly successful person refer to their own job description.

I don't think it's a coincidence.

LOL, now that you mention it

The ones that have have usually been horrible employees...

 

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: KLin
Is it worth your job fighting this battle?

Yes. More work for same pay == pay cut. The OP has to decide if that's worth it. Could be, could not be.

 

[Pepsei]

Originally posted by: Modeps
Does anyone really follow job descriptions?

right. he's should be glad he gets let out for lunch, it isn't in the job description ....

 

[BoomerD]

Personally, I would refuse the pager duty unless it came from your boss...but that's me.

The other people are just looking for someone else to dump it on...and most FNG's want to have the job so bad, they'll just roll over and let people walk on them in the spirit of getting along..."let's give it to Mikey...he'll eat anything!"

If the company wants to add it to your job description, then it should be a negotiable item since it involves extra work, usually outside your "normal working hours."

I realize lots of folks here are so used to having their heads so far up their bosses ass that if he turned fast, they'd break their necks...that they don't see anything wrong with doing whatever they're told, but that doesn't mean YOU should do it too. Most of the ATOT people apparently would go clean the office latrines if their bosses told them to...
Bunch of job-scared pussies.

HOWEVER, I worked union jobs nearly all my life, so I tend to be much more independently minded than most in the corporate world...

DO NOT take my advice unless you're ready and willing to quit over the issue.

Again, if your BOSS wants you to take on the pager-duty, it should be a negotiable item and you should receive extra compensation for it. I always received a MINIMUM of 2 hours overtime when I was on call for the local electric company,just for carrying the dammed pager, and if I actually started work, I got 4 hours of overtime.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Good luck getting promoted.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Personally, I would refuse the pager duty unless it came from your boss...but that's me.

The other people are just looking for someone else to dump it on...and most FNG's want to have the job so bad, they'll just roll over and let people walk on them in the spirit of getting along..."let's give it to Mikey...he'll eat anything!"

If the company wants to add it to your job description, then it should be a negotiable item since it involves extra work, usually outside your "normal working hours."

I realize lots of folks here are so used to having their heads so far up their bosses ass that if he turned fast, they'd break their necks...that they don't see anything wrong with doing whatever they're told, but that doesn't mean YOU should do it too. Most of the ATOT people apparently would go clean the office latrines if their bosses told them to...
Bunch of job-scared pussies.

HOWEVER, I worked union jobs nearly all my life, so I tend to be much more independently minded than most in the corporate world...

DO NOT take my advice unless you're ready and willing to quit over the issue.

Again, if your BOSS wants you to take on the pager-duty, it should be a negotiable item and you should receive extra compensation for it. I always received a MINIMUM of 2 hours overtime when I was on call for the local electric company,just for carrying the dammed pager, and if I actually started work, I got 4 hours of overtime.

Yep, I worked union for decades, not current, but my call is pretty lucrative.

1 hour of pay at regular rate the moment the phone rings for my travel time back & forth to work.

Time & a half for all call hours, regardless of the number of regular hours I work.

1 hour minimum at time & a half regardless of time clocked in + 1.5 X any shift differentials.

$2/hour for each hour I am available on call.

 

[WildHorse]

``

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Personally, I would refuse the pager duty unless it came from your boss...but that's me.

The other people are just looking for someone else to dump it on...and most FNG's want to have the job so bad, they'll just roll over and let people walk on them in the spirit of getting along..."let's give it to Mikey...he'll eat anything!"

If the company wants to add it to your job description, then it should be a negotiable item since it involves extra work, usually outside your "normal working hours."

I realize lots of folks here are so used to having their heads so far up their bosses ass that if he turned fast, they'd break their necks...that they don't see anything wrong with doing whatever they're told, but that doesn't mean YOU should do it too. Most of the ATOT people apparently would go clean the office latrines if their bosses told them to...
Bunch of job-scared pussies.

HOWEVER, I worked union jobs nearly all my life, so I tend to be much more independently minded than most in the corporate world...

DO NOT take my advice unless you're ready and willing to quit over the issue.

Again, if your BOSS wants you to take on the pager-duty, it should be a negotiable item and you should receive extra compensation for it. I always received a MINIMUM of 2 hours overtime when I was on call for the local electric company,just for carrying the dammed pager, and if I actually started work, I got 4 hours of overtime.

And I would kindly tell you you don't have to work here anymore. You chose to work here, if you don't like it then leave.

It really is that simple.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
I've never heard a highly successful person refer to their own job description.

I don't think it's a coincidence.

Yep.

 

[jackace]

Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
I've never heard a highly successful person refer to their own job description.

I don't think it's a coincidence.

This is a great line, and its true hard work and a willingness to get things done is great way receive promotions and such.

My only concern with the line is it doesn't apply to every situation.

If everyone is putting in long hours and doing something to help the company then you need to be doing so as well, (or find a new job if this is not acceptable) but if you are the only person or you are always required to go above and beyond then your supervisor/boss might just be taking advantage of you.

Not sure about all of you, but from my experience a boss/supervisor that assigns the same highly undesirable task to the same person on a regular basis is either:

(1) A horrible boss. Good bosses I have seen ask for volunteers and/or spread the burden around. This gives people a chance to step up and make a statement to the boss or if no one is willing to step up then every one shares the extra burden. Not to mention a boss that is not willing to do what he asks his employees to do is not someone I want to work for.

(2) This boss is trying to force that specific person into quiting/leaving the company or transferring to another division.

I would take the responsibility and see how it goes. If the work is not worth the pay then find another job. I remember a place i worked at during school. (restaurant) The General Manager always pushed the crappy hours off on his assistants and other supervisors. Needless to say we went through a ton of assistant managers and supervisors. Working every weekend and most nights so the general manager could go play and have fun gets old very quickly.

Personally I'm one to jump in and help out if something is needed, (putting in 60+ hours a week now because we are shorthanded) but if I ever thought I was being taken advantage of so others could have more free time I would be looking for a new job asap, especially in a salary situation.

 

[Judgement]

You are the new guy and they are trying to dump the ball on you. Key point being that I didn't use the word pass.. they want to dump it on you, or at least spread the coverage out.

As a third party, it sounds to me as if the tier3 people didn't feel like dealing with the pager and he found someone in tier2 dumb enough to think it would help him progress. From that point the tier2 person realized it is not helping his career and he doesn't want full responsibility every week... so he convinced co-workers it would help them look good and move forward.

Mean while, management still probably thinks everything is handled by tier3,or they dont even know anything has been changed at all because they dont care... they have no reason to. Tier3 passed their work to tier2 people.. tier2 gets sick of it and tries to dump it on the new guy. This is because tier3 had a rotation and now tier2 is not supposed to be rotating support.

REFUSE to take it, but at the same time talk to your manager.

If this is one of your new responsibilities you will want to know... your job description means next to nothing. They will be able to tell you if you should be a part of that rotation or not.

I honestly believe your management does not pay attention and they think on-call duties are still performed by tier3 support.

 

[DangerAardvark]

Just take the pager. Let them grind that self-worth right out of you. On-call pay? What do you think this is? An equal trade of money for service rendered?

 

[nageov3t]

I've never actually worked a job with an official job description.

being on call comes with the territory of working in IT, especially if you're managing mission-critical boxes.

it's understood as part of my job that I'm on-call in an emergency, and I'm usually pretty good about it since I know that I'm the closest one to the office amongst the senior staff (whereas the other two have a 45-60 minute drive, I'm a 3 minute drive / 15-20 minute walk). of course, there are times when I just ignore the phone, and the line I take with my boss is, until the company starts providing or paying for my cellphone, they can't reasonably expect that it will always be in service, turned on, and in signal range.

if I were in the OP's situation, I'd probably talk about it with whoever the department manager is, find out which people are *really* the on-call bitches, why they're not doing it, and why you're expected to take on additional responsibility with no additional compensation, when the people who should be taking it refuse to.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Personally, I would refuse the pager duty unless it came from your boss...but that's me.

The other people are just looking for someone else to dump it on...and most FNG's want to have the job so bad, they'll just roll over and let people walk on them in the spirit of getting along..."let's give it to Mikey...he'll eat anything!"

If the company wants to add it to your job description, then it should be a negotiable item since it involves extra work, usually outside your "normal working hours."

I realize lots of folks here are so used to having their heads so far up their bosses ass that if he turned fast, they'd break their necks...that they don't see anything wrong with doing whatever they're told, but that doesn't mean YOU should do it too. Most of the ATOT people apparently would go clean the office latrines if their bosses told them to...
Bunch of job-scared pussies.

HOWEVER, I worked union jobs nearly all my life, so I tend to be much more independently minded than most in the corporate world...

DO NOT take my advice unless you're ready and willing to quit over the issue.

Again, if your BOSS wants you to take on the pager-duty, it should be a negotiable item and you should receive extra compensation for it. I always received a MINIMUM of 2 hours overtime when I was on call for the local electric company,just for carrying the dammed pager, and if I actually started work, I got 4 hours of overtime.

And I would kindly tell you you don't have to work here anymore. You chose to work here, if you don't like it then leave.

It really is that simple.

Ah yes...y'alls from below the Iron Curtain...formerly known as the Mason-Dixon line...where slavery reigned supreme...and apparently, still does.

If a person is hired to do XYZ job, you're saying it's ok for other people to dump THEIR job on the FNG as well?
As I said in my original post, I'd do it, but ONLY if it came from management...and I'd dammed sure be renegotiating my wage/salary to compensate for the extra time/work involved.

The idea that you get paid $XXXX dollars per year...you do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you're told, and work ALL the hours we need you to without any extra pay borders on communism IMO...or maybe Robber Baron capitalism...sometimes, I'm NOT sure which is worse for the working man.

 

[nageov3t]

really depends on how crucial you are to the company.

the OP should be running this past his boss, though, not AT.

but if you go into it with an attitude of "F this, there's no way in hell I'm doing it," you might just be SOL if you're in an at-will employment state.

 

[aceO07]

I think the OP should NOT accept the extra work passed on by coworkers. I agree with Judgement and a few other people here.

The OP is NOT getting the extra work from his boss or supervisors. It's similar to if a coworker wants to pass off work to you, without consulting with your boss. There's nothing wrong with doing a bit of work that nobody will notice and you won't get a bonus or praise for, but to do it for long term because coworkers want to pass it to you without any (future) reward is just extra baggage for you.

Obviously there's work to be done if they're passing around the on call duty, else they'd wouldn't mind being on call. Why lose sleep because someone, who isn't your boss, wants to dump his/her responsibilities onto you. If your boss or anybody else who can affect your pay hasn't said you should be on call or suggested it, don't do it. Most likely they'll never know or care that you are.

 

[aceO07]

To all the people who think the OP should be fired, I don't think his COWORKERS can fire him. If he was refusing to do work that his BOSS told him to do, then yes I'd agree with you.