ON-CALL EXPECTATIONS

Your employees are not in the office, but they still have a job to do

Brian Margarita, CEO of TalentFuse, a San Diego-based national IT search and staffing firm, offers a blackberry to all of his sales reps. It's not because Margarita wants to keep track of their each and every move. It's the exact opposite. He wants his sales staff – who are constantly on the move – to have the freedom needed to succeed outside the office, by supplying themwith the tools needed to succeed.

In today's 24/7, on-demand, whatcan-you-do-for-me-right-now business world, it seems as if workers never leave the office. It's as if we are always on-call. While that can send shivers through the backs of most workers, it's actually a necessary aspect of today's business world.

"I look at it like this," says Margarita. "It's like the dawning of the cell phone era. Think of the sales rep driving down the road hurrying back to the office to respond to urgent voicemails. Then while driving, he looks over, and there's his competitor and biggest rival, on the phone closing the deal with the client you've been prospecting. That sales rep had no choice but to get a cell phone. In today's competitive market, staying connected is a way of life."

But just because he can get in touch with his workers virtually anytime of the day doesn't mean Margarita expects them to be accessible 24 hours a day. Being on-call means different things to different workers. An on-call volunteer firefighter knows if they are contacted, it means they are called because they are needed to put a fire out or other emergencies. An on-call doctor knows that call means they are needed immediately at the hospital. Towing services have workers on call 24 hours a day. And in today's technologicalheavy world, 24-hour, on-call IT staff are able to help solve problems in the home office, or with clients throughout the world.

"The key to being on-call is having a clear understanding of what is expected of the employee on-call," says Margarita. "Having employees on-call without any compensation plan or structured set of rules can cause problems."

Margarita works with a number of employers around the country who have these compensation/reward programs in place for on-call employees:

• IT staff at TalentFuse are typically salaried employees. So instead of rewarding those who were on call with a monetary reward, they instead are giving comp time. If they worked four hours on-call Monday night, they could get a half day off on Friday.

• A client of TalentFuse has 30 staff members that rotate being on call, with up to two on call per week. The client pays the person on-call an extra $200 per week, whether they worked an additional one hour, or 10 additional hours. More often than not, they were worked less, making it actually attractive to be on-call.

• Another client billed their company for two hours of work for each call received. If they were on the phone for one minute, they were compensated for two hours. If they were on call for 25 minutes, they billed for two hours. Remember those working vacations? Where you could take the kids and family to someplace fun and warm, but you had to check in with the office periodically? One TalentFuse client actually looks forward to that. The company pays an extra $150 per month so that the employee has a wireless setup on their laptop. So when they are out of town, they go wherever they want, and get on their computer, whenever they want. "That's a $150 per month incentive," says Margarita. "Think about how much they will use that when they are NOT on vacation. I know I would use it everyday. And if I was on vacation, it would help me stay connected, go through emails and keep in touch. Some people might want to get totally away from the workplace, but so many people get back from vacation and spend two days catching up."

Margarita also makes one other point. "If you're on call, and have been given the tools (technology) needed to do the job, you better do it," he says. "If they don't respond, there could be serious consequences."

Every company is different in how they handle telework and operations in a 24/7 world.

It is important for employees to design their "alliance" with their boss and their organization so that boundaries are clear. By doing so there will not be confusion, says Melanie Keveles, a certified professional coactive coach and principal of Aligned Advantage Business and Personal Coaching (www.onlinecoaching.com).

"Without clarifying these boundaries and vocalizing and putting expectations in writing, the relationship of employee and company/boss can deteriorate into a power struggle - even if unspoken," says Keveles. She offers these tips on how to survive in a world where we seem to be connected with our co-workers 24/7.

• Look for win/win solutions - come to agreement about the circumstances under which employees can be contacted. • Set off-duty time periods - see if time frames can be laid out according to geographic areas - with there being a clear cut off period after which the employee will not be contacted - except in an extreme emergency

• Explore unique compensation methods - professionals are generally thought to be paid a salary that does not include overtime - if there is frequent contact in hours where the employee is beyond regular work hours, look for other ways to be compensated - more time off, other kinds of bonuses, etc.

• Make use of electronic systems (email, voicemail, etc.)

• Recognize that an overworked, burnt out employee is not an effective ambassador for any organization – even on-call employees, whether working or not, can feel the "stress" of working or putting in to many hours Elizabeth Laukka, a National Recruiter for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage works from home one day a week, and has one day off a week. That day off however, she is on-call and responds to emails, voicemails, etc. She also hires numerous workers who have flexible schedules, work from home, and are on-call. Most employees she hires who have flexible or telecommuting schedules are exempt from overtime. Laukka offers these tips for on-call and telecommuting workers:

1. Right up front the employee needs to set boundaries with colleagues and managers and clients about not being accessible on a certain day or time, otherwise they will feel like you are always accessible and expect work from you even on your day off. The employee also needs to not feel guilty about setting that boundary.

2. The best way to make a telecommuting, flexible schedule or on-call schedule successful is to have excellent follow through and performance when you are actually working - whether it's from home, while on call, or at the office. Return every phone call and email quickly, and produce results for managers and clients. Then when you are not actually working, it's not a question of your work ethic or dedication, it's a matter of people understanding your schedule.

3. Communicate your schedule and backup options – having e-mail or voice mail updated to say "You've reached me on Friday...I am not in the office today. For immediate assistance, call my colleague Jane Smith, otherwise I will respond to your message immediately on Monday morning."

4. Make sure the team members that you rely on as backups are ok with you using them as backups. Always fill them in on what calls or e-mails might come in, and how to access information on your desk, AND most importantly THANK THEM and offer to assist them when you can. Any resentment toward you will be less likely to build up.

Margarita adds that if an employer can provide the technology to help workers do their job just as efficiently away from the office, it can help save from having to rent another facility to house employees. And if a worker can work 35 hours in the office, and another 15 at home and on-call, they feel like they are a trusted, valuable member of the organization.

"It takes trust from an employer to expect an employee to be efficient and effective on-call," says Margarita. "Look at the flexibility as a freedom. But set rules, expectations and policies. Take being on-call as serious as being in the office and there won't be any problems."