Do I get the allowance if I don't get called?

Yes. As CrossVault's on-call guide explains, the allowance is for the burden of being available, regardless of whether you actually work. It is paid per 24-hour on-call period.

What is the minimum payment if I take a 2-minute call at 11pm?

Under clause 25.10, calls answered between 10pm and 6am attract a 30-minute minimum payment. A 2-minute call after 10pm is paid as 30 minutes, plus any applicable penalty rate for working outside the 6am–8pm span.

Does the on-call allowance replace the remote-work payment?

No. The on-call allowance and remote-work pay are separate entitlements. The allowance compensates for being available; the remote-work payment compensates for the work performed. You receive both when you take a call while on call.

Do penalty rates apply on top of remote-work minimums?

Yes. Remote work performed between 8pm and 6am attracts 150% (first 2 hours) and 200% thereafter, casual rates 175% / 225%. Saturday remote work attracts the Saturday rate, Sunday remote work the Sunday rate, and public holidays 250% / 275%.

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On-Call & Recall Allowances

By CrossVault · Updated 8 October 2026

Employees required to be obtainable by phone and ready to return to work — or to perform remote work like answering calls, attending team meetings, or remote training — are covered by two distinct provisions of the SCHADS Award. The on-call allowance (paid for the burden of being available) is an allowance under clause 20.11, while remote-work pay (paid for the work actually performed when contacted) sits in clause 25.10. These are treated separately, and both can apply on the same day. Try the SCHADS on-call and remote-work calculator for a quick dollar estimate.

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Quick Facts

Mon-Fri Allowance: $25.66 per 24hr period from 1 Jul 2026 (2.0% of standard rate)
Weekend/PH Allowance: $50.81 per 24hr period from 1 Jul 2026 (3.96% of standard rate)
6am–10pm Minimum: 15 minutes per call
10pm–6am Minimum: 30 minutes per call
Remote Work (not on call): 1 hour minimum
Team Meeting / Training: 1 hour minimum
Clause: On-call allowance: cl.20.11 · Remote/recall work: cl.25.10

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Recall to Work

If you are on call and are actually called into work (physically returning to a worksite), you must be paid for a minimum of 2 hours at the appropriate overtime rate under cl.28.4 — even if you only work 30 minutes once you arrive. (This physical-recall minimum is cl.28.4; the 15/30/60-minute minimums above are for remote work under cl.25.10.) It is separate from the on-call allowance itself, which is paid regardless of whether you actually get called.

Remote Work (Phone Calls)

If you perform work remotely (e.g., answering a phone call) without leaving home, the minimum payment depends on the time of day under clause 25.10:

6am–10pm: 15 minutes minimum per occasion when on call
10pm–6am: 30 minutes minimum per occasion when on call
Remote work where you are NOT on call: 1 hour minimum
Remote participation in team meetings or training: 1 hour minimum

Multiple engagements within one minimum-payment period count as a single minimum, but separate occasions each get their own minimum. So three phone calls within 15 minutes between 9am and 9:15am count as one 15-minute minimum; three phone calls at 8am, 2pm and 9pm count as three separate 15-minute minimums.

On-call allowance vs remote-work pay

These are two separate entitlements. The on-call allowance is a daily payment for being available, paid whether or not you are actually contacted ($25.66 Mon–Fri and $50.81 weekend/public holiday per 24-hour period — 2.0% and 3.96% of the standard rate respectively). The remote-work pay is paid only when you actually do work — answer a call, attend a remote meeting, log in to handle an issue. If you are on call on a Saturday and answer two phone calls of 5 minutes each between 6am and 10pm, you receive: the weekend on-call allowance for the day plus two 15-minute minimum payments for the two calls.

Penalty rates within remote work

Under clause 25.10, remote work performed between 6am and 8pm is paid at the minimum hourly rate unless a penalty applies. Outside that span — that is, between 8pm and 6am — penalty rates apply:

First 2 hours at 150% (175% for casuals)
Thereafter at 200% (225% for casuals)

The same overtime triggers apply: more than 10 hours of remote work in a day, or more than 38 hours in a week (76 in a fortnight). Saturday remote work is paid at 150% (175% casual), Sunday at 200% (225% casual), and public holidays at 250% (275% casual).

How payroll typically gets this wrong

Three common errors:

Paying the on-call allowance but not the remote-work minimum payments. Workers answer calls but the calls aren't recorded or paid — the allowance alone is treated as covering everything.
Applying the wrong minimum. A 5-minute call at 11pm gets paid for 5 minutes (or worse, nothing), rather than the 30-minute minimum that applies between 10pm and 6am.
Missing the penalty rate on overnight remote work. Calls answered between 8pm and 6am should attract the outside-span penalty (150% / 175%); often they are paid at flat ordinary rates.

For a 24-hour on-call period that includes a weekend, the worker may be entitled to the on-call allowance, two or three minimum-payment increments at penalty rates for overnight calls, AND the weekend penalty rate on those minimums.

To see whether your payslip shows both the on-call allowance and the remote-work minimum payments, upload it to the free payslip check.

Worked example

A full-time worker is on call from Friday 5pm to Monday 8am. Over the weekend they answer three calls:
• Saturday 11am — 4 minutes
• Saturday 11:30pm — 12 minutes
• Sunday 3am — 8 minutes

Entitlements:
• On-call allowance for Saturday and Sunday ($50.81 per 24h period × 2)
• Saturday 11am call: 15-minute minimum at Saturday rate (150% / 175% casual)
• Saturday 11:30pm call: 30-minute minimum (10pm–6am window), at Saturday rate up to midnight then Sunday rate after
• Sunday 3am call: 30-minute minimum at Sunday rate (200% / 225% casual)

None of these are subsumed by the on-call allowance — they are separate, stacked entitlements.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get the allowance if I don't get called?: Yes. As CrossVault's on-call guide explains, the allowance is for the burden of being available, regardless of whether you actually work. It is paid per 24-hour on-call period.
What is the minimum payment if I take a 2-minute call at 11pm?: Under clause 25.10, calls answered between 10pm and 6am attract a 30-minute minimum payment. A 2-minute call after 10pm is paid as 30 minutes, plus any applicable penalty rate for working outside the 6am–8pm span.
Does the on-call allowance replace the remote-work payment?: No. The on-call allowance and remote-work pay are separate entitlements. The allowance compensates for being available; the remote-work payment compensates for the work performed. You receive both when you take a call while on call.
Do penalty rates apply on top of remote-work minimums?: Yes. Remote work performed between 8pm and 6am attracts 150% (first 2 hours) and 200% thereafter, casual rates 175% / 225%. Saturday remote work attracts the Saturday rate, Sunday remote work the Sunday rate, and public holidays 250% / 275%.

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