On-Call & Recall Allowances
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 clause 25.10 of the SCHADS Award. The clause separates two distinct entitlements: the **on-call allowance** (paid for the burden of being available) and **remote-work pay** (paid for the work actually performed when contacted). These are treated separately, and both can apply on the same day.
Quick Facts
- Mon-Fri Allowance
- ~$23.42 per 24hr period
- Weekend/PH Allowance
- ~$46.36 per 24hr period
- 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
- cl.25.10 SCHADS Award
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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 — even if you only work 30 minutes once you arrive. This 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
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 (around $23 Mon–Fri and $46 weekend/public holiday per 24-hour period). 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)
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.
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 (~$46 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.
• Saturday 11am — 4 minutes
• Saturday 11:30pm — 12 minutes
• Sunday 3am — 8 minutes
Entitlements:
• On-call allowance for Saturday and Sunday (~$46 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. 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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