What is the requirement for employers to compensate employees for being called back to work?
(1) If an overtime eligible employee has finished the work shift and has left the worksite or is in paid leave status and is called to return to work outside of regularly scheduled hours to handle emergency situations which could not be anticipated, a minimum of two hours' pay must be guaranteed. The minimum of two hours of pay and any hours worked in excess of two hours must be compensated in accordance with WAC
357-28-255 if applicable.
(2) An employee on standby status called to return to work does not qualify for call back pay.
(3) The appointing authority may cancel a call back notification to work extra hours at any time, but cancellation must not waive the guarantee of two hours of call back pay.
(4) Overtime-exempt employees and employees assigned to the law enforcement overtime eligibility designation are not paid for being called back to work unless the employer authorizes payment.
(5) Compensation under the provisions of this section must be in accordance with the employer's policy, as approved by the director, for the following individuals:
(a) Employees dispatched to emergency response duty under an incident command system as defined in RCW
38.52.010; and
(b) Employees of the department of corrections who are in charge of offenders assigned to assist in forest fire suppression and other emergency incidents.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter
41.06 RCW. WSR 05-01-205, ยง 357-28-185, filed 12/21/04, effective 7/1/05.]