Like the title says. I work as a salaried program manager for a residential facility. We operate 24/7 and it requires us in operations to be on call every 3 weeks for 7 days. On call usually consists of staffing issues (call outs, updating schedules, finding coverage for shifts, and occasional covering extra shifts if needed), facility emergencies, and issues with residents and providing guidance and support for our staff.
Now I don't get paid extra when I go on call, which seems unfair as it is, but thats not the issue today. My boss texted me that I needed to work 9 and a half hours today to “make up my time.” I have been on call for the last 7 days taking calls throughout the day and night. Even this morning, I spent an hour contacting all our relief staff to cover a shift for tonight from home and taking multiple other calls staff. I asked my boss if time spent responding to on call duties counts towards my time worked, aka my 40 hours a week, and was told no it does not, it only counts of I physically come onto the premises. A lot of my on call duties do not require me to come to the facility, as a lot of it I can solve over the phone or on my computer.
This seems incredibly unfair, but is this against labor laws? If I am doing work as it applies to my on call duties, does that not count as time worked?
I was thinking that going forward I should begin documenting when I take calls, follow up on issues, and make alterations to our shift schedule then bring that to HR and say this is all essential time worked that I am not being compensated for and not being allowed to count as time worked.
Has anyone else gone through something like this before?
I'm in the US by the way