There are three types of on-call services: on-call service, stand-by time: on-call time. Here you will find definitions of these services and night work. Combining on-call services with regular working hours requires close coordination. Night work during on-call duty in particular affects recovery and the work-life balance. According to the Working Hours Act and the collective labor agreement, employees are entitled to rest after night work and are lawfully absent during the day. This is important for recovery, but it can also have consequences for planning and continuity of care. As a manager, you must plan on-call services carefully, which prevents exceeding the maximum working hours with possible overload, absenteeism, incidents or fines. As a manager, ensure compliance with the Working Hours Act and collective labor agreements.
- Try to avoid on-call shifts as much as possible and, if necessary, convert them to regular shifts or on-call shifts.
- Have a scheduled shift followed by a short stand-by shift with a total duration of no more than 12 hours.
- Ensure sufficient recovery time of at least 8 hours following calls during the night in accordance with collective labor agreement article 6.2.4.
- Make agreements about an emergency team, which is only deployed in an emergency. This requires good consultation with the works council.
- Change the on-call shifts in a smart way, partly based on knowledge of the biological clock. For example, switch at 0:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m. to reduce the impact on the night's sleep deprivation experienced.
- In addition to (wage) costs and available capacity, also focus on the well-being and sustainable employability of employees.