Some staff are required to be available on standby, usually on a rota. If they are called to physically attend a specific location to work when on standby, this is called call out. If they are called and work remotely, this is called remote working.
You can find the TfGM policy on remuneration for standby, remote working and call out here on the intranet. You can see that it hasn’t been updated for seven years – despite a requirement in the PTF (Passenger Transport Forum) Green Book (section 7.2) to agree appropriate allowances for these types of work with recognised trade unions.
Standby rates, at £15 per day for Monday to Friday, or £25 per day for Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, are now so low that some managers can’t find volunteers to be on standby any more.
It would be much better if, as in many organisations, call out allowances were based on a proportion of the relevant hourly rate so that they stay up to date in future.