About three years ago, I was 'promoted' and raised a job grade at work. As a result, I am no longer an hourly employee and am no longer entitled to overtime pay. Part of the 'new' job requires me to be on call as a backup every third week (two weeks off, one week on)- for which I am not compensated.

I recently found out that co-workers holding the same job grade, but in different departments have been receiving 'standby pay' for being on call. When I asked my supervisor, he said that was an error, and that they are not supposed to be receiving payment for on-call work.

My quandry is this: should I go to HR and make my case for them paying me retroactively for the last three years worth of standby pay, which could result in everyone losing this payment. Or should I keep my mouth shut, and start filing for standby pay for myself and let the company catch its own errors (and it may not be an error, it could be that my supervisor is just incompetent/wrong). This is extremely frustrating, considering that since my 'promotion' I've lost out on 1/4 of my past income.

That system is horendous. Meaning you are on call 24 hours and they don't pay you. I would take this up with HR this is entirely improper. I am in a healthcare position where it is mandatory for me to be on call every second weekend, and I get paid for that time as a salaried employee. I also get paid for statutory holidays that I don't attend.

Where are you located, US or Canada.

That is a very difficult situation to be in however you must sort this out one way or another.
Obviously our system here in England is a little different.Once you are on the salaried payrol you no longer are paid overtime rates or call out,what we do in these situations is to put down all of the hours worked beyond our normal working time and then take them as extra time owed to use,16 hours worked = 16 hours off at a later date,this seems to work very well,although there are those of us who would prefer to be paid the extra.There are also the benefits of being salaried and that is should you be off sick then you are paid,where as if your not salaried your money would be stopped, so it's swings and roundabouts, if you see what I mean.

I think I personally would put in my claim for stand/by pay and see what transpires, if you are turned down then you could then take it further,if however it is granted then I would also claim the back pay that would then obviously be due.The decision remains with you but why not try,you can argue about it later... depending!!

I do not work in healthcare, it is a technical communications-related position in the U.S. ALthough I can take 'comp' time for the on-call hours I've worked (whereas I used to receive time and a half), so can my peers in other department as well as the standby pay they also receive. The standby pay is not to compensate them for any extra hours worked; it is to compensate them for the fact that while on call, they cannot leave their regions, must be reachable by phone, and might be called away / woken up at any time. So while on call I must take my work vehicle everywhere (and spouse & kids take the family car), must have my laptop nearby, must wear my phone. If asleep, they wake me up (and spouse too). I'm on call this week; they've called me twice, both times in the early am. My kids want to go to a festival this weekend; I can't take them because it is outside my region. I am also on call this Christmas & New Year. I was on call this past Thanksgiving.