i work at applebees as a line cook i been there for 10 moths and 6 months ago theey adopted a program called on call am i saposed to get paid that

The question of on-call time compensation often comes up. Generally if you can use the time that you are "on call" for your own purposes generally (even if they restrict you by, for example, telling you you can't drink alcohol when you are on call) , the time is not compensable (meaning they don't have to pay you for it). In determining this issue the wage hour investigators look to the reporting requirements: Do you have to remain in a certain location , such as in your house, to await to receive the call? If so the time would be compensable. If however they allow you to use a cell phone number and provide you with a reasonable period to report (and generally, a hour would be considered reasonable) this would not be so great a restriction that the on-call time would become compensable. One thing though: When you are in-call and get called to come into work, the time that is compensable begins when you leave your house after receiving the call-in, and it ends when you return to your house after the call-in. You should consult with a local Ohio attorney about any State wage hour laws that may be more beneficial to you than the federal law.   Michael A. Caldwell 404-979-3150