Can an employer force employees to be "on call" without compensating them for being so? This is on top of working regular and overtime shifts. Also, can they enforce this rule only on a portion of their employees and punish and threaten them if they don't or are unable to answer?? This is a new rule that just went into effect with the new year, and employees are expected to answer the phone or call back within 15 minutes, or are punished and threatened to be fired if they don't. It doesn't seem to matter if they are sleeping after working a 12+ hour shift. They are also forced to sign a paper more or less acknowledging that they deserved the punishment, because if they don't, they are punished even more. The reasons for the calls are not emergencies, rather just calls trying to get people to fill in for other employees who have called in sick or are 'no shows'.