Minimum wage applies to on-call time

Workers at home during the night, who are required to be available to deal with telephone calls, must be paid at least the national minimum wage. The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that they should be paid for all the hours they are available, not just the time when they are actually dealing with calls.

* British Nursing Association v Inland Revenue (National Minimum Wage Compliance Team [2001] IRLR 659