3-02/320.00 - Standby Pay



Personnel who are assigned regularly scheduled period of standby service at home on off-duty hours where such standby time causes inconvenience and restricts normal activity during such standby periods may, when formally authorized, claim standby pay at the rate provided in the Los Angeles County Code or the applicable MOU.

Assignment to such standby service requires the prior annual authorization of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The following are not eligible for standby pay:

  • Administrative and managerial positions;
  • Safety retirement members;
  • Physicians and resident physicians;
  • Training positions such as students and interns;
  • Non-competitive positions;
  • Without compensation positions;
  • Persons residing in County-owned buildings.

Civilian positions included in the “Administrative and Managerial” categories are positions comparable to bureau, station, and facility commanders and above.

Requests for formal authorization for standby pay shall be initiated by concerned unit commanders and submitted through channels to Personnel Administration Bureau for submission of the request for the formal approval of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Notification of approved standby requests shall be made by Personnel Administration Bureau, through channels, to the requesting unit and to the Pay, Leaves, and Records (PLR) Units.  No standby pay will be processed without this authorization.

Saved time shall not be substituted in lieu of standby pay.

If a legitimate “call-back” is made during the scheduled off-duty standby time, the number of hours spent on the call-back shall be subtracted from the time spent on standby time.

Standby time is not considered overtime and shall not be considered time worked in computing the required workweek hours after which premium pay overtime can apply.

Per the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), if an employee assigned to a standby schedule is ill and does not report to work for their regularly scheduled shift, the employee shall not be assigned to standby duty.

If the employee is absent from work using vacation lLeave or some other accrued benefit time, the employee may be eligible for standby duty, depending if they are available to be called into work during their off-duty hours.