Learn all about on-call (standby) shifts

Need to organize your team's on-call schedules? On-call time is the period during which an employee is available to the company, ready to be called upon, even when not actively working.

Entering these periods on the Pontotel platform is essential for transparent management. This informs the system that the employee is available and, if they are contacted and clock in, the platform will apply the correct calculation rules for that period.

The process is divided into two parts: activating the functionality (done only once) and launching the journey (done daily).

Let's go?

How to activate On-Call mode

1. Enable the Module

• Before you begin, check if the features listed below are available for configuration. If they are not, this indicates that the feature has not yet been enabled in your environment.
• To request activation, please contact our team through the Customer Service Center, the chat integrated into the Management website, or WhatsApp.

2.  Enable at the Workplace

• In the navigation menu of the Management website, open the Registrations and select the Workplaces.
• Edit the workspace that will have the functionality (or create a new one).
• In Advanced settings, check the option "Enable alert for this workplace".
• Click Save.

3.  Enable in Employee Registration

• In the navigation menu of the Management website, open the Registrations and select the Employees.
• Edit the registration information for the employee who will be working shifts.
• Go to the Time and Attendance settings.
• Check the "Enable alert" option .
• Click Save.

How to enter an on-call shift on the timesheet

With this feature enabled, you can now schedule on-call periods for eligible employees.

1. In the navigation menu of the Management website, open the Payroll and select the Timesheet.
2. Locate the desired employee and open the corresponding timesheet that will receive the standby notice.
3. Right -click on the desired day.
4. In the menu that appears, select the on-call schedule.

5. An alert launch window will open. Fill in the fields:

• Date: The day of the shift.
• On-call days: the number of days that will receive on-call pay, if it is multiple days.
• 24-hour on-call duty: Used when there is no scheduled work day, and the employee must be on call for 24 hours.
• Use duration: add the start and end times of the on-call period.
• • Start: The time the on-call period begins, in HH:MM format.
  • End: The time the on-call period ends, in HH:MM format.
• Click Add.

• On-call hours cannot coincide with the employee's expected work schedule
• It is possible to register more than one on-call period on the same day . To do this, click on “+ more on-call” and fill in the start and end dates for each period.
• If the on-call period starts on one day and ends on the next, select the “+1d”, located next to the “end”, to ensure correct recording.

6. The on-call schedule will appear on the timesheet as a yellow schedule, just below the expected work schedule (green).

Understanding the notes on the sheet

After launching the on-call schedule (yellow), the system will calculate the time entries based on the employee's time record.

There are two main scenarios:

Scenario 1: Employee was not called in (no time clock entry)

If the employee was on call but did not need to work (i.e., did not clock in during the on-call period), the system will display the following record:

• On-Call Duration: Shows the total time the employee was available but did not actually work.

Scenario 2: Employee was called in (with time clock registration)

If the employee was called in and clocked in and out during the on-call period, the system will display the following record:

• H. Extra Sobreaviso (On-Call Overtime): Shows the time the employee actually worked during the on-call period.

• By default, the Overtime On-Call entry is automatically directed to the employee's **Time Bank**, if they have an active time bank.
• If the entries mentioned above are not being displayed , it is necessary to enable their display in the calculation rule applied to the day in question. To do this, access the Admin menu > Calculation rules , edit the corresponding rule and, in the “Entries” tab , locate the desired entries and activate them .

On-call duty during nighttime hours

For the system to correctly calculate shifts that occur in the early morning hours (e.g., from 10 PM to 5 AM), the on-call shift must be entered on the day the work is performed.

Practical Example: An employee will start an on-call shift at 2:00 AM on the 29th.

• Incorrect Entry: If the on-call shift is entered on the 28th (the previous day), the system will not calculate the overnight hours correctly.
• Correct Entry: The on-call shift should be entered on the 29th, as this is the reference date for the start of the work.

How to delete an alert

If you have mistakenly launched an on-call shift:

• Click on it on the corresponding day (yellow calendar).
• In the alert menu, click the "delete".

✨ New feature: Monthly on-call limits

In addition to traditional on-call settings, Pontotel also allows you to control the maximum number of on-call hours that can be accumulated in the time bank within a single month.

This feature is ideal for companies that have collective agreements or internal policies that limit the accumulation of on-call hours, requiring that any excess hours be paid directly through payroll.

When the configured limit is reached, the system continues to calculate on-call hours normally. However, hours exceeding the defined limit are no longer sent to the time bank and are automatically directed to payroll.

Types of hours covered

Currently, the monthly limit can be applied to the following types of on-call hours:

• Overtime on-call hours
• Overtime on-call hours
• Special on-call hours
• Overtime night shift on-call
• Overtime night shift on-call
• Special night-time on-call hours

How to configure

1. Access the company's time bank policy in Rules > Time Bank.

2. Edit the desired rule.

3. Locate the Limits section .

4. Enable the option Set monthly on-call limits.

5. After activation, you will be able to choose one of the available control modes.

Limit by time type

In this model, each type of time has an individual monthly limit.

For example, it is possible to allow the accumulation of up to 10 extra on-call hours and up to 5 overtime on-call hours in the same month, each with its own control.

When the limit for a specific type of time is reached, only the excess for that type of time will be allocated to payroll.

Limit per shared group

In this model, various types of hours share a single monthly limit.

All types included in the group consume the same available balance.

For example, if a group has a limit of 20 hours per month, all on-call hours configured in that group will use that same balance. When the limit is reached, the excess hours will no longer be accumulated in the time bank and will be sent to payroll.

How the limit is applied

The system performs daily validation during the processing of the time bank.

At this moment, the platform:

• Check how much has already been accumulated this month.
• It adds up the hours of the day in processing.
• Compare the result with the configured limit.
• Send the bank only the remaining available balance.
• It automatically directs the surplus to payroll.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the limit reset monthly?

Yes. The system only considers entries from the current month. When a new month begins, the used balance is automatically reset.

What happens to the hours that exceed the limit?

Overtime hours continue to be calculated normally, but they are no longer included in the time bank and are instead allocated to payroll.

Can I use limits by time type and by shared group at the same time?

No. You only need to choose one of the configuration models.

Are time types without a configured limit affected?

No. Only the time types included in the configuration are subject to the monthly limit control.

With the on-call system configured and launched correctly, your platform will automatically manage shifts, ensuring accurate calculation of availability hours and hours worked during call-outs.

If you still have questions or need assistance, please contact our Support team via the chat integrated into the Management website or via WhatsApp. 

Updated on: June 15, 2026