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Standby Duty – changes to payslip

23 May 2023

If your job means that you have to be available for contact or response outside your normal hours, you will be paid a duty payment based on the length of time you are on standby. From 1 May 2023 the standby duty payment will show differently on your payslip although there is no change to the overall payment.


The standby duty payment is currently £28.11 for any period of standby duty up to 8 hours. If the standby duty is for longer, then an additional duty payment of £3.52 is made for each 2-hour block thereafter, up to a maximum of 24 hours. This will now be shown on the payslip separately as a payment for the number of 8-hour duty payments and for the number of 2-hour blocks. 

The following example shows that in the month of May there are 31 claims for standby duty plus 248 subsequent blocks of 2-hours.

Claims for standby duty example
 Month Payments Hrs/miles Amount
 05  Stndby 8h Duty  31.00  871.41
 05  Stndby 2h Duty  248.00  872.96

If the standby payment (8-hour duty and/or subsequent 2-hour blocks) attracts a bank holiday enhancement the standard standby payment will be included in the above descriptors but the bank holiday enhancement will be shown separately as in the following example below including the number of 8-hour and 2-hour blocks.

Claims for standby with bank holiday enhancement example
 Month Payments Hrs/miles Amount
 05  Stndby 8h BH Enh  3.00  84.33
 05  Stndby 2h BH Enh  24.00  84.48

Please input/complete form for claims and request manager approval as follows:

  1. Maximum standby period is 24 hours.
  2. Do not split the standby duty shift. 
    For example:
    correct: 08:00 to 20:00 
    incorrect: 08:00 to 14:00, 14:00 to 20:00
  3. Back-to-back standby claims should have the exact start and end times to be processed accurately.
    For example:
    correct: 16:00 day 1 to 16:00 day 2, 16:00 day 2 to 16:00 day 3 
    incorrect: 16:00 day 1 to 16:00 day 2, 16:01 day 2 to 16:00 day 3

Please note that any claims before 1 May 2023 paid in May 2023 onwards will be displayed on the payslip as previously. 

See further guidance on staff allowances or contact human resources on TEAMS or tel: 01629 535119 and select option 3, or by email: pay@derbyshire.gov.uk.