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I have a relative who works as a CNA in a NC nursing home. Her shifts are Monday through Friday with every week-end off. She says that *every other week-end* she is "on call".
She says that if she's called to come in to work on that "on call" week-end but can't be reached to do so, she will be terminated. Is this now a common practice? Is it even legal? I've been out of the work force far too long to know about these things.
It's pretty common in many industries to ahve weekend "on call shifts", and "on call" means "on call." If she knows she is "on call" and can't be reached in a reasonable amount of time--obviously if they call while she is in the shower and she returns the call a few minutes later, that's not unreasonable--then I don't see why she wouldn't expect to be terminated.
It's also very common in IT, particularly in tech support. I have a friend who not only hates it (he's been at this job for 12 years though!), but he makes (in my view) the big mistake of ranting on Facebook how he hates it! You never know who's watching on there (though I don't think 'non-friends' can see his rants).
I had a retail job in a mall store with "on call" shifts. FOrtunately they would release you two hours before your shift if they weren't going to need you, and once you were released you were no longer oncall until your next on call shift.
Oh my! It's a different world out there from when I worked. I can recall salaried people in key positions being "on call" but never an entry level employee. Guess I better remain home where I know how things function!
I have a relative who works as a CNA in a NC nursing home. Her shifts are Monday through Friday with every week-end off. She says that *every other week-end* she is "on call".
She says that if she's called to come in to work on that "on call" week-end but can't be reached to do so, she will be terminated. Is this now a common practice? Is it even legal? I've been out of the work force far too long to know about these things.
You can be fired for many other things as well. One always needs to remember, the company that hired you and pays you, is also the one that makes most of the rules and can fire you. I've known many employees and have even had a few working for me that think they make the rules, but they find out they are wrong. If you work at a union job, you can usually get away with stuff you would get fired for anywhere else. If you read and agree with an employee handbook, or similar written material, and accept a job, you also accept the rules.
If you read and agree with an employee handbook, or similar written material, and accept a job, you also accept the rules.
Having rules, even having employees sign an agreement to them, doesn't make them legal. An employer could have a policy that workers need to sign over their first born child and transport illegal drugs for their employer, and that wouldn't be legal even if the employer required workers to sign an agreement to that effect.
There are some restrictions on on-call rules, but these are complicated labor laws. Generally speaking, though, yes it's legal.
While it is common enough to call it 'common practice' certainly not every employer does it, so if you don't like it, look for another employer.
One always needs to remember, the company that hired you and pays you, is also the one that makes most of the rules and can fire you. I've known many employees and have even had a few working for me that think they make the rules, but they find out they are wrong.
The relative I'm referring to in this situation doesn't NOT question the rules her employer has set forth and DOES NOT think she in any way makes the rules. She has, however, been untruthful to her family in the past regarding her time off in order to get out of "family business" and we (family) were not in a position to know if this "on call" situation was made up for our benefit. In simple terms...she lies!
An employer does not have to give you ANY reason to let you go and you don't have to give an employer any reason as to why you are leaving or when you are leaving.
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I've been out of the work force far too long to know about these things. 
Can you be fired for this...
