It’s often necessary to step in and provide cover over busy times during holidays or sickness. If you’re also willing to cover when other people need time off – for example if you don’t celebrate Christmas or can take holidays during school term times – then you’re likely to be seen as flexible, helpful and a real asset to the business.
But when overtime becomes standard or expected and brings little or no reward, it’s a big problem.
Your ability or willingness to do any overtime really depends on the job that you do and the level you’re at. If you work in a critical environment where safety is at stake, you can’t simply clock off when you feel like it. But if you’re doing constant overtime because of workload, then there are several issues that should be addressed.
If you continue to accept an increasing workload without flagging it as being unreasonable, it will become the norm and you’ll be expected to continue. Your commitment won’t necessarily be rewarded, but it will be expected.
There’s also the very real risk of burnout – working increased hours on a regular basis is not sustainable. If that’s the case, you need to be assertive and flag the issues with staffing levels or resources. If you’re able to suggest a solution and what’s needed to cover the workflow, you’ll be seen as helpful rather than obstructive.
All employers have a duty of care for your health and wellbeing, and if they’re consistently expecting you to perform more hours than you’re contracted for or are getting paid for, they could be in breach of several employment regulations.
On the other hand, if you’re regularly volunteering for overtime, is it because it’s paid and you rely on the extra salary? Be very careful not to fall into the trap of relying on overtime payments to survive financially.
Overtime is time you work in excess of your contracted hours. If it becomes the norm, it’s time to negotiate a new contract.
