Manage overtime
Advantages and disadvantages of overtime
Guide
Advantages of overtime
The potential advantages of using overtime working include:
- a more flexible workforce
- the ability to deal with bottlenecks, busy periods, cover of absences, and staff shortages without the need to recruit extra staff
- increased earnings for employees and mutual employer benefits
- avoidance of disruption to jobs where the workload is more difficult to share, eg, transport and driving
- the ability to carry out repair and maintenance which has to be done outside normal working hours
Disadvantages of overtime
However, disadvantages of using overtime may include:
- the expense of premium overtime rates
- inefficiency if an employee's pace of work, through poor management, is slack, and it becomes necessary to compensate by providing overtime
- regular long working hours, which can adversely affect employees' work, health, and home lives - read how to support employee work-life balance
- fatigue, which may increase absence levels and lead to unsafe working practices
- employee expectations of overtime, leading to resentment and inflexibility if you try to withdraw it
- LRA Workplace Information Service03300 555 300
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