Why do people work unpaid overtime?

Clogsworth

I work for a very large professional firm where it is expected that you work beyond your contracted hours for no additional pay or time in lieu. We do not receive bonuses either.
Its bugs the sh**e out of me but if i got up and left at the time we are supposed to leave I would be stared at like I had two heads.
There are people in there working 60+ hours a week for no thanks. They are doing it to make someone else rich! Its madness!
I'm glad to have a job but I want a life as well!

Erper

Hi m8...
If u really want to get this clear talk to ur hr manager...
He should explain to u how many hours and what are ur bemefits at ur work.
Also read ur contract if u have it.
Its ilegal to stay and no being paid...

Immaculate Pasta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vBpcSEdcRc

:cool:

Chuck Stone

Form a militant union and cripple the company until it no longer turns a profit and has to close down - that'll learn 'em.

confusticated

Clogsworth wrote: »

I work for a very large professional firm where it is expected that you work beyond your contracted hours for no additional pay or time in lieu. We do not receive bonuses either.
Its bugs the sh**e out of me but if i got up and left at the time we are supposed to leave I would be stared at like I had two heads.
There are people in there working 60+ hours a week for no thanks. They are doing it to make someone else rich! Its madness!
I'm glad to have a job but I want a life as well!

So are you, no? If all you'll get is funny looks for leaving on time, why not leave on time?

Sky King

I worked in a multi national and i did maybe an hour or two extra a week.

It meant that if i needed to head down to the bank or get off early for whatever reason there was no issue. It also means your boss thinks you take your job seriously and are not a clock watcher and will consider you for a promotion or whatever

20 hours unpaid overtime a week is a bit of a pisstake though.

flanders1979

Some people are just lickarses, They probably leave as soon as the boss goes home.

boobar

Clogsworth wrote: »

I work for a very large professional firm where it is expected that you work beyond your contracted hours for no additional pay or time in lieu. We do not receive bonuses either.
Its bugs the sh**e out of me but if i got up and left at the time we are supposed to leave I would be stared at like I had two heads.
There are people in there working 60+ hours a week for no thanks. They are doing it to make someone else rich! Its madness!
I'm glad to have a job but I want a life as well!

You stay there working for longer than you're contracted to because people stare at you if you leave.....is that it?

InkSlinger67

I do it the odd time. Not because it is expected or demanded but because I have an interest in getting work done on time or because I'm actually interested in what I'm doing.

Why not!

TheZohanS

Erper wrote: »

Hi m8...
If u really want to get this clear talk to ur hr manager...
He should explain to u how many hours and what are ur bemefits at ur work.
Also read ur contract if u have it.
Its ilegal to stay and no being paid...

Here; have some free letters:

iuykwnycoifyoeaeaecceooouuueeikufcxjnxkxjcashjfdsalu;HCDhhdshfdlhiwqetretretrdsacudhkjnc.nczx

If you run out again let me know and I'll send you some more.

CrazyRabbit

I'll let you know when I get out of work in a few hours.

Erper

Sky King wrote: »

I worked in a multi national and i did maybe an hour or two extra a week.

It meant that if i needed to head down to the bank or get off early for whatever reason there was no issue. It also means your boss thinks you take your job seriously and are not a clock watcher and will consider you for a promotion or whatever

20 hours unpaid overtime a week is a bit of a pisstake though.

They wont consider u for promotion, they will just use u all the time....
I was doing something similar on my work until i gave up on it.
I was working for everyone and everything on that job, noone told me thx...
And than sone idiot who came to company for a month or 2 get promotion...

MungBean

Why not inform your boss that you are not obliged to work for free so you wont be doing it. Rather than working for nottin and then complaining about it.

Erper

TheZohan wrote: »

Erper wrote: »

Hi m8...
If u really want to get this clear talk to ur hr manager...
He should explain to u how many hours and what are ur bemefits at ur work.
Also read ur contract if u have it.
Its ilegal to stay and no being paid...

Here; have some free letters:

iuykwnycoifyoeaeaecceooouuueeikufcxjnxkxjcashjfdsalu;HCDhhdshfdlhiwqetretretrdsacudhkjnc.nczx

If you run out again let me know and I'll send you some more.

Haha
Funny, funny guy

harmoniums

I usually do 50-55 hours a week, I'm salaried so no overtime.
Why? because thats what it takes to get the chips out the door.

Also we're a single income family, I do what it takes to make sure I'm compensated as highly as possible.

Since starting this schedule my yearly take has increased about 60% and I've been promoted a few times.

Clogsworth

confusticated wrote: »

Clogsworth wrote: »

I work for a very large professional firm where it is expected that you work beyond your contracted hours for no additional pay or time in lieu. We do not receive bonuses either.
Its bugs the sh**e out of me but if i got up and left at the time we are supposed to leave I would be stared at like I had two heads.
There are people in there working 60+ hours a week for no thanks. They are doing it to make someone else rich! Its madness!
I'm glad to have a job but I want a life as well!

So are you, no? If all you'll get is funny looks for leaving on time, why not leave on time?

I did about ten hours extra this week. If we dont do it the work wont get done and the particular person will get a bad review.
I dont want a promotion because i dont intend on working for these bloodsuckers long enough. I just want the organisation on my CV and a good reference from them.
I just find it surprising how many people stay long term. The pressure is worse as the get promoted. The money is good but not good enough to be doing 60 hours!

Ellis Dee

I can understand people putting in that little bit of extra effort if the company is going through a difficult spell or just starting up and you are confident that you will be rewarded when better times come.:)

But it sounds like you and your colleagues are just being exploited by greedy cnuts. Nothing unusual in that, actually; it's what capitalists do.:rolleyes:

One solution is to join a union, or at least insist on an employment contract.:cool:

Another would be to start attending night classes, learn Portuguese and study the boss's signature. It won't be long after that before you have several millions to your name and can invest it in Brazil.;);)

saywhatyousee

In before someone bashes the dole!!

Bigus

What sort of income are you on 10<15<20<30<40<50<60 ? a lot would depend on which bracket you're in .
Basically lower paid workers should get paid for all overtime and the higher up the scale you move the more you'll do for "nothing" to justify an exhorbitant salary.

I gather you are not in the public sector

mickdw

Sadly, it seems to be the way it has gone now. Certainly in the construction industry, lower level management are working 7 til 8 or 9 in alot of cases. Madness in my opinion but it is now expected. Not for me that crap. The people who were giving their time like that in the boom got the same kick in the arse as everyone else when things went tits up.

Andy-Pandy

Thank god im a gardener.

Erper

harmoniums wrote: »

I usually do 50-55 hours a week, I'm salaried so no overtime.
Why? because thats what it takes to get the chips out the door.

Also we're a single income family, I do what it takes to make sure I'm compensated as highly as possible.

Since starting this schedule my yearly take has increased about 60% and I've been promoted a few times.

Thats good for you bur those kind of oportunities are very rare

hallelujajordan

Here's a crazy thought . . If you work really hard you might get better at your job and move on to a bigger and better one, or you might get promoted or your company might do really really well and you get to keep your job . .

Imagine that !

subway

Go to work at 8
boards for an hour
read emails for 10 mins
40 minutes breakfast
30 minutes dump
2 hours pretend to be on phone to US
2 hours lunch
3 hours on boards.
1 hour dinner
3 more hours on boards
go home
Repeat
???
Promotions all round for dedicated workers

sock puppet

Clogsworth wrote: »

I did about ten hours extra this week. If we dont do it the work wont get done and the particular person will get a bad review.
I dont want a promotion because i dont intend on working for these bloodsuckers long enough. I just want the organisation on my CV and a good reference from them.
I just find it surprising how many people stay long term. The pressure is worse as the get promoted. The money is good but not good enough to be doing 60 hours!

Accountant?

subway

Or just do your job in the allotted time and go home.
Unless there is a crisis its looked down on to need extra time to do your job

Clogsworth

Bigus wrote: »

What sort of income are you on 10<15<20<30<40<50<60 ? a lot would depend on which bracket you're in .
Basically lower paid workers should get paid for all overtime and the higher up the scale you move the more you'll do for "nothing" to justify an exhorbitant salary.

I gather you are not in the public sector

No im not in public sector.
Im earn 45k which is decent but not worth 60 hour weeks. Plus my journey is an hour and a half each way so thats even more leisure time gone!

mikemac1

You an accountant OP?

Clogsworth

sock puppet wrote: »

Clogsworth wrote: »

I did about ten hours extra this week. If we dont do it the work wont get done and the particular person will get a bad review.
I dont want a promotion because i dont intend on working for these bloodsuckers long enough. I just want the organisation on my CV and a good reference from them.
I just find it surprising how many people stay long term. The pressure is worse as the get promoted. The money is good but not good enough to be doing 60 hours!

Accountant?

Well spotted!

Clogsworth

mikemac1 wrote: »

You an accountant OP?

Yep...if only I could turn back time!

Clogsworth

subway wrote: »

Or just do your job in the allotted time and go home.
Unless there is a crisis its looked down on to need extra time to do your job

Its not possible to do the work in our contracted hours. The deadlines set are too tight. Im not lazy, I work hard but its the culture of the place and im not going to change it.

Caliden

They're catching up on the work they didn't do while on facebook/reddit

Erper

Clogsworth wrote: »

Its not possible to do the work in our contracted hours. The deadlines set are too tight. Im not lazy, I work hard but its the culture of the place and im not going to change it.

As Rachel from friend said: “I hear those hemorrhoids are a bitch.”

So ask your manager about your hours, as i told u in first post, to sort your hours or ask him what is happening in your company, it wont hurt you to ask...

confusticated

Clogsworth wrote: »

I did about ten hours extra this week. If we dont do it the work wont get done and the particular person will get a bad review.
I dont want a promotion because i dont intend on working for these bloodsuckers long enough. I just want the organisation on my CV and a good reference from them.
I just find it surprising how many people stay long term. The pressure is worse as the get promoted. The money is good but not good enough to be doing 60 hours!

Ellis Dee wrote: »

But it sounds like you and your colleagues are just being exploited by greedy cnuts. Nothing unusual in that, actually; it's what capitalists do.:rolleyes:

There's your answer...the problem is, it just takes a few people to say "no, this isn't enough time to do this job properly, I'll need another day for that." If everyone just tells the manager all the time that they can meet the deadlines no problem, then the manager naturally assumes that they're giving enough time to do a particular task. Hard to be the first to say that though, especially with so many people looking for work.

sock puppet

Clogsworth wrote: »

Well spotted!

Had a hunch from the OP:p. Internship deadlines are coming up and I'll be applying off to the big four. Not really sure what I want to do career wise.

Cuddlesworth

I work in one of the big four in a support function. Overtime for trainees is paid or given in lieu. The hours need to be put through for billing, so your on the clock regardless. When you get to a certain pay scale in most company's your put onto a fixed salary with no paid overtime. Its fairly normal practise, but at that stage and at that money its the best and brightest that survive.

Lando Griffin

Sounds like bad management tbh, if this is on going every month then the processes that are causing this to happen reviewed and action taken to make things happen more economical. Its typical in this field that a few people who dont pull their weight or are not willing to think outside the box and cause the whole place to malfunction. Management are happy enough to let this happen because its not costin extra in wages.

woodoo

I never work more than i'm paid.

msg11

Working in retail this is exact reason I am thinking of turning down a promotion. If I work over my agreed hours, I expect the company at leased give me a day extra off or some money.

Imagine the uproar if we started working less than our agree time, or if we went home early the following week and said well I stayed here, an extra 3 hours so I am going home 3 hours early.

woodoo

msg11 wrote: »

Working in retail this is exact reason I am thinking of turning down a promotion. If I work over my agreed hours, I expect the company at leased give me a day extra off or some money.

Imagine the uproar if we started working less than our agree time, or if we went home early the following week and said well I stayed here, an extra 3 hours so I am going home 3 hours early.

Thats flexi time. I have that. If i work an extra hour i get it back some other day.

JuliusCaesar

Ellis Dee wrote: »

But it sounds like you and your colleagues are just being exploited by greedy cnuts. Nothing unusual in that, actually; it's what capitalists do.:rolleyes:

One solution is to join a union, or at least insist on an employment contract.:cool:

why do you think trade unions were invented, OP?

I really don't understand where this anti-union ethos came about. "Unions are greedy" "Unions aren't for professional people"

crapmanjoe

Clogsworth wrote: »

No im not in public sector.
Im earn 45k which is decent but not worth 60 hour weeks. Plus my journey is an hour and a half each way so thats even more leisure time gone!

If you look at your contract it more than likely outlines your working hours as minimum that you are expected to do (not a maximum or a standard)

You work as many hours as it takes to get the job done! Its simple really.

Also nobody ever should be allowed to complain about their commute to work - no body asked you to live in (insert random town an hr and a half from Dublin.) - if you dont like your commute move job or move house.

okedoke

Lando Griffin wrote: »

Sounds like bad management tbh, if this is on going every month then the processes that are causing this to happen reviewed and action taken to make things happen more economical. Its typical in this field that a few people who dont pull their weight or are not willing to think outside the box and cause the whole place to malfunction. Management are happy enough to let this happen because its not costin extra in wages.

Sounds like good management (for the company) to me - they're squeezing extra work out of the staff for no extra cost.

gsxr1

okedoke wrote: »

Sounds like good management (for the company) to me - they're squeezing extra work out of the staff for no extra cost.

I am in the same boat. My normal working week has turned into 49 hours a week.
And a letter saying if ye did not work the extra time, your basic would be cut.

Then the sneaky feckers will try and give you an 8 hr days pay for your holidays.

Sure what can we do. For every one of us, there is another 10 trying to get in the door.

corglass

subway wrote: »

Go to work at 8
boards for an hour
read emails for 10 mins
40 minutes breakfast
30 minutes dump
2 hours pretend to be on phone to US
2 hours lunch
3 hours on boards.
1 hour dinner
3 more hours on boards
go home
Repeat
???
Promotions all round for dedicated workers

You're my hero, even if only 50% of that if true!

Crazy Horse 6

Emm just refuse to work over your standard weekly hours. Problem solved

the groutch

OP, if you don't want to do the hours, then don't do them, and definitely don't worry about what hours other people do, that's their perogative.

Your boss might not like it, but there's little or nothing he/she can do, unless they want to risk being taken to court for constructive dismissal.

BrianD3

Have come across this in several multinationals. People's official hours might be 8:30 to 4:30 but they'd almost always stay until 6 or 6:30. Yet if they were a few minutes late in the morning it would go down on their disciplinary records or they'd have pay docked.

These companies didn't employ enough people to do the work, put too much work on people and somehow made them feel as though it was their fault if they couldn't get the work done in the normal hours. The staff then accepted this as the norm and almost seemed happy to do their unpaid overtime, a form of Stockholm Syndrome? This is the sort of stuff they'd say:

"I'm so lucky to have this job this is a great company to work for, they pay my health insurance and I get share options and we have a casual dress day on Friday!"

"I need to stay late to get the work done, we're doing great work here. We work hard and play hard!"

"Everyone else stays late so I should too, it's how things work around here. I have a great boss so it's all good!"

It was also a culture in some companies that staff didn't take all their holidays.

I don't work in this environment anymore but if i was I'd say they're now complaining bitterly about public servants and their unions and waffling on about wealth creation and "meritocracy" in the private sector. The nerve of those public sector leeches taking their holidays and expecting to be paid for hours worked!

woodoo

BrianD3 wrote: »

Have come across this in several multinationals. People's official hours might be 8:30 to 4:30 but they'd almost always stay until 6 or 6:30. Yet if they were a few minutes late in the morning it would go down on their disciplinary records or they'd have pay docked!

If i did that and i got disciplinary action for being a few mins late. I'd be out the door at 4:30 from then on. In fact i'd engineer it to happen.

ejmaztec

flanders1979 wrote: »

Some people are just lickarses, They probably leave as soon as the boss goes home.

One of the senior partners at last professional firm that I worked for, apparently got round that by not going home, but as I always dodged the evil-eye and fucked off home at 5, I never got to prove whether or not it was true.

I now work for myself.

NewHillel

Erper wrote: »

Its ilegal to stay and no being paid...

News to me.