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Incentives to work overtime

  • 12-08-2013 12:37pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 127 ✭✭


    Just a quick question regarding overtime... our company has been very busy over the past few months and its getting harder to get people in to do necessary overtime (we are working on getting additional staff as our work volume has increased but we need to do o/t until we get them in and trained up).

    Staff currently get paid time and a half, or they can take time in lieu in return for overtime worked. I hear some complaints from staff about paying extra tax on paid o/t but theres nothing I can do about that. Time in Lieu is building up as well so id rather steer clear of any ideas to do with giving more time off, as it will have to be carried over into next year already.

    Are there any other incentives we can put in place to encourage staff to do more o/t? One idea I had was to have a draw at the end of the month for an ipad/Samsung table/Smart tv/€500 cash for staff members that have completed X amount of o/t hours? Maybe 5 high value items such as those listed and 5 lower value items?

    Anyone got any other ideas?


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,289 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    I'd suggest talking to your accountant about what will/won't incur Benefit in Kind tax.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 127 ✭✭montzarella


    I have talked to our accountant already....just looking for some other ideas that anyone out there might have....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭antiskeptic


    I have talked to our accountant already....just looking for some other ideas that anyone out there might have....

    Let supply and demand reign. If you can't get enough folk to do the work by paying them time and a half then you are underpaying

    Folk complaining is different than folk not taking on the work .


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭silja


    Maybe an incentive WHILE working overtime? A couple of places I worked they got in nice food for us and the boss served us... didn't cost them much but it was really appreciated and made for a good atmosphere. Or, depending on how late the OT goes and where you are based, paid taxis home so the staff don;t have to bother with the bus.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,180 ✭✭✭hfallada


    Im not 100% sure. But I think gift cards for shops are exempt from tax and a certain company(that is very tax efficent) used to give its staff commission in the form of gift cards for the store of their choice so as to avoid income tax. Your probably best speaking to a tax consultant


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,332 ✭✭✭tatli_lokma


    hfallada wrote: »
    Im not 100% sure. But I think gift cards for shops are exempt from tax and a certain company(that is very tax efficent) used to give its staff commission in the form of gift cards for the store of their choice so as to avoid income tax. Your probably best speaking to a tax consultant

    AFAIK its exempt from income tax but would be liable to benefit in kind tax. Open to correction though

    I don't think a draw for a prize is a way to go either as it is still down to chance, not really a repayment for extra work and could lead to a sense of begrudgery with staff who don't win

    I agree that if people feel that it's not worth it money wise then perhaps increase the rate. Often people will pay extra tax during the week they have the ot but at the end of the year get a rebate. They might not be aware of that

    The other suggestions of meal allowances and taxi fares/petrol expenses home (which are not taxable or liable to bik) are good. Perhaps staff rewards such as a night out for all staff who do x amount of ot. Maybe a meal and couple of drinks for each staff member.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭bladebrew


    Is there people refusing to do the overtime at time and a half?
    In my company we have to take time off, no option of pay until near christmas when its too busy to take our time off and then its standard rate no extra pay for overtime,
    I dont think the gift thing is a good way to go though,

    The only idea i have is to go to a hgher rate the more overtime hours worked, eg, over 45 hours or 48 hours,


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,289 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    OP, it really comes down to what your particular workforce would find motivating.

    So if they're not techy interested, then a prize draw for a device may not work. But if they are, then it could be a good thing.

    Are there any environmental things you can do - eg a new sofa for the staff room (or whatever works in your place). Or maybe a lump sum contribution to the social club if XXX hours of OT are clocked up?

    Is there any way you can ask some of the workforce what would work?

    I don't think that increasing the pay rate for O/T would be a good idea: it would cause resentment later when you decrease it again - and besides the workers only get roughly half what it costs you, due to tax.



    (NB I suspect that some posters don't realise you're looking for something on top of the regular o/t pay ... in this forum, we generally hear more about employers who aren't like you!)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 127 ✭✭montzarella


    Are there any environmental things you can do - eg a new sofa for the staff room (or whatever works in your place). Or maybe a lump sum contribution to the social club if XXX hours of OT are clocked up?

    (

    We just got new sofas in the staff room, but i really like the contribution to the Sports & Social club idea, that way it can be spent as staff want it spent and they all get the benefit of it. Thanks!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,477 ✭✭✭newbie2


    Double time


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 936 ✭✭✭bassey


    In my old job if we had to work overtime more than a certain number of hours we also received an allowance for food. Could be an idea


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,625 ✭✭✭wmpdd3


    I have always been salaried so I have never been paid for over time worked but we always had our food paid for.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭gordongekko


    Is it not part of their contacts that they must do overtime as requested.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,332 ✭✭✭tatli_lokma


    hfallada wrote: »
    Im not 100% sure. But I think gift cards for shops are exempt from tax and a certain company(that is very tax efficent) used to give its staff commission in the form of gift cards for the store of their choice so as to avoid income tax. Your probably best speaking to a tax consultant
    AFAIK its exempt from income tax but would be liable to benefit in kind tax. Open to correction though

    As I thought gift cards, which have a monetary value are liable to BIK

    From Revenue.ie
    revenue.ie wrote:
    In addition, employees and directors are chargeable to tax in respect of 'perquisites' from their employment, that is, remuneration in non-money form which is convertible into money or money's worth, for example vouchers in various forms, the payment of club subscriptions and medical insurance premiums on an employee's behalf.

    Possibly the idea of paying a lump sum to the social club could also be considered the same thing. So perhaps a way around that would be to agree to actually pay for the next outing that the social club has planned, or put an amount behind the bar or whatever (depending on what the event/activity is).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,289 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Is it not part of their contacts that they must do overtime as requested.

    Probably not. Very hard to cotnract for "must be available to work unspecified extra hours as required, but no guarantees given about such extra hours being available".

    Some industries get away with it 'cos they offer shyte conditions anyway (eg retail or fast-food with most people on part time contracts and eager for extra hours).

    But where you've got full-time workers, making it manditory can lead to all sorts of issues, including difficulty getting staff or keeping them long term. And potentially discrimination cases (eg sole-parents can find it a lot more difficult to work extra hours at short notice or at all.)

    The OP is coming at this from a motivation / morale / good-employer perspective, rather than a legal requirements one. Which attitude is to be totally commended - I wish we saw more employers like this.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,513 ✭✭✭Ray Palmer


    Making the work more fun when working late. It really depends on the work though to what you can do.

    In a call centre it was pretty easy as gift cards, prizes and awards worked.

    In an IT company that wouldn't work. We used a voting scheme for everybody where a new top team member was voted for each week. It had a theme which was initially a joke at the US heads expense but he like it so much the joke was lost. It worked really well in that everybody felt part of a team and didn't want to let anybody down so put in the effort. Considering everybody was on good money (lowest 45k+) it was amazing how such a small reward meant so much.

    The boss later gave us 3k for a party after a project finished and there were only 15 of us. Then made us redundant a month later :(


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