Unpaid overtime

ExMachina1000

I'm in a salary paid position. The job is field based. The company is expanding consistently and myself and other members of the team are finding ourselves having to work (unpaid) overtime more and more often. Occasionally this can mean 11 or 12 hour days. We are only paid for the regular working week.

Iv worked in other countries and overtime was always paid and at increased rates ie time and a half.
Iv been made to believe that here in Ireland overtime payment isn't a legal obligation for employers.
Taking time off in lieu just adds to the workload of the other good people on my team.

Anyone got any thoughts or suggestions ?

Apart from that I really like the job so wouldn't want to move on unless this became a more often than not situation

antix80

My suggestion is take your salary, divide it by the hours you work in a week, and multiply it by 37.5.

That's your real salary. Are you happy with it?

Paid overtime isn't really a thing anymore in many industries. Some companies offer time in lieu arrangements. Others just expect you to work til you drop.

Down tools at the end of your regular hours unless your salary starts to expand at the rate the business is.

C3PO

Depending on what business you are in, unpaid overtime is very much the norm! This is certainly the case in financial services, tech companies, law firms and many areas of the construction industry.

ExMachina1000

C3PO wrote: »

Depending on what business you are in, unpaid overtime is very much the norm! This is certainly the case in financial services, tech companies, law firms and many areas of the construction industry.

That's grim! But I'm sure that those professions are all on high salaries. My role would be more manual and the salary wouldn't be any comparison. The expression not in the same ball park.

ExMachina1000

antix80 wrote: »

My suggestion is take your salary, divide it by the hours you work in a week, and multiply it by 37.5.

That's your real salary. Are you happy with it?

Paid overtime isn't really a thing anymore in many industries. Some companies offer time in lieu arrangements. Others just expect you to work til you drop.

Did the calculation. When on paper in front of me then it really looks poor

Dav010

ExMachina1000 wrote: »

Did the calculation. When on paper in front of me then it really looks poor

Are you getting time enlieu?

punisher5112

It's quite simple if you are paid 8 hours then do 8 hours.

They can't just sack you either but forget ever getting to move up the ladder.

I'd be looking for a new job, no way should anyone be doing 50% more on their working day without payment.

ExMachina1000

Dav010 wrote: »

Are you getting time enlieu?

Not officially no. Could leave early the following day of its quiet on a very rare occasion. Otherwise someone leaving early just adds to the workload of the others on the team and may mean one of them is out working late.
A knock on effect

The problem with overtime it can be a licence to write a cheque. Need more money, take longer on a job.

But 50% more unpaid is wrong too.

Dav010

ExMachina1000 wrote: »

Not officially no. Could leave early the following day of its quiet on a very rare occasion. Otherwise someone leaving early just adds to the workload of the others on the team and may mean one of them is out working late.
A knock on effect

Sounds like you and your team need to collectively sit down with your employer and remind them of their legal responsibilities.


You can contact NERA regarding this.

https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/publications_forms/guide_to_employment_rights_nera_.pdf

https://employmentrightsireland.com/tag/nera/

Also, the relevant legislation is the:


http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1997/act/20/enacted/en/html

The Mighty Quinn

Deleted User wrote: »

The problem with overtime it can be a licence to write a cheque. Need more money, take longer on a job.

But 50% more unpaid is wrong too.

I was in this boat.. kinda... but I was an hourly rate contractor before, and if I needed more money I worked longer hours. But it wasn't a case of taking 12 hours to do 8 hours work, there was always work to be doing.

thefa

ExMachina1000 wrote: »

That's grim! But I'm sure that those professions are all on high salaries. My role would be more manual and the salary wouldn't be any comparison. The expression not in the same ball park.

At a certain point those professions can become well paid once the criteria is met but there’s often a lot of unpaid overtime before that stage is even got to which helps keep companies going. It’s the sacrifice you make being on a salary (standard for industry) and part of the rat race. I’ve been at companies where the people that leave on time are basically looked down on. Those people aren’t the first in line for promotions but we all can choose our priorities.

If you want to stay with the company, you probably need to decide whether it’s the hours or the pay that’s eating at you more. You could always go to them and try to negotiate more money or a bonus which could be difficult in this environment and would also imply you accept the workload. Alternatively, multiple team members could highlight with your manager the excessive and unsustainable workload or simply just start working the normal hours as suggested above. You and others have places to be. Multiple team member working 3/4 extra hours daily would suggest you are well understaffed.

Strumms

Unless you are being compensated in overtime or time in lieu. Just don’t do it.

It can be difficult to make a stand if colleagues are hesitant to be singing off the same sheet... when you have colleagues worried about paying mortgage, car loan or medical bills for a sick kid and therefore compromising their position I know but try have a word.. either way, you are contracted to work ‘hours’ not a list of tasks so when time is up, leave,

skallywag

First off, it certainly is very common in my experience that you will sometimes be expected to work extra hours, for no cash compensation.

That said, any place where I have seen this have offered time off instead if you wish to take it. I do not mind doing it myself, as long as it is occasional and does not become the norm. I will also then make sure to go home early on a Friday etc. to work towards balancing it out. I think there is a strong dependency too on the general working conditions and perks. If you generally are happy and being treated well you tend to not mind as much as if you have a gripe in any case.