Unpaid Overtime

D.P. said:
9-5 just doesn't exist in the real world. And be thankfukl in the UK that your 1 hour lunch is considered work. 8-5/9-6 is official working hours in most countries, and working an extra 2 hours on top is the norm in my experience..
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I've always got a 30 minute lunch break. Which doesn't count towards my working week.
I work: 8:00 - 4:30 = 40 hour week
 
In many (most?) private sector companies you don't get overtime once you reach middle management level. Junion staff in my company get it but I don't qualify for overtime except in exceptional circumstances (i.e. if I had to stay in the office 48 hours straight for some reason).

I'd say I average about 3 hours a day over normal working hours so what your girlfriend is doing is perfectly normal. I also know plenty of people who are doing way way more than that (particularly law firms). In fact the number of my friends who have had to opt out of the European Working Time Directive is pretty high.
 
In the ambulance service, we have to work overtime (we can get sent a call up to the last minute of the day, assuming we get a break, if we don't we in essence have our break at the end of the day), we can then claim the overtime as either pay, or time in lieu. Once you are above a certain level of management and are on a salary, then your overtime becomes unpaid.
 
In my company, we don't get paid overtime, however it is expected that we should realistically plan projects so that the number of hours spent and over x days is accurate. If this is accurate, then you don't end up working overtime, if it isn't it basically bites you in the arse.
 
Energizer Bunny said:
In many (most?) private sector companies you don't get overtime once you reach middle management
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I didn't think we were discussing middle mangagement or above? That also applies in the public sector, once you're above band 7 the same rule applies (or it could be band 8).
 
Bunka said:
In my company, we don't get paid overtime, however it is expected that we should realistically plan projects so that the number of hours spent and over x days is accurate. If this is accurate, then you don't end up working overtime, if it isn't it basically bites you in the arse.
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Bingo. If someone has to do unpaid overtime then someone isn't doing thier job properly and it's usually not the one doing the overtime.
 
I work for an insurance firm in the city and I'm paid a salary not an hourly rate. I have perhaps two weeks a month where I'm either in early, leaving late, or both. Its just one of those things - I have work that needs doing and deadlines that need to be met so I have to stay to ensure that they are.

However should I need a half day or have to leave early for an appointment then nothing is said, its simply a bit of give and take. Also in my experience this sort of thing is noticed when it comes to pay reviews - our company recieved a flat 3% pay increase in May. Myself and a colleague recieved 20%.
 
The way I see it you have got to do what you have got to do. I'm sure it has been noticed, in this climate especially those extra hours could mean the diffrence between a job or redundancy. If I had an employee who regularly went beyond the call of duty I would want to keep them/promote them as an example of how hard work gets you places.
I think the OPs post is a perfect example of why the public sector have it so easy, holidays, sick pay, pensions, usually set working hours and fairly good wage... Yet they strike?
 
She is sleeping with her boss.


Any overtime, I either take it in lieu (sp?) and turn up later then next day or leave a bit early on the friday. Or if I'm so busy I can't do that, claim for the overtime against the project.

I'm at work to live, not living to work. That doesn't mean I do a bad job though.
 
PMKeates said:
It is OK, yes. It is very common for professionals in the private sector who do not have day-to-day work to not get paid overtime.

She should do the work even if she isn't being paid, as if she achieves more she will get more promotions and better pay rises.
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This.

I will say it does depend on what level of job you're doing. If you're on minimal wage then hell I wouldn't be doing more than a 9-5. But if you're on a reasonable yearly salary (over 25k), then you'd be expected to put in extra hours to get the work done that you need to. Some of it might be able to be applied for as overtime, but I wouldn't expect all of it to be.

Also remember, that in 6 months time when her review comes up, she'll be able to point out all the extra hours she works compared to her colleagues, and this may allow her to progress faster.

Parents are on a fairly large salary, and had a phone call one Friday night, saying 'this work isn't done yet, and needs to be done by Monday', and so had to come in on Saturday. Didn't get paid any extra for it. It is considered part of their salary to put in that time.

kd
 
Bingo. If someone has to do unpaid overtime then someone isn't doing thier job properly and it's usually not the one doing the overtime.
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Not true. Sometimes work comes in to a company that it is not possible to complete within contracted hours. The company can either turn the work away or accept it and choose to reward their staff in other ways. A bonus being the most obvious one.
 
King Damager said:
This.

I will say it does depend on what level of job you're doing. If you're on minimal wage then hell I wouldn't be doing more than a 9-5. But if you're on a reasonable yearly salary (over 25k), then you'd be expected to put in extra hours to get the work done that you need to. Some of it might be able to be applied for as overtime, but I wouldn't expect all of it to be.

Also remember, that in 6 months time when her review comes up, she'll be able to point out all the extra hours she works compared to her colleagues, and this may allow her to progress faster.

Parents are on a fairly large salary, and had a phone call one Friday night, saying 'this work isn't done yet, and needs to be done by Monday', and so had to come in on Saturday. Didn't get paid any extra for it. It is considered part of their salary to put in that time.

kd
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This is the thing people are seeming to assume that she is on 25k+ or middle management. She has been there for 6 months now and is on 17k and she is having to do overtime because they have lost a load of people from their team and by the sounds of it it is her and the other new girl taking up all the slack. Sounds like take advantage of the new kids and crappy management.
 
I work 10-15 overtime every week, come in odd weekends. If I don't I would most likely lose my job. I am unpaid for this overtime. Can't say I am a fan of it, I love being at work, just usually when I am paid.

10x better than jobless though.
 
gropingmantis said:
This is the thing people are seeming to assume that she is on 25k+ or middle management. She has been there for 6 months now and is on 17k and she is having to do overtime because they have lost a load of people from their team and by the sounds of it it is her and the other new girl taking up all the slack. Sounds like take advantage of the new kids and crappy management.
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This does make a difference. At that kind of level, I'd probably expect her to be wanting overtime pay. But at the same time, from the sound of the situation, hopefully the issue will resolve itself relatively quickly (or has this been an issue since she started?), and it may well just be a temporary thing - fair enough.

From her perspective it would certainly be hard to ask for overtime pay if it isn't the done thing.

Again, you'd hope that her extra hours would be picked up in a review and she'd do well out of it, however you never can tell with some companies...

kd
 
I used to do a 9-5 but regularly was in the office till 6, sometimes it's not called overtime, it's just called "getting the job done"
 
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