Time off in lieu, what's the point?

[Energize]

I've been asked in the past to work overtime and always refused because my employer offers time off in lieu.

The way I see it, it is just a time swap, not proper "overtime". You work the same number of hours, and get paid the same salary, so what benefit or incentive is there for individuals like me to work overtime? There's no financial reward and there's no extra time off ultimately.

The impact of this where I work is sometimes projects being completed late and IT systems being offline for extended periods because of the lack of people willing to work overtime.

To me it shows a lack of respect on the part of the employer, they are not willing to give anything to the employee for working longer unsociable hours. Tangible rewards for work, ie. money shows respect for the employee as the business is paying out more. I think for multi-million pound businesses especially TOIL is skin flint of the employer.

Ultimately for most people, comp time is pointless and of no benefit, you certainly don't get more from the company for it anyway!

 

[Mr Badger]

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...2!3m1!1s0x47d62a0c21a749c5:0x720a7c7d4fa901f0

 

[CapitalOne]

TOIL is fine if you are on a "work as many hours as it takes" contract (i.e no overtime)

 

[Trifid]

I more or less agree. I get TOIL instead of extra pay 99% of the time and all that it results in is working more hours and a counter somewhere saying I am owed loads of time. I still do it though...

 

[Diddums]

That's not overtime, that's swapping shifts. The key to overtime is in the name, it's time spent working which is over your contracted hours, for which you should be paid.

Tell your boss to pay up.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

The only benefit is if you are allowed to take the time when you want.

 

[Uhtred]

My employer is very flexible if I need to come in late/early/work from home so it goes both ways

 

[Tom_ed1987]

What arrangements do you have for when the extra worked time can be taken off? If you can accrue enough extra hours to take full days off it would be a nice deal.

 

[BinnsY]

This post makes no sense to me? Surely it's pretty obvious how TOIL works. You work some extra time when it's needed then get that back as holiday to take when you please. I've certainly done this in the past where I've banked a couple of extra hours on several days spread out then took it all together for a long weekend.

Yes you don't get anything extra out of it, but you aren't loosing anything an you effectively get to choose when you have an extra day off.

 

[ajf]

I don't do masses of overtime so perhaps a bit different but I have always preferred TOIL to actual pay.
If it is only a few hours it often doesn't amount to a great deal after tax etc.
Rather have a half day or day extra holiday to use.

 

[anything I don't mind]

This is why I come in late and leave early. I don't work for free and if they expect outside of hours monitoring and working outside of hours for time in lieu, then I am not going to give them more than they pay for.

 

[Sega Mega Dave]

I used to get a day and half holiday for doing 6 hours overtime on a Saturday. Was always worth cramming a few Saturdays in when nothing planned.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

TOIL is fine if you are on a "work as many hours as it takes" contract (i.e no overtime)

I get TOIL days if I travel for business over the weekend.

 

[Diddums]

If I work bank holidays, it's double bubble and a day TOIL


I don't know my predecessors at this firm, but they certainly knew how to wring every last perk out of these employers. They even cemented it by getting a union involved.

They double my pension contributions.
I get shares at 40% off market price, tax free, deducted straight from my salary.
Broadband, telly and phone for £1 a month.
LOADS of time off (I'm on a 14 day stretch of days off, this only cost me 4 of my 20 holidays).

 

[Rotty]

I get TOIL days if I travel for business over the weekend.

I prefer the OT especially if travelling to the states on double time on a Sunday

re TOIL I would expect more than equal time off if the extra hours were at unsociable times

 

[Lopéz]

Overtime does not exist in my contract so that's a non issue. I take TOIL quite a lot, if I have to deliver a project to a deadline I just work the hours that need doing and take them back when it suits me.

 

[paradigm]

I don't have overtime payment in my contract either, but I did negotiate double TOIL for weekend work.

1 day in at the weekend = 2 days off midweek.

 

[Kenai]

As I see it, it depends when the overtime is - if it's just spending a few hours extra in the office a couple of evenings, then i'd be happy enough with the time off but if it's going to completely wipe out any free evening time at all, or eat into weekends etc. then I would expect financial compensation instead (or at least the choice).

 

[D.P.]

TOIL is great would love TOIL. Overtime for most people simply means spending longer in the office to get work done with No time or money in exchange but the satisfaction of keeping your job.


gees, if I could get TOIL then I could easily add several weeks vacation a year.
God, some people just don't know how lucky they are!

 

[pepp77]

I generally get paid overtime however occasionally I take it in lieu. But when I take lieu I get the time off based on overtime rate. So 1.25 weekday evenings, 1.5 sat and 2 times on Sunday's. Therefore 5 hours OT on a sat gets me a full weekday off, or a days OT on a sun gets me 2 weekdays off.