Not sure how to feel about overtime rules?

[Annieareyouokareyouokannieannieareyouok]

Recently started in a new role, we are very fortunate to have optional overtime which is paid.
Weekend overtime is paid at an enhanced rate, however management have informed me that the amount of work required is higher than during the week, so we aren't actually being paid extra, just our normal rate.
Not sure how to feel about this?
Yes I'm aware I'm lucky to have paid overtime in the first place, but I'm just feeling like the enhanced rate thing is a bit of a con now.

Just don’t do it then?

Its a bit confusing but are you saying that weekend OT is normally say time and half, and they’ve now said, it’s normal pay?

If so I’d gather everyone together and make sure no one does OT until it’s properly paid!

So normal pay for overtime atm?

If it's normally more it may just be due to the level of work/staff they need in to get rid of the back log then go back to higher pay.

Why if there was more work to do would they not pay the enhanced rate?

I’d just say thanks for the opportunity to do overtime, I am happy to do it during the week, but need the enhanced rate at the weekend. You don’t have to do it.

Thanks for your replies, I think it's a permanent thing rather than just atm. The appeal of me working on the weekend was that I was getting extra pay, I will probably still do it sadly as I need the money but I'm applying for promotions ATM luckily.

The amount of work required is higher, so you're not paid the enhanced rate for the higher amount of work required? Is that right?

I also think a huge amount depends on area. If you look online at houses in Scotland there are loads of threebedroom houses at around 150,000. And some lovely three bedroom flats at £120,000.

So if you want a house in the south east it will be hard but elsewhere it is doable.

So, they are expecting to you be more productive at the weekends to justify paying you more?

Cheeky fuckers. The point of enhanced pay for weekends/ unsociable hours is compensation that you are giving up time over and above normal working hours. I would definately be pushing back on that pile of shite to HR/management or whoever.

I think the only issue is that you thought you were being paid enhanced rate because it was the weekend, but actually the higher rate is because you have to do more work?

I think it's your expectations at fault, most places these days don't pay extra for weekend work.

What do they mean 'the amount of work required is higher'?

How are you paid? Per hour, or per task completed? Is it possible to work faster at the weekend, so you are getting a higher rate? Perhaps if you only need to do what your productivity is measured on and you won't get interrupted by phone calls etc? Or will the individual tasks take the same amount of time, so your £/h remains the same?

It might sound unfair, but there's no law that says overtime has to be paid at the higher rate. Although you could argue if it's custom and practice at your workplace or in your T&Cs. Are you in a union that could argue your case?

Do they need people to do overtime to complete all the necessary tasks/workload? If they don't and you need the money, you're still earning extra by working more even if you don't earn a higher rate for the work, so you need to decide whether it's worth it to you.

I agree. Weekend work is mainly higher rate because everywhere is busier on weekends. It certainly isn't a "con" as OP puts it

Sorry, wrong thread.

Not necessarily. If produce something for customers who are mainly open office hours, you'll probably be interrupted by phone calls/emails in the week, but at the weekend might be left to get on with producing the widgets/reports/whatever that they buy from you.

But without details about the OPs job, it's impossible to say.

It's in the civil service, the issue is that other departments are receiving the enhanced rate but without higher stats/targets so it feels inconsistent.

Well in that case, get your union to argue the case for you.

You are in the union aren't you?

So basically whatever targets or whatever you have during the week are being increased at the weekends because you are being paid more?

Yeah, fuck that. Overtime pay is to compensate you for giving up your evenings and weekends.

Absolutely get HR/ the union/ whoever on the case.

I’ve worked in the civil service and done weekend overtime where they’ll only allow people who are meeting productivity stats to do the overtime.

You have to ‘prove’ your overtime is justified by meeting the targets. What is your standard target and what’s the overtime expectation?

I think as a standard working week there’s an understanding that people can’t do 100% effort 100% of the time, but if you’re claiming 3/6/8 hours of overtime, you have to demonstrate it was required and it’s not tea breaks and chat, it’s essential work only.

I’m also aware that each department operates differently, and basically it’s a ‘whatever your line manager wants’ is the expectation.
It does mean that things can seem unfair quite a lot of the time, if you fall under a manager who is more militant/demanding, or simply working in a well staffed and organised department that means there’s never any overtime available to you, when other teams can be offered it for months at a time with additional enhancement.

But then I think of the best life advice my mother ever gave, ‘Life isn’t fair.’

yabu unless the working hours are longer so the ‘hourly rate’ is less attractive.

At my work, we do ordinarily expect people to get through more than they would in the working week as they are only doing the main task and no phone calls, meetings etc

So if ordinarily 4 widgets would be produced a day, if working the same hours at the weekend someone could typically produce 5 or 6

It is the same as any employment. Employer offers the work, people decide if there is sufficient compensation, if you think not in this case then don’t do it. If enough people think it isn’t enough then nobody does it and it is back on the employer to increase the rate as they see fit. I don’t see the issue.