Senior role - should I be paid for extra hours required to complete the job?

[Orabee]

I work for a tech company. I am sometimes required to work extra hours to complete client projects. I have been working here for 2 years and on a few occasions I was required to work extra and got time in lieu. I am now required to work extra again to complete a project and I asked if payment instead of time in lieu would be an option. I was told it wouldn't as they don't want to create a precedent. This is a small tech company, staff are paid competitive salaries, hybrid working, flexible hours, competitive benefits, lots of trust. I left another job due to stress. No stress here, just extra hours from time to time. My line manager hinted that time in lieu has been a favour as in my role I would really be expected to work the hours required to complete the job. I earn 43.5K (not South of England) plus all the benefits package and 3% Xmas bonus. I came here from a public institution so not sure what I can expect from a private company. Am I being unreasonable to ask for extra pay?

How many extra hours are you talking about?

I think salaried roles do expect you - within reason - to work a few extra hours during busy periods. But this is compensated by them being flexible with you when you need it in return.

So I wouldn't ask for formal time in lieu but on a less busy day or when you want to do something specific - e.g. attend a school event - I would ask for flex then and expect not to have to make up the hours if you see what I mean

I have to say that I think you are. People on minimum wage would have every right to be paid "overtime" but at your salary, time off in lieu is a very good offer.

I agree with PP

I work in the private sector and have done on various well paid salaries and it is always expected that on occasions you will need to work over and above to get the job done

Time in lieu is a usual discretionary compensation but I've never been offered, nor would I ask to be paid for that time unless on hourly wage

Agree with pp. You can’t expect to be paid for a few hours overtime occasionally in your position. TOIL is very generous.

I work in tech for a consultancy, if it’s client work they wouldn’t be able to recoup the costs from the client as there is normally a max amount a person can bill a day.

But even in-house IT, its very normal to accept that there is an expectation you work outside of normal contracted hours with the expectation you get a lot of flexibility back in return.

If the company you work for are not allowing you to be flexible then I would vote with your feet as that is deffo not the norm for the tech industry. The flexibility is the main reason I have stayed in the industry.

Most senior roles have a contractural clause to cover additional hours as required.

YABU.

Also I wouldn’t say to my boss, oh well I worked 45 mins extra on Tuesday so I am going to take 45 mins off on Friday for x reason.

It works more on the basis of, I will be offline for an hour on Monday as I have a school assembly or I am taking a 2 hour lunch today as I am meeting a friend for a coffee. And he goes ok, have a nice time. I don’t have to mention the times I worked additional hours as it’s just part of the culture, rather than it being super transactional like contractual TOIL.

I used to get TOIL as a very junior (first year) but once you got above that, no TOIL, just an expectation that you may need to work extra hours from time to time. I informally give my team TOIL sometimes but that's because they're quite junior and not paid well.

Normal to be expected to do extra hours in a salaried job.

Amazed they have given you time in lieu tbh.

Agree with @boozeclues that the ‘pay off’ for this kind of working structure is usually a more relaxed approach to your day-to-day eg it not being an issue if you have personal stuff to attend to etc

You’re salaried, not paid per hour. And in a senior role it is expected that you put in the hours needed to complete the job. Giving you time in lieu was surprising. Don’t start asking for money.

You have a salary not a wage. Do the overtime. I bet you also do shorter days sometimes. It's called a relationship of mutual trust at your level

Yes this is exactly what I was trying to say

Flexibility usually goes both ways in salaried roles

In a salaried role I have never received direct compensation for extra hours either TOIL or payment. Flexible time or as a factor feeding into a bonus. I’d probably still get a bonus but it wouldn’t be as good if I was consistently clocking off at 5 on the dot

I wouldn't be doing extra hours for £43.5k. I don't even do that many extra for nearly £70k. (But that could be because I'm over 50, can't be arsed and would like them to make me redundant...)

Its practically unheard of to get paid overtime or time in lieu in a private sector salaried role

For 43k in a senior role, definitely not. I'm at analyst level on coming up 50k private sector.

You sound underpaid, nevermind the overtime expectation.

I'm surprised you even get TOIL.

I’m in a senior role and putting in extra hours when required just goes with the territory. Having said that, I’d be a bit peeved to do so on your salary..

What I mean by definitely not is, I wouldn't be doing overtime, senior or not, on that salary.

In my industry you wouldn't even get TOIL. Very junior staff maybe, but not mid level.

Isn’t the bonus supposed to compensate for extra time needed in salaried positions that come with bonuses?

I agree. That is not enough of a salary to be expected to work extra. My mid-career staff are on 45k and they are always paid or given TOIL for additional hours. They are not classed as senior though.

Wow. Loads of people here who think that a 40K job is either a senior role in tech or that it is enough that it means you should just work for free when they tell you to (or both).

Neither are true.

Have we all really become so conditioned to being grateful to have a half decent job that we bend over willingly without even thinking about it? Employers must look at these comments and rub their hands at the thought of all of the exploitation they can get away with.

Im grateful I get TOIL judging from this thread. But yes, you wouldn’t get extra money. This is kind of wrapped into your bonus. I wouldn’t even push it - you will look a bit daft. Of course if it’s a lot of hours on a consistent basis you have a separate conversation about a salary review/promotion.