Paid / Unpaid Overtime

[MagentaMask]

Hello Escapist Forum!

I would like to hear your thoughts on when paid respectively unpaid overtime is ethical, specifically in the hypothetical scenario below:

You are the boss of a small company (say you have 10 people on staff). One of your workers, Steve, has made a mistake. He works as diligently as any of his colleagues, but this mistake has set him (significantly) behind shedule. Steve offers to work overtime to catch up.

Now, assuming you hired Steve knowing his strengths and weaknesses, would you consider it fair to pay him for the overtime?

(PS: This is my first time posting here, so please excuse any unclear wording and/or bad grammar.)

 

[Soxafloppin]

Don't workers with a work schedule like that get paid a Salary? Meaning you don't get paid for OT?

I'm not sure as thankfully I paid on the hour

 

[JesterRaiin]

To err is human.

If Steve's mistake doesn't have any long lasting effect (i mean, everything will be allright if he'll work overtime), then it's ok, there shouldn't be severe repercussions (if any at all). After all, some video games taught us, that it is far more better to rescue wounded, BUT EXPERIENCED unit than to abandon it and start with a new one.

As for payment, i'd have a little talk with good old Steve-o. Ask about his opinion. No, seriously. Your business isn't that big, so you can spare some time for serious face to face talk.

"So, Steve, what's your opinion, do you feel that you should get payment for your additional work, considering that it was you who made this mess in first place ?"

I don't know Steve, i don't know you, you never mentioned how's your current situation, so it's hard to give some serious advice. Hoever i know that loyalty, responsibility, acceptance of failure and willingness to fix it are traits that shouldn't go unrewarded. I'd pay, maybe 50%, maybe less, maybe more depending on your relationship with your subordinate. Alternatively i'd pay nothing, but reward it anyway (sometimes, even verbal appraise makes wonders).

 

[tharglet]

Don't workers with a work schedule like that get paid a Salary? Meaning you don't get paid for OT?
I'm not sure as thankfully I paid on the hour

Depends. You can be on a salary AND get overtime. My company doesn't pay for overtime - best you'll do is time in lieu (i.e. extra holiday for extra hours worked), but my partner's company has hourly rates in place, so people who do overtime can claim extra pay. Also seen management jobs that basically state that the job will involve mandatory overtime, and no extra pay above the salary pay.

OT: If he offers to do the overtime, then I wouldn't be stopping him, but I doubt "Steve" would expect to be paid. If he goofed up, then he's not going to get away scot free. I think it's fair to ask "Steve" to fix his screwup.
If it was a case of something he couldn't avoid, then maybe he should be paid, but if it's something he could've avoided, then it's up to him to make the situation right again if it's in his power to do so.
Lot of things are on a case-by-case basis, and depend heavily on the individual, the money available and what happened.

 

[fenrizz]

Of course he should be paid overtime.
He's working, thus he deserves to get paid.

He made a mistake, we all do at one point.

And who in the world would work for free?
Do you have bad job security where you are from?
Can they just fire you without a reason?

"So, Steve, what's your opinion, do you feel that you should get payment for your additional work, considering that it was you who made this mess in first place ?"

That question is very, very loaded.
you're leaving him with only one possible answer.

 

[Lev The Red]

it depends on how you're pay system works.
my father's company works on a "project" basis: they have to complete a project within a certain time frame so the he and the people working for him work whatever hours they have to to fit that timeframe. there is no overtime pay because there is no overtime (they do get bonuses when the project is finished if they logged a large amount of excess hours).

i, however, work on a salary. i make $X per hour and $X+1.50 per hour for overtime. BUT as an employee i have obligations to meet and if i go into what would be over time to meet those obligations then i'm not paid overtime. i dont care where you work, everyone shares at least ONE employee obligation: Dont fuck up. steve needs to work however long it takes to catch up and is entitled to no extra compensation for it.

HOWEVER, i would hope that his boss takes notice of his hard work and remembers that the next time steve asks for a promotion or a higher level position opens up.

 

[JesterRaiin]

"So, Steve, what's your opinion, do you feel that you should get payment for your additional work, considering that it was you who made this mess in first place ?"

That question is very, very loaded.
you're leaving him with only one possible answer.

I don't think so.
I was called a few times by my superiors and asked "do i really think that i deserve raise" since "that", "that", "and also let's not forget about that". I defended my position and got raise. And one time i lost my job.

 

[MagentaMask]

Wow, I did not expect this many replies this quickly.

I don't know Steve, i don't know you, you never mentioned how's your current situation, so it's hard to give some serious advice.

Ah, no this is a purely hypothetical situation, sorry if that was unclear. I am wondering about overtime payment in general, that was just one thought example I couldn't decide opon myself.

I don't have much experience with work more advanced than maintenence (or cleaning, or whatever it is formally called) since I am still studying. But I have noticed that many of the older people I know tend to work overtime, without asking for extra payment. There seem to be some odd stigma about refusing to take your job home with you or asking for extra wage when you do.

"Everyone else will do it, so if I don't I risk looking bad / being laid off."

There might be some laws about this, I don't really know. I study digital art and most beaurocratical matters confuse the hell outta me.

Of course he should be paid overtime.
He's working, thus he deserves to get paid.

He made a mistake, we all do at one point.

And who in the world would work for free?
Do you have bad job security where you are from?
Can they just fire you without a reason?

This, contrasted with the other thoughts already posted here, is more or less why I can't make up my mind about it.

Suprisingly we have a LOT of work security, people just seem afraid of using it to its fullest extent for some reason. Those who do mostly seem to be people slacking off at work knowing they can't be fired at a second's notice, while people I know work themselves half to death (and that's not exactly something I want to compete against either).

 

[JesterRaiin]

I don't know Steve, i don't know you, you never mentioned how's your current situation, so it's hard to give some serious advice.

Ah, no this is a purely hypothetical situation, sorry if that was unclear. I am wondering about overtime payment in general, that was just one thought example I couldn't decide opon myself.

I understood it. I simpy did a little roleplay with your "what if" scenario.

I don't have much experience with work more advanced than maintenence (or cleaning, or whatever it is formally called) since I am still studying. But I have noticed that many of the older people I know tend to work overtime, without asking for extra payment. There seem to be some odd stigma about refusing to take your job home with you or asking for extra wage when you do.

"Everyone else will do it, so if I don't I risk being laid off."

There might be some laws about this, I don't really know. I study digital art and most beaurocratical matters confuse the hell outta me.

Unfortunately, that's very common. Though we don't always see it, there's war all around us. Rat race, younger vs older, more experienced vs better educated and so on. It seems that places without such rivalry are rarer than good, honest politician or unbiased amateur video game reviewer.

As for laws, yeah, they exist. However it's a jungle out there, and laws are just accesories, weapons, tools, not something to adhere to all the time. I guess.