The Overtime Agreement
When you accept employment, you agree to exchange your labor and time, typically in eight (8) hour blocks, for a specific package of wages and benefits.

To encourage work beyond those agreed upon hours, employers offer overtime: enhanced compensation for time worked beyond the standard workday.

If you accept that offer, the tradeoff is straightforward: longer work hours, additional income, less personal time.

The Appeal of Overtime
Overtime can be an appealing and convenient way to increase income.

For member, it is often the easiest and convenient way to earn extra money without the challenges of finding a second job; no applications, no interviews, no juggling multiple work schedules, just additional compensation for work the member already knows how to perform.

For the employer, overtime is frequently the quickest, convenient and most reliable way to meet staffing needs without the expense and time required to recruit, hire and train new employees.

Convenience can sometimes disguise true cost. One obvious downside of overtime is having less time for yourself, your family and friends. Those areas of your life are just as important, if not more so, as earning additional income. Beyond that excessive overtime can contribute to greater stress and potential negative impacts on one’s physical and mental well-being.
Takeway: Find Balance
* Your personal time should be available only through mutual agreement. Your health, peaceof mind, and family should remain high priorities.
* Is the constant pursuit of overtime receiving financial stress or creating new forms of strains.
* When it comes to overtime, know your limits. Your employer may have business needs that do not align with your personal needs.

Before committing to staying late, coming in early or working weekends, ask yourself - Is overtime requiring more than you are willing to sacrifice?