Those who work overtime are often seen as particularly committed and important to the company. But behind many justifications for overtime there is often self-deception and false assumptions. A look behind the facade of the most common overtime myths.
The customer-first myth and other excuses
Upon closer inspection, most arguments for overtime turn out to be protective claims or planning errors. One of the most popular is: “The customer expects this effort.” But behind this often lies a questionable business strategy. As a t3n article shows, it is tempting for companies to outsource poorly timed projects to other companies – for a corresponding fee, of course. The supposedly important customer ultimately pays so that their poor planning does not end up in their own workforce.
The claim that overtime is necessary to compete for promotions is similarly problematic. Anyone who works in an environment in which it is not performance and quality, but mere attendance time that determines career progress, should seriously ask themselves whether this is the right place to work. It becomes particularly perfidious when managers use their own overtime hours as justification for employees’ extra work. Anyone who as a boss cannot finish work on time is failing as a role model and at the same time makes it clear: the employment contracts and personnel planning were inadequate from the start.
Overtime as a sign of poor planning
Current data from the DGB Good Work Index shows a sobering picture: 44 percent of employees work longer on average than contractually agreed, with more than half of all overtime not being paid. These numbers speak loudly about the systematic problems in the German world of work.
The situation is particularly precarious when working from home. At 52 percent, employees who also work from home have a significantly higher proportion of overtime than those without the option of working from home (31 percent). This shows that the boundaries between work and leisure time are becoming increasingly blurred. As a report from the Institute of Economic and Social Sciences shows, the often-cited argument that working hours are too short in Germany is misleading. The overall economic volume of work is at a historic high – the lower average individual working hours are mainly the result of the high part-time rate, which in turn is often forced by stress and compatibility problems.
Time for a paradigm shift
Occupational science agrees: excessive working hours of more than 48 hours per week are dangerous to health. According to the DGB index, 10.1 percent of full-time employees work in this critical area due to overtime. These people not only risk their health, but also their long-term productivity.
The debate about overtime reveals a fundamental problem in German work culture. Instead of glorifying overtime as a virtue, companies should honestly analyze why they rely on systematic overtime. Often the answer lies in poor organization, unrealistic planning or an attempt to externalize personnel costs. Real appreciation for employees is not reflected in the glorification of unpaid overtime, but rather in realistic work planning, appropriate staffing and respect for work-life balance. Overtime may sometimes be unavoidable – but as a permanent condition, it is a warning sign of structural problems, not a sign of commitment or importance.
Dominik Maier, editorial team at finanzen.net
