Extra effort pays off
TorontoJobs.ca, Published in the Toronto Star, April 4th, 2009
CARMEN CHAI, SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Canadian employees who are working extra hours but aren't getting paid for their efforts are creating their own rewards, a survey revealed earlier this month.

Twenty-one per cent of Canadians are working more hours a week than normal and about 37 per cent of these workers aren't getting compensated, according to the ADP Time and Attendance poll by Environics.

However, employers should be cautious because 62 per cent of respondents who admitted to generating their own rewards were doing it at the company's expense.

In fact, 53 per cent admitted to leaving a shift early; almost 30 per cent said they work at a slower pace; and another 23 per cent said they take sick days even when they aren't ill.

"These little tricks turn into an expense when there's already lots of pressure on companies when it comes to efficiency and cost cutting, especially in this economy," said Heather Nairn-Rand, ADP Canada's vice-president of marketing. "Time and attendance solutions are necessary so there is clear communication."

She said that over half of employers still use manual attendance such as timesheets or punch cards to determine hours worked.
"It's so surprising that companies do this. It's unreliable for tracking overtime and results in financial losses."

Instead, Nairn-Rand suggests companies invest in time attendance systems that can be available online to the entire office and will track labour, hours and vacation days accurately.

She said the survey results were unwavering.

"Employees are assertive. What we see is that there is a natural tendency for employees to want to be rewarded for their work."

Monetary compensation for overtime is an obvious solution to keep workers happy, but results showed employees in Ontario were the least likely to receive extra pay when compared with other provinces.

Marc Belaiche, president of TorontoJobs.ca, thinks managers in today's world got to their positions by working hard and putting in extra hours without expectations or rewards, which could explain why some employees don't get paid for overtime. "Managers also have a general opinion that people paid a salary should not expect overtime pay, whether they are in managerial or non-managerial positions and regardless of what Employment Standards says," he speculates.

Belaiche said money doesn't always have to be the answer to satisfy employees. Employers can remind their staff that they are valued through other gestures as well.

"Acknowledgement is definitely high. Recognizing employees who put in extra time is tremendously motivating for employees either in office, department meetings, or by an e-mail announcement," he said.

Gestures as simple as gift certificates to the movies or longer lunch hours could also keep employees motivated, he recommended.
Nairn-Rand said working longer hours doesn't mean employees are working harder.

"The behavior of employees is changing in this economy. My recommendation is to be aware of the hours worked, recognize and compensate your employees."

More Career Articles