Overtime..

Doing Overtime..


Forty hours a week isn't much time to accomplish your mound of endless tasks at work, making the need for overtime a reality for most. You head into the office early, you stay late, you check e-mail on weekends, and in many cases, you do it because it’s part of your job. But if putting in these extra hours isn’t helping you whittle down your to-do list or moving you in the direction of that raise or promotion, it may be time to reevaluate the situation.Before burning the midnight oil again, learn how to work overtime strategically by following our tips.

Work overtime on occasion

If you’re always the first to arrive and the last to leave each day, you may have set your own standard. Yes, your commitment to the organization is noticed, but now your extra hours are expected rather than appreciated. To work overtime strategically, your best approach is to show willingness to go the extra mile and put in the additional hours, but not to let this willingness to work overtime be anticipated or taken for granted. In the long-term, you will gain respect from your managers. Furthermore, you’ll likely get more recognition and rewards when you eagerly commit yourself to working overtime when there are deadlines and the chips are down.

Make sure your overtime is acknowledged

More often than not, you may be putting in the extra hours without anyone noticing. While it’s not a good idea to blatantly announce your daily arrival and departure times, you can work overtime strategically by ensuring that those around you take notice of your efforts. After all, part of your commitment to staying late is motivated by the desire for rewards, right? Discreet tactics, such as sending e-mails from your work late at night or on your days off, provide a time stamp and are noticed. Managers always tend to smile when one of their employees responds to an e-mail while on a personal day.

Track your overtime

Regardless of whether your overtime is sporadic or an everyday reality, you can work overtime strategically by keeping a detailed account of the extra hours you’ve put in. If you’re habitually working overtime, this log will help identify your level of productivity. Frequently, those who claim that they are swamped and don’t have a minute to spare get far less done than those who wonder if they’re bringing enough to the table. Work overtime strategically by taking stock of what additional tasks you are effectively completing during those extra hours. Additionally, having a detailed account of these hours helps your cause come review time; it’s easier to get credit for something you can back up with evidence.

Leverage your overtime

Now that you’re keeping records of your overtime, you need to put those hours to work for you. The basis of these hours makes a strong case for you come salary negotiation or vacation time. For instance, if you are denied a raise, you can easily say you’re working 20% more than you should be. Your longer hours should never be used in a threatening manner, but with the right documentation and approach, you should be able to use them as the basis for negotiation. In some ways, this means tooting your own horn; if you’re putting in the hours and not bringing it up and not getting the rewards you deserve, you can only blame yourself for not speaking up.

Doin’ time

If putting in overtime hours is something you do on a regular basis, you’re defeating the purpose of these extra hours, both from a productivity and advancement standpoint. Work overtime strategically by monitoring your overtime efforts and using them to your advantage to effectively complete more work and derive some benefits.

p/s: The reason i came up with this post is because i HATE doing overtime especially when i am assigned with an urgent task/project when i have packed my things to go back home. Well, without much to say, i still have to stay late night to finish it anyway. It will be reflected in my yearly KPI, reporting, projects, assessments, bla bla...I HATE early of the month!! Reason being, my dateline to prepare MIS reporting for my doink Head of Retail Banking. Note: I will be spending 1week or less to prepare it but end of the day, the first page of the presentation has a special indication which states my Manager's name & NOT MINE. Real bugger's, don't you think so? You are spending days to complete the most crucial report for the Dept but your name won't be there at any pages of the reporting presentation. Haihs..No value for AM like me as the credit will still go to my Manager anyway...My situation is best decribed as "Lembu punya susu,sapi dapat nama" by my working cgues. My AIM is to become one of the Managers in 2-3years to come...!!!