More overtime reported in Australian workplaces, says new survey
Employers are being urged to consider the impacts of extra work, as a new study has found that overtime has increased in Australian workplaces.
According to the latest “Hays Salary Guide,” 34% of organisations increased overtime in the past year. This follows 32% reporting increasing overtime in the same study last year.
Of those that increased overtime, 81% increased extra work by up to 25%. The recruiting experts found that a further 17% increased overtime by between 25% to 50%.
The “Hays Salary Guide” surveyed more than 3,000 organisations and found that just 8% cut overtime over the past 12 months.
“Increased business activity and a growing shortage of highly-skilled professionals have driven up overtime in some organisations, with employers turning to their existing team to ensure workloads are completed,” said Nick Deligiannis, Hays in Australia & New Zealand managing director.
“Employers need to seriously consider the physical and emotional impact extra work has on their people. Can overworked employees really perform at their best?” he said.
To get through hectic periods and relieve pressure on staff, there could be a good business case for adding headcount, either permanent or temporary, for many organisations, he said.
According to the survey, 26% of employers said that skill shortages are likely to have a major impact on the effective operation of businesses or departments. A further 41% expected the impact to be minor.
Turnover was up in 32% of organisations. Meanwhile, 57% of employers said they could consider employing or sponsoring qualified foreign workers to plug skill gaps.
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