When “A Bit of Overtime” Becomes a Way of Working
Drive by Friday
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Drive by Friday –
Overtime is one of those topics that rarely starts as a problem.
It usually begins innocently enough:
· A busy period
· A tight deadline
· A team pulling together to get something over the line
Most employees are willing to step up in those moments. In fact, many take pride in doing so.
But increasingly, I’m seeing something shift.
What starts as occasional overtime is quietly becoming a default expectation, and in some cases, employees are being told it is effectively mandatory. And that’s where things start to break down.
The fine line between flexibility and pressure
On paper, overtime is often framed as optional or situational. In reality, many employees don’t experience it that way. Even when it isn’t explicitly forced, there can be a strong sense that saying “no” comes with consequences - whether that’s how they’re perceived, future opportunities, or simply being seen as “not a team player.”
So, people say yes. Not because they can comfortably absorb the workload, but because it feels like the safer option.
When workload creeps faster than capacity
I’m also seeing another pattern emerge across multiple industries — not just my space.
Workloads are gradually increasing without a matching adjustment in resourcing or expectations.
One more client, one more report, one more project, one more responsibility added to an already full role.
Individually, each addition might feel manageable. But collectively, it creates a workload that no longer fits within your normal workday. Overtime stops being a response to temporary peaks in workload and becomes the mechanism that keeps the system running.
The burnout risk that builds quietly
The challenge is that this doesn’t usually break things immediately. Instead, it builds slowly.
Employees start to:
· Skip proper downtime
· Lose separation between work and home
· Feel constantly “on”
· Push through fatigue rather than recover from it
· Stop saying no, even when they should
This is where burnout starts to take shape - not as a dramatic collapse, but as a gradual depletion. And once people reach that point, you often see disengagement, mistakes, increased absenteeism, or ultimately resignation.
The hidden cost for employers
Most organisations don’t intend to create this environment. In fact, many are trying to solve very real pressures - growth, resourcing challenges, client demands, or market expectations.
But there is a hidden cost when overtime becomes structural rather than occasional:
· Reduced retention
· Lower engagement
· Increased fatigue which leads to related errors
· Harder recruitment (because reputation travels)
· And ironically, reduced productivity over time
Because tired people don’t do their best work, they just do what they can to get through.
A leadership question worth asking
This isn’t about eliminating overtime entirely. That’s not realistic in most businesses.
It’s about being honest on one question:
Is overtime being used as an occasional support mechanism or as a permanent substitute for capacity planning?
Because if it’s the latter, you don’t just have a workload issue.
You have a sustainability issue.
Final thought
The best workplaces aren’t the ones that demand the most from people.
They’re the ones that understand that performance is not just about output — it’s about recovery, balance, and longevity.
People can sprint for a short period. But they can’t sprint forever.
Have a great Friday and a relaxing weekend 😊
“Burnout builds quietly in the hours no one questions”
Simpli-U – helping create sustainable ways of working
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Lorraine Singer
Director & Consultant – Simpli-U
Recruitment Solutions for the Novated Leasing, Salary Packaging & Automotive sectors
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