I often say that negotiating collective agreements and working in labor market advocacy is fundamentally about whether we have time, resources, and energy for recovery, family, friends, hobbies… passions and love! But that’s not entirely true. We unions can negotiate any agreements and lobby for laws, but if employers do not comply with the agreements or laws that bind them, and employees do not stand up for their rights, it is very difficult for our union experts to do anything about it.
Why should anyone care if someone wants to work around the clock without extra compensation? Yes, it matters. Mental health problems are the single biggest cause of disability. When the workload is too heavy and there’s not enough time to recover, the mind cannot cope. Those who suffer burnout are often the most conscientious and enthusiastic employees. At the same time, working careers should be extended as the number of retirees keeps growing. This is a challenge for the entire society. Young people, of course, can cope—except they often can’t either.
I’ve heard of workplaces where employees linger in the office in the evenings simply because it’s the norm if you don’t want to appear unmotivated. Workplaces where overtime “isn’t done.” Or rather, it’s done every day, but you’re not allowed to record it because it would create extra costs for the employer. Workplaces where balance cut-offs erase hundreds of hours worked by the most diligent employees. And even workplaces where, regardless of the actual length of the workday, 7.5 hours are recorded every day.
Don’t agree to this! If your workplace culture includes hanging around the office in the evenings, that culture needs to change. The purpose of flexitime balance is to benefit the employee, not the employer. If tasks given by the employer or client overload a person so much that they cannot be completed during eight-hour workdays, you need to speak up to your supervisor. These extra hours should be recorded as overtime, and if the employer does not agree, they must organize the work so that normal working hours are sufficient. Overtime is more expensive for the employer—and that’s how it should be. The cost of overtime is meant to prevent excessive workload. Project plans should be realistic from the start. Temporary overtime costs are part of the entrepreneur’s risk, and that risk should not be shifted onto the employee. Also, make sure your balance does not grow so much that the cut-off erases your worked hours.
I understand that it’s not easy for an individual employee to bring about change. If working time practices and overtime compensation are not in order at your workplace, I encourage you to discuss the matter with your employee representatives, such as the shop steward and/or occupational safety representative. Put the issue on the table in your work community. If necessary, you can get support from YTN experts. You can contact, for example, the YTN sector representative, who can even reach out to your employer.
You can always sell your own time, but you can never buy it back. So don’t sell too much of it, don’t sell it at a bargain price, and certainly don’t give it away for free. In 1996, former Coca-Cola CEO Bryan Dyson gave an important speech, from which I’d like to quote this excerpt:
“Imagine you have five balls you are juggling and need to keep in the air. These balls are work, family, health, friends, and spirit. Work is like a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will always bounce back. But the other balls are made of glass. If you drop one of them, it will get scratched or even shattered. You will never be able to restore it completely.”
