Hi Sandra,
I think there’s just a human element missing here. Maybe your managers don’t really know what to do with the monthly reports?
In cases like this, our manager first meets with the employee to find out why these hours accumulated. Afterward, the manager and HR hold a meeting to draft an overtime reduction plan and set a shared goal. We establish binding guidelines here; these could include, for example:
- Daily working hours may not exceed 8 hours
- Overtime should only occur when there is an actual *operational* necessity
- The manager must be actively informed as soon as working hours exceed the standard workday, including an explanation of the reasons
- Timesheets will be approved by the manager in the coming months (at our company, timesheets are generally not approved, as we operate on a basis of trust)
- Vacation days and remaining vacation days must be taken into account (at least one continuous vacation period of 2 weeks)
And then, of course, it depends on the factors that have contributed to the current accumulation of overtime hours. These can vary widely, so you can’t just adopt a one-size-fits-all plan here - it has to be tailored to each individual situation. Possible reasons could include, for example, staff shortages, last-minute tasks or projects, taking on tasks that fall outside one’s own area of responsibility, etc. -> You’ll need to address these specifically and explore what options are available.
Otherwise, a plan to reduce overtime hours could include the following points:
- Set a fixed average reduction in overtime hours per week (e.g., 4 hours per week or every other Friday off—depending on what’s possible in your case)
- Schedule and firmly plan individual days off / compensatory time off
- Continuously assess whether a further reduction in actual working hours is possible
- Redistribute tasks among team members, if possible
- Identify areas where the employee can be removed from the workflow (e.g., through automation, etc.)
- Support from the manager in prioritizing tasks and projects
Based on these results, we hold the manager accountable. In our organization, the heads of departments are responsible for both technical and disciplinary leadership. I’m not familiar with your structures or what steps you’ve already taken, so it’s difficult for me to answer your question about how the manager can be held more accountable. However, my experience shows that this is usually due to factors like a lack of knowledge and transparency. But maybe the managers just don't have the right tools. So perhaps you could simply sit down with your managers and/or employees, explain why this issue is so important to you (and to the employees themselves), and ask them directly what kind of support they might need from you? The more understanding you build, the easier it will be to implement these changes :)
Those are, for now, the main points I can share with you.
I hope this helps you a bit. Otherwise, feel free to reach out to me directly - I’m always happy to chat :)
Happy week & best regards,
Anna
