Overtime is something that hourly employees often like because of the extra money they can make. Salaried employees tend to find it to be a bit of a nuisance. As upper management of a company, overtime is something that should be avoided. It ends up being a major expense that can overwhelm the yearly budget. Finding ways to reduce the need for overtime in business is incredibly beneficial and important.
Hire Smart
When you’re in the process of hiring staff for your business, you want to make sure that you know exactly how many employees you should bring on board. If you have enough people, this will prevent overtime from being needed. Also, make sure that you have the right kind of talent. You want qualified professionals that are going to efficiently and correctly get their duties done. There may be times of the year where more people are needed. You can bring on seasonal employees to cover these busier times of the year without having to pay overtime.
Managing Your Work Better
Using careful timing in business is important in all stages of business. You need to manage the workflow that occurs throughout the days, weeks, months, and years. Once you’ve been up and running for a while, it becomes a bit easier to manage your work and your employee’s duties. You know what the trends are, and you have the ability to act accordingly. This allows you to make appropriate changes that will eliminate the need for overtime costs.
Use Cross-Training
You likely have employees set in their current positions, but there are benefits that come along with cross-training people. People may be qualified for the position that they were hired into, but they can also serve as a backup employee if someone is out sick or if workflow increases in another area of the company. Cross-training can be conducted by employees during slow times of the year when it’s a convenient process to take on. It provides more job security for your staff and a reduced need for overtime.
It’s possible to avoid the need for overtime in your company. It takes a bit of planning, but you can figure out ways to manage the workload better in a way that will save everybody from having to put in extra hours to get everything done. Having an overtime policy in place can also keep everybody clear on what is expected during regular work hours. Avoiding the cost of paying for unnecessary overtime is just one way for you to grow your business.
