Tackling overtime: A guide for field service managers

Overtime can't always be avoided, especially when you’re experiencing a surge in demand or a staffing shortage. But excessive overtime can drain your resources and affect productivity, workforce morale and employee turnover.

In this guide, we'll explore the challenges of overtime and discuss the steps you can take to manage and reduce it.

The challenges of overtime

There are several reasons why excessive overtime should be avoided:

Higher labour costs

If your technicians work more than their scheduled hours, they may be entitled to overtime pay, depending on their contracts. Overtime rates are usually higher than standard hourly rates, meaning overtime could increase labour costs.

Fatigue and reduced productivity

Working extended hours can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. As fatigue sets in, your team may work slower than usual, resulting in lower productivity.

Impact on quality of work

Tired employees often struggle to stay focused and pay attention. Reduced cognitive function can lead to errors, decreased accuracy, and low-quality work.

Reduced employee engagement

If overtime becomes the norm, your technicians will become tired and frustrated. As morale and job satisfaction decline, so will employee engagement.

Reduced time for training and development

If your team is always working, they'll have little time for training or skills development. With limited scope for professional growth, your technicians will look for opportunities elsewhere.

Safety concerns and health risks

Fatigue from overtime can compromise safety, increasing the risk of accidents or injuries. Longer working hours can also harm your team's well-being. Overworked employees may experience health issues like stress and mental health problems.

Employee turnover

Regular overtime can lead to low job satisfaction and a higher employee turnover rate. Your technicians may seek opportunities elsewhere if they feel overworked and underappreciated.

How to reduce employee overtime

Excessive overtime can and should be avoided when possible. Here are some of the steps you can take to reduce the need for overtime:

Effective scheduling

With proper planning, you can give your technicians enough time to complete customer jobs. Use a scheduling tool like Job Card Management Software, which provides real-time visibility, to track your employees' schedules and progress and make changes to prevent overtime.

Efficient workload distribution

Distribute jobs across your team to ensure everyone has a fair workload. Consider the nature of tasks and your technicians' skills to ensure you assign work to employees with the best skills for the job.

Route optimisation

Optimise your field service routes with Route Planning Software. Route planning reduces travel time, giving your technicians more time to complete tasks.

Real-time monitoring

Real-time monitoring lets you track your team's workload throughout the day or week. By identifying periods of high demand, you can bring in extra staff to ensure you have enough technicians on hand during peak hours.

Preventative maintenance

Breakdowns and emergency service calls often lead to overtime hours. You can reduce breakdowns and equipment failure by scheduling preventative maintenance jobs to keep assets in good condition.

Reduce admin burden

Identify repetitive and time-consuming tasks that don't require critical thinking and use automation tools to streamline these processes. Automation will free up your team's time for more valuable and strategic work.

Invest in training

Training equips technicians with the skills and knowledge to perform their tasks. And when they're better equipped to handle their responsibilities, they can complete their work on time, reducing the need for overtime.

Communicate expectations

Communicate project deadlines, milestones, and individual responsibilities to your team members. When employees understand what's expected of them, they can manage their time effectively, reducing the need for overtime.

Offer incentives

Recognising and rewarding technicians who finish tasks on time can motivate others to do the same. Incentives like performance-based bonuses, paid time off, and monetary awards may encourage your workers to push themselves to meet deadlines.

Track and analyse overtime

There may be processes preventing your team from completing jobs within working hours. By tracking and analysing data, you can identify the root causes of overtime and find solutions to reduce and avoid it in the future.

Final thoughts

Overtime is sometimes necessary, but it shouldn't become a routine solution. A well-rested, motivated team will always be more productive and better equipped to handle challenges. With the steps shared in this article, you can tackle employee overtime and create an efficient, engaged workforce.