The Kronos Global Overtime survey also looks at the frequency of overtime around the world and employee perceptions of how fairly their employers provide overtime.
Hourly wage workers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Mexico, the UK and the US were represented in the survey.
The vast majority of hourly wage workers around the world said they are at least somewhat aware of the rules and laws governing overtime and compensation where they live, from a high of 96% in China to a low of 72% in Australia, with the UK towards the lower end at 74%. A majority in every region except the U.S. also believe their employers had at some point violated overtime rules (88% in China, 63% in the UK and 47% in the US).
Overtime is commonplace around the world. In all regions surveyed except France, more than half of hourly wage workers said their employer offered them the opportunity to work overtime hours (defined as more than their regularly scheduled work hours at either a higher rate of pay or in return for paid time off): 82% in India; 80% in China; 79% in the UK; 77% in Brazil; 71% in Mexico; 61% in the US; 54% in Australia; and 52% in Canada.
Thirty-nine percent of hourly wage workers in France were offered the opportunity to work overtime.
The survey also found high numbers of hourly wage workers around the world are actually required by their employer to work overtime: more than half in India (68%), China (67%), and the UK (58%), and significant numbers in other regions as well: 37% in Australia, 35% in France, 33% in Brazil, 26% in the US, 24% in Mexico, and 20% in Canada.
The opportunity to work additional hours for a higher rate of pay or additional paid time off was very appealing to employees around the world. The majority of workers in every region surveyed said that they were happy with the amount of overtime hours they worked or wished they could work more: 92% in Brazil, Canada, and the US; 91% in Australia; 90% in the UK and Mexico; 88% in France; 85% in India; and 61% in China.
Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute, Kronos, said: "Our survey looked at employee perceptions, but regardless of the actual state of affairs, if employees perceive that their employer is out of compliance, that employer is at risk.
"A key way for an organization to protect itself from wage and hour lawsuits is to have an automated way to keep track of time worked. Many organizations are also using "attestation" technology whereby employees attest to the accuracy of their timecard information at the end of every day or pay period.
"Ensuring that employees get paid accurately is in everyone's best interests and an automated solution is a critical tool in making this happen."
