Is working overtime on holidays worth it? How can companies balance employee satisfaction with business needs?

As the pace of modern society accelerates, working overtime on holidays has become a challenge for most companies. This article explores the current status of holiday overtime, labor standards law regulations, cost-benefit analysis, and how companies can balance business needs and employee satisfaction through measures such as flexible scheduling and self-selection systems.

The phenomenon of holiday overtime and its current development

Background and Current Situation of Holiday Overtime

As the pace of modern society accelerates and lifestyles diversify, "holiday overtime"Has becomeThis is one of the daily issues facing most companies in Taiwan. In particular, industries such as services, catering, retail, and tourism must continue to operate during national holidays, causing employees to have to work overtime during periods when they should have been resting. Although the Labor Standards Act has clear regulations on holiday attendance, disputes and employee satisfaction issues caused by overtime still often arise.

Labor Standards Act regulations on holiday overtime

According to Article 37 of the Labor Standards Act, the principle of taking leave on national holidays is clear, but companies can arrange attendance with the consent of employees and must provide corresponding compensation. There are obvious differences in the application of laws and regulations for employees with different working hours:

Table 1: Overview of the application of overtime on national holidays under different working hours systems

Calculation criteria for holiday overtime pay

The Labor Standards Act requires that employers pay workers double wages when they work on national holidays. If the working hours for the day exceed 8 hours, the overtime will be paid at 1.34 times or 1.67 times. For example, an employee with a monthly salary of NT$51,000 and a daily wage of NT$1,700 can receive NT$3,400 for working overtime on holidays for no more than eight hours. If calculated on an hourly basis, the wages for that day would also be doubled.

The legality and operation of compensatory leave for overtime work on holidays

Compensatory leave systemIt is one of the common ways for most companies to balance their needs and employee satisfaction. Although the current law does not explicitly stipulate that holiday overtime must be replaced by compensatory leave, compensatory leave can be arranged on a 1:1 basis if both parties agree. Some companies are even actively negotiating to swap national holidays with working days to ensure flexibility in human resource operations.

Holiday overtime: Value measurement from the perspective of employees and companies

Employees: Is overtime worth it?

For many employees, the most direct incentive to work overtime is double pay, compensatory time off or other additional benefits. However, working on holidays over a long period of time will lead to the following problems:

• Insufficient rest time leads to a decline in quality of life
• Family, social, and physical and mental health are affected
• Increased job burnout and intention to quit

The pros and cons of employees working overtime on holidays:

Table 2: Main advantages and disadvantages of employees working overtime on holidays

Willingness and feedback on holiday overtime

Actual surveys show that although working overtime on holidays can offset some of the economic pressure, employees generally seek more flexible scheduling and rest rights. We are troubled by the situation of long working hours and inconsistent compensation, and hope that companies will provide a moderately flexible scheduling or compensatory leave mechanism.

Enterprises: Balancing operational needs and overtime policies

Why do companies have to work overtime on holidays?

The business opportunities and customer flow of specific industries are most obvious during holidays (such as shopping, catering, and entertainment). On the one hand, working overtime on holidays can seize peak performance and increase revenue, but on the other hand it also carries the risk of higher labor costs, employee turnover and labor disputes.

Management and innovation after overtime

Many companies choose to improve team cohesion through measures such as comprehensive overtime pay settlement, independent scheduling, employee self-selected shifts, and flexible compensatory leave. Some companies have also introduced human resources systems and time management tools to accurately track and plan overtime hours.

Table 3: Enterprise holiday overtime management suggestions

How to balance employee satisfaction and business needs? Corporate Best Practices

Flexible scheduling and optional overtime

Flexible scheduling gives employees autonomy in arranging their work and personal lives, effectively reducing employees’ aversion to working overtime on holidays. For example, adopting a voluntary overtime system, allocating holiday work to those with more flexible working hours, and establishing an alternative manpower pool.

Advanced compensation and innovative benefits

In addition to paying adequate overtime pay in accordance with the law, companies may consider further providing benefits such as allowances, employee travel, health checks, recreational activities, etc., so that employees can be more aware of their holiday sacrifices.

Establish a positive communication culture and feedback mechanism

Two-way communication and regular review of holiday overtime implementation results, actively listening to employees' voices and responding to individual needs are the key to improving cohesion and reducing turnover. For example, regular employee opinion surveys, department meeting reviews, suggestion boxes, etc.

Use HR technology tools to improve management efficiency

With the evolution of digitalization, more and more companies are introducing human resources and scheduling management systems, such as the Punch-in Star HR System and other solutions, which automate overtime statistics and compensatory leave arrangements, greatly improving administrative efficiency and compliance.

Real case: How does holiday overtime policy affect companies and employees?

Case 1: Holiday peak scheduling in the retail industry

Well-known supermarket chains face large customer traffic during national holidays. After consultation with the labor union, the company implemented a dual-track system of "voluntary holiday overtime registration" and "overtime compensatory leave":

• About 70% of employees said that short-term overtime is acceptable with double pay and compensatory leave
• However, some colleagues still resign or become depressed due to long-term holiday attendance.

Reflection: Even if the compensation policy is complete, without long-term planning and flexible scheduling, it is still easy to lead to a manpower and satisfaction crisis

Case 2: Innovation flexibility system for the science and technology industry

A certain technology company has proposed a "self-selected long vacation system" that allows employees to apply for a continuous long vacation after working overtime during peak periods, not limited to national holidays. Employees have high evaluations, and most are willing to cooperate with the company's arrangements during the project, which greatly enhances team cohesion.

Future trends in corporate management of holiday overtime

As the labor environment becomes more diverse and digitally transformed, companies are moving toward a more humane and flexible approach to managing holiday overtime. Emphasis on employee mental health, work-life balance, and automated management through AI human resources systems are expected to make holiday overtime no longer a topic of conflict between the two parties, but a common driver of corporate competitiveness and employee happiness.

As the economic pattern changes, the issue of holiday overtime will remain a constant. Only by constantly reviewing policies, listening to employees' voices, and flexibly adjusting systems can companies take into account business needs while firmly building team cohesion and employee satisfaction and creating a sustainable working environment. Just like everything that changes frequently in the workplace, only through continuous improvement and communication can the “hard job” of overtime be transformed into an opportunity for growth that is acceptable to both employees and companies.