Over 10% of employees work overtime
In the second quarter of 2004, more than 152,000 (10.1%) employees indicated that they worked overtime.
This compares to 117,100 (8.3%) in the second quarter of 2001. In 2004 male employees (13.4%) were far more likely to work overtime than their female counterparts (6.4%).
An examination of the NUTS3 regions highlighted that employees in the Mid-East (13.2%) and Dublin (11.2%) were more likely to work overtime than employees living in other regions while employees aged between 25 and 44 were also more likely to work overtime.
These figures are based on the Work Organisation and Working Time module, which was included in the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) in the second quarter of 2004.
They are also based on the Length and Pattern of Working Time module, which was included in the second quarter of 2001.
From a sectoral perspective employees engaged in the public administration and defence (13.5%), transport, storage and communication (13.1%), financial and other business services (13.1%) and other production industries (12.6%) sectors were most likely to work overtime.
Employees working in these sectors in 2001 were also the most likely to work overtime, although the ranking of the sectors differed.
On average those working overtime in the second quarter of 2004 worked for 40.6 hours per week, which compared to 35 hours per week for those that did not work overtime.
This represents a slight decrease vis-à-vis the 2001 figures, in which overtime workers worked an average of 41.6 hours per week compared with 35.5 hours per week for non-overtime workers.
In 2004 almost 43% of employees who reported working overtime did not receive payment for the overtime hours worked.
Over 54% of those working overtime had all of their overtime hours paid with the remaining 2.5% being paid for some of their overtime hours.
