For many employees, it's really a double-edged sword. On one hand, employees want to spend more time away from the workplace. But, on the other hand, those extra hours can give you a nice boost in your paycheck. Employers face a similar struggle with the thorn called overtime. The AFL-CIO says employers cut costs by working employees overtime rather than hiring new ones.
Overtime is one technique that employers use to deal with skill shortages.
NAM spokesman Pat Cleary says that many employers in his organization say finding and keeping qualified employees is their single biggest problem. In this climate, Cleary says, when employers do find employees, they'll do whatever they can to keep them, including making concessions about workday flexibility and overtime. Companies do not always offer these concessions up front. In yet another recent labor dispute, United Airlines employees took on the company over workday length and flexibility. But, after some touchy negotiations, both sides were able to come to the table and resolve that dispute.