Previously reserved for protected employees, the employment code now extends the payment of overtime to all employees using the following schedules.

1. Overtime shall be paid to an employee who works in excess of 48 hours in one week. This entails that employees whose work week is for example 40 hours, and work 45 hours in a particular week are not entitled to overtime as they have not surpassed the 48 hour threshold.
2. Watch persons and guards will be eligible to overtime after working in excess of 60 hours in one week.
3. The calculation for overtime shall be based on basic pay at one and half times of the employees hourly rate for non-public holidays and resting days, and double the hourly rate on public holidays and resting days.

It has been argued that managers should not be eligible for overtime as part of their responsibility is to manage their time. Furthermore, managers salaries tend to be on the high end and the extra time and responsibility is factored into their pay.

Conversely, it could be argued that non-protected workers have poor to non-existent work life balance and this is a bid to help propagate that.

I once read, time management is a misnomer. Time is standard and consistent, you can only manage yourself. I guess the question here is how do organisations ensure that their staff at all levels manage themselves better?

For more on the Employment Code Act No.3 of 2019, checkout Part 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, and lookout for more over the next 4 days.