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Who works mandatory overtime? Descriptive analysis of a module in the 2002 General Social Survey finds that 28 percent of full-timers face and 21 percent actually worked extra hours because it was required by their employer—a slight increase since overtime work was last measured twenty-five years ago. Mandatory overtime is more frequent among men, the foreign born, those employed in non-profits, blue-collar occupations, and industries such as public administration and manu facturing. Relative to workers who have no overtime, workers who face mandatory overtime are found more frequently among workers who have inflexible work schedules, seniority, difficulty finding alternative jobs, bonus compensation, and poor relationships with management. Relative to those with non-mandatory overtime, those who work man datory overtime show less job satisfaction, job security, and say about their jobs. Thus, understanding the effects of mandatory overtime has implications for organizations that aim for high-performance workplace structures and smooth labor relations and for labor organizers who seek to attract members by addressing the negative consequences of mandatory overtime, such as heightened work-family interference. While some collective bargaining provisions seek to curb mandatory overtime, their limited effect may be why at least seven U.S. states have passed some form of legal ban and/or right to refuse.

When workers devote more time to paid work it raises income or prospects, but at what cost to those individuals and their families? Descriptive analysis of data from the 2002 General Social Survey Quality of Work module finds that working beyond one's usual schedule is associated with higher absolute and relative family income. However, working extra hours also is associated with greater work�-�family interference and lesser ability to take time off from work for family needs. There are additional detrimental effects on worker wellbeing, such as slightly more fatigue from work, when the extra work is required by the employer than when it is not. Thus, models of economic well being should incorporate whether or not extra work is imposed. Policies intended to improve social wellbeing should focus on limiting the incidence, frequency and specific repercussions of overtime work that is mandatory and enhancing workers' ability to avoid it.working hours, working time, overtime, overwork, work-life, quality of life,