Media Clipping — April 27, 2004, The New Glasgow Evening News

Most Nova Scotians working overtime do so without pay – study

Nearly two-thirds of Nova Scotians who work overtime aren't getting paid for it, according to a new report released Monday by Halifax thinktank GPI Atlantic.

In a typical week in 2001, salaried employees worked about 373,000 overtime hours for no extra pay, says the report.

"It's a staggering number and these people are doing it for free," said Linda Pannozzo, the report's main author.

Only 38 per cent of Nova Scotians who work overtime get paid for it, says the report. About 59 per cent of workers who work overtime -- many of them teachers and managers -- aren't compensated for the extra effort.

Overtime is a moving target in this province and nation-wide. It increased 15 per cent between 1997 and 2001, says the 500-page report.

"If all overtime hours were converted to new full-time jobs, admittedly not an easy task, there would be half a million fewer unemployed Canadians and 16,000 fewer unemployed Nova Scotians," said the report.

"If every one of these jobs were filled from the ranks of the officially unemployed, it would reduce unemployment in Nova Scotia by 35 per cent."

Part-time employment in Nova Scotia increased to 17.8 of all employees in 2001 from 12.5 per cent in 1976, says the report, which recommends doing away with "systemic disincentives to new hiring" such as payroll taxes.

"Part-time work in and of itself is not necessarily problematic, especially when chosen voluntarily and when accompanied by decent hourly pay and job security," it said.

"However, many Canadians who do work part-time would rather be working full time, but are unable to find full-time work."

Our standards for paid vacations should be increased, said the report.

Copyright © 2004, The New Glasgow Evening News