The term ‘excessive overtime’ identifies not only the hours exceeding those maximum hours defined
by national statutory regulations on working time or relevant international standards, but also the
hours of work that have negative consequences on workers - the second definition of overtime (see
above). The issue of workers being exposed to potential health and safety risks relating to long
working hours is the key point that separates ‘excessive overtime’ from ‘overtime’.
The European Union (EU) Working Time Directive (1993) states that the improvement of workers’
safety, hygiene and health at work is an objective which should not be subordinated to purely
economic considerations. Although the risks vary depending on how the hours are organized, the
nature of the work, and the characteristics of individuals, there is strong evidence that working more
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than 48-50 hours per week could expose workers to potential health risks (Spurgeon, 2003). These
issues will be further explored later in this research.
The problem of excessive overtime especially in the garment production industry has long been the
subject of concern. However the problem persists, with little investigation of the underlying
dynamics and few suggestions for targeted remedies or solutions. Hence there is a need to examine
the current approaches to the problem of overtime and its impact, and to find new and innovative
methods to overcome this issue.