One Long Island-based company’s golden rule: no overtime
November 20, 2016 | 2:40am | Updated
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No overtime here, says one company owner — that’s the golden rule that helps keep employee productivity and satisfaction soaring at her Long Island-based company.
Dr. Bonnie Schnitta’s response to her employees at SoundSense is straightforward: Overtime is effectively banned.
“If you make employees leave here at a reasonable hour each day over a normal 40-hour working week, not only are they more efficient and happier than if they were staying late, but they also have a better quality of life outside work,” Dr. Schnitta, founder and chief executive of the 10-person, award-winning acoustical engineering and consulting firm, told The Post.
“If, all of a sudden, somebody here has that overtime requirement, I think it will be a good time for me to sit down and talk to them about their level of efficiency,” Dr. Schnitta says.
Photos by Doug Kuntz
When she first announced her “ban” on overtime, jaws dropped at SoundSense. “I stressed the importance of a healthy work-life balance, and I told people I want them to leave on time,” Schnitta recalled. “There was this initial ‘we don’t think we can do that’ reaction. ”
Schnitta eventually won over the staff.
“There will be some exceptions, especially when there’s a huge workload — but we first see if the workload can be better distributed,” Schnitta says, noting how she’ll pad bonuses and give employees time off on the rare occasions they must burn the midnight oil.