Austria’s Chamber of Labor (AK) has raised serious concerns about unpaid overtime. In 2024 alone, around 42.3 million overtime and extra hours were worked without pay or compensation — roughly a quarter of all overtime hours — according to AK President Renate Anderl at a press conference on Monday. She called for “effective penalties” against employers who fail to meet their obligations.

“This practice not only harms employees, but it also weakens the already fragile economy,” Anderl said. “That money is missing from private consumption.” She also warned of state revenue losses, particularly in a time of budget deficits. The AK estimates that unpaid overtime cost the government €960 million in lost income tax and about €330 million in lost social security contributions.

Stilling: Declining Willingness to Pay Among Employers

Ines Stilling, head of Social Affairs at AK Vienna, pointed to a “declining payment morale” among employers, even though employee willingness to work remains high. While the total number of overtime hours dropped by nearly 7% compared to 2023, the share of unpaid hours has grown. In 2020, out of 216 million total overtime hours, about 30 million were unpaid (around 14%) — compared to roughly 25% today.

Men account for about two-thirds of all overtime hours, but women are disproportionately affected. Nearly one-third of all overtime worked by women goes unpaid, compared to 23% for men.

AK Calls for Stronger Penalties

Anderl called for employers who deny legitimate overtime compensation to be subject to “penalty surcharges of 100%.” She also demanded more staff for labor inspectorates to conduct company audits and a legal ban on expiration clauses that limit the timeframe for claiming overtime pay in employment contracts. The Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) backed her demands, also calling for higher penalties for exploitative employers.