Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan

Chia-En Hsieh; Chi-Hsin Wu

doi:doi:10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16

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Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan

Chia-En Hsieh

, Chi-Hsin Wu^*

Published in Journal of Human Resource Management (Volume 14, Issue 1)

Received: 26 December 2025 Accepted: 12 January 2026 Published: 2 February 2026

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Abstract

Under Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act, employer-directed overtime is subject to precise procedural and compensation requirements, yet the concept of “voluntary overtime” remains legally ambiguous. Employees often choose to work beyond regular hours due to heavy workloads, fragmented work schedules, or tasks that require uninterrupted focus. Although this behavior may appear self-initiated, the absence of a legal definition creates uncertainty regarding the employer’s obligations and the employee’s right to compensation. Voluntary overtime is commonly influenced by workplace norms, organizational culture, and performance expectations, rather than purely personal choice. It may also arise from insufficient staffing, uneven workload distribution, or employee inefficiency. While employers may view voluntary overtime as an expression of commitment, it can increase operational costs and diminish employees' job satisfaction and well-being. Consequently, disputes frequently develop over whether overtime was genuinely voluntary and whether compensation is owed. To address these issues, this study highlights the need for structural solutions that move beyond individual self-management. Employers should allocate work more effectively to prevent implicit pressure to remain after hours and should establish clear, legally compliant overtime approval procedures. Such measures ensure that necessary overtime is conducted transparently and that employees receive appropriate pay or compensatory leave, thereby protecting labor rights and promoting sustainable work practices.

Published in	Journal of Human Resource Management (Volume 14, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16
Page(s)	60-69
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Overtime, Labor-Management Disputes, Voluntary Overtime, Job Autonomy, Work Allocation

References

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APA Style

Hsieh, C., Wu, C. (2026). Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan. Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(1), 60-69. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16

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ACS Style

Hsieh, C.; Wu, C. Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan. J. Hum. Resour. Manag. 2026, 14(1), 60-69. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16

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AMA Style

Hsieh C, Wu C. Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan. J Hum Resour Manag. 2026;14(1):60-69. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16

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@article{10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16,
  author = {Chia-En Hsieh and Chi-Hsin Wu},
  title = {Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan},
  journal = {Journal of Human Resource Management},
  volume = {14},
  number = {1},
  pages = {60-69},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jhrm.20261401.16},
  abstract = {Under Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act, employer-directed overtime is subject to precise procedural and compensation requirements, yet the concept of “voluntary overtime” remains legally ambiguous. Employees often choose to work beyond regular hours due to heavy workloads, fragmented work schedules, or tasks that require uninterrupted focus. Although this behavior may appear self-initiated, the absence of a legal definition creates uncertainty regarding the employer’s obligations and the employee’s right to compensation. Voluntary overtime is commonly influenced by workplace norms, organizational culture, and performance expectations, rather than purely personal choice. It may also arise from insufficient staffing, uneven workload distribution, or employee inefficiency. While employers may view voluntary overtime as an expression of commitment, it can increase operational costs and diminish employees' job satisfaction and well-being. Consequently, disputes frequently develop over whether overtime was genuinely voluntary and whether compensation is owed. To address these issues, this study highlights the need for structural solutions that move beyond individual self-management. Employers should allocate work more effectively to prevent implicit pressure to remain after hours and should establish clear, legally compliant overtime approval procedures. Such measures ensure that necessary overtime is conducted transparently and that employees receive appropriate pay or compensatory leave, thereby protecting labor rights and promoting sustainable work practices.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan
AU  - Chia-En Hsieh
AU  - Chi-Hsin Wu
Y1  - 2026/02/02
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VL  - 14
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Author Information

Chia-En Hsieh

Department of Labor Relations, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan

http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4563-6301
Chi-Hsin Wu

Department of Labor Relations, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0001-2105-8645

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Hsieh, C., Wu, C. (2026). Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan. Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(1), 60-69. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16

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ACS Style

Hsieh, C.; Wu, C. Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan. J. Hum. Resour. Manag. 2026, 14(1), 60-69. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16

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AMA Style

Hsieh C, Wu C. Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan. J Hum Resour Manag. 2026;14(1):60-69. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16,
  author = {Chia-En Hsieh and Chi-Hsin Wu},
  title = {Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan},
  journal = {Journal of Human Resource Management},
  volume = {14},
  number = {1},
  pages = {60-69},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jhrm.20261401.16},
  abstract = {Under Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act, employer-directed overtime is subject to precise procedural and compensation requirements, yet the concept of “voluntary overtime” remains legally ambiguous. Employees often choose to work beyond regular hours due to heavy workloads, fragmented work schedules, or tasks that require uninterrupted focus. Although this behavior may appear self-initiated, the absence of a legal definition creates uncertainty regarding the employer’s obligations and the employee’s right to compensation. Voluntary overtime is commonly influenced by workplace norms, organizational culture, and performance expectations, rather than purely personal choice. It may also arise from insufficient staffing, uneven workload distribution, or employee inefficiency. While employers may view voluntary overtime as an expression of commitment, it can increase operational costs and diminish employees' job satisfaction and well-being. Consequently, disputes frequently develop over whether overtime was genuinely voluntary and whether compensation is owed. To address these issues, this study highlights the need for structural solutions that move beyond individual self-management. Employers should allocate work more effectively to prevent implicit pressure to remain after hours and should establish clear, legally compliant overtime approval procedures. Such measures ensure that necessary overtime is conducted transparently and that employees receive appropriate pay or compensatory leave, thereby protecting labor rights and promoting sustainable work practices.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Managing Voluntary Overtime in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Practical Responses for Employers in Taiwan
AU  - Chia-En Hsieh
AU  - Chi-Hsin Wu
Y1  - 2026/02/02
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16
T2  - Journal of Human Resource Management
JF  - Journal of Human Resource Management
JO  - Journal of Human Resource Management
SP  - 60
EP  - 69
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-0715
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20261401.16
AB  - Under Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act, employer-directed overtime is subject to precise procedural and compensation requirements, yet the concept of “voluntary overtime” remains legally ambiguous. Employees often choose to work beyond regular hours due to heavy workloads, fragmented work schedules, or tasks that require uninterrupted focus. Although this behavior may appear self-initiated, the absence of a legal definition creates uncertainty regarding the employer’s obligations and the employee’s right to compensation. Voluntary overtime is commonly influenced by workplace norms, organizational culture, and performance expectations, rather than purely personal choice. It may also arise from insufficient staffing, uneven workload distribution, or employee inefficiency. While employers may view voluntary overtime as an expression of commitment, it can increase operational costs and diminish employees' job satisfaction and well-being. Consequently, disputes frequently develop over whether overtime was genuinely voluntary and whether compensation is owed. To address these issues, this study highlights the need for structural solutions that move beyond individual self-management. Employers should allocate work more effectively to prevent implicit pressure to remain after hours and should establish clear, legally compliant overtime approval procedures. Such measures ensure that necessary overtime is conducted transparently and that employees receive appropriate pay or compensatory leave, thereby protecting labor rights and promoting sustainable work practices.
VL  - 14
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download