16 Ways to Convince Agents to Work Overtime

In contact centres, meeting demand often means asking agents to work overtime, especially during busy periods or unexpected surges.

This can be a challenge, as agents value their personal time and may be reluctant to give it up. With the right approach, however, you can make overtime more appealing and keep your team motivated.

To help, we gathered expert advice on how to encourage agents to take extra shifts—even when the sun is shining!

How to Get Agents to Work Overtime

1. Set Achievable Targets for Early Finishes

Instead of requiring agents to commit to full shifts, offer flexible targets that let them leave early if they meet their goals.

However, this does have to be managed closely, as it opens up the game to abuse. For example, Joe Bloggs may say “oh yes, I achieved x sales, can I go home?” only for it to transpire later that these are not valid sales.

So be sure to implement robust tracking to prevent misuse, ensuring goals are met honestly while maintaining trust and fairness across the team.

Contributed by: Sean

2. Answer the “What’s in it for me?” Question

You need to answer the question “What’s in it for me?” – particularly if the weather is nice.

This question is best answered with some form of incentive – such as extra pay, time off later, or a banked-hours scheme.

For example, agents could work a weekend and exchange it for two weekdays off. They could even build up enough extra time to take a week off.

Contributed by: Jonty

3. Make Weekend Shifts Fun

Transform weekend shifts into enjoyable experiences by hosting themed days, providing treats like pizza lunches, and creating a “weekend board” showcasing fun moments and prizes.

We make a conscious effort to make the weekend shifts more exciting than working in the week.

There are a variety of things contact centres can do to make sure that their working environment is fun for their employees, for advice on this, read our article: Ways to Make Working in a Contact Centre Fun

4. Introduce Weekend-Only Competitions

Run exclusive competitions for weekend shifts, such as raffles for gift cards or paid days off.

You could also run KPI-based contests, like rewards for the best performance metrics, to boost engagement and productivity. For example, the agent with the lowest on-hold time for the day would win.

Friendly competition can energize the team, making weekend shifts feel like an opportunity to shine rather than just another workday.

Contributed by: Shondelle

5. Reward Overtime with Raffle Entries

Offer agents a raffle ticket for every hour of overtime worked, with monthly draws for substantial prizes.

This visual and cumulative reward system keeps motivation high over time. Seeing the raffle grow week by week builds excitement, and the prospect of winning a significant reward makes every extra hour feel worthwhile.

Contributed by: Mathew

6. Give Something to Everyone Who Works Weekends

While a prize draw for people who work weekends is a good idea, instead of just limiting rewards to competitions, provide something for everyone who works overtime, such as a free lunch.

This ensures all participants feel appreciated, boosting morale across the board as everyone is rewarded for coming in and doing overtime, rather than just one lucky person.

Contributed by: Simon

7. Offer Work-from-Home Options

Allowing agents to work overtime shifts from home can make them more willing to give up their time.

They save on commuting costs and enjoy greater flexibility, which is especially appealing for weekend work, and it could also seem like they effectively get a higher rate per hour.

Even a partial work-from-home option can make weekend shifts feel less like a sacrifice, as they may be happy to give up a few hours at home on a Sunday but not lose a whole day travelling into work.

Contributed by: Dave Millet

8. Show Live Matches During Shifts

Big sporting events like the World Cup, Wimbledon and Commonwealth Games often lead to a decrease in the number of agents who show up to work – and this can make overtime even more of a challenge.

Putting up big TV screens on the floor to broadcast major sporting events during shifts, as well as being more flexible on breaks, can encourage people to come in to work – even when the game is on.

Contributed by: Jonty

9. Offer Overtime Bonuses

Create excitement around overtime with bonus schemes. Use structured payout grids for agents and team leaders, motivating entire teams to participate and achieve targets.

Highlighting the maximum possible bonuses visually—through posters or announcements—can keep the momentum strong and ensure high levels of engagement.

Contributed by: Mohammed

10. Plan a Mid-Week Work Night Out

One way to encourage overtime on the weekends is to organise a work night out to reward everyone who does extra hours.

For example, everyone who works two weekend days a month can participate in a fun night out.

To emphasise the focus on weekends being work time, scheduling these events mid-week reinforces the idea of weekends as work time while creating a strong incentive for those willing to help out.

Contributed by: Simon

11. Encourage Agents to Make the Most of the Nice Weather in the Week

Don’t forget that time off can be given before the weekend!

Promote the idea of taking time off during nice weather on weekdays. This allows agents to enjoy the good weather while it’s there and you have bums on seats come the weekend, creating a win-win scenario.

Highlighting this flexibility can make agents more open to adjusting their schedules, knowing they won’t miss out on enjoying good weather.

Contributed by: Trevor

12. Set Realistic Overtime Goals

When setting your overtime targets, it is important that you keep the amount realistic and achievable – even for those with an active social life.

Pair this with small bonuses to recognize their commitment and make the goals worthwhile. A clear balance between personal and work commitments shows your respect for agents’ time.

Contributed by: Simon

13. Provide Preferential Treatment for Overtime Workers

One idea for encouraging agents to work overtime is to give those who work the extra days some form of preferential treatment like priority holiday bookings or guaranteed days off.

Contributed by: Jonty

14. Create an In-House Currency for Rewards

Develop a unique in-house currency tied to overtime hours or achievements. Agents can trade it for time off, special privileges, or other rewards, making their efforts more directly rewarding. The novelty of the system adds a fun element.

Contributed by: Trevor

15. Give High Street Vouchers for Meeting Targets

Another way to incentivise overtime is to give out high street vouchers each month to the individuals who’ve met or exceeded their overtime targets, which provides an immediate and tangible benefit.

Clear metrics tied to rewards make expectations transparent and participation more appealing.

For example, everyone who works ‘x’ weekend days per month receives a £25 gift card – setting a metric that will get weekend staff levels to those required.

Contributed by: Simon

16. Align Overtime with Success Goals

Incentives, rewards and fun days are all good ways of achieving short-term goals, however, you should also look at the long game.

The end goal should be to engage all members of the team in the SLA performance of the contact centre, so that their desire for success ranks higher than their personal life.

This takes more time and consistent energy as it is a question of building a culture where agents view success in overtime as part of the company’s overall achievements.

Engage them in discussions about how their work contributes to shared goals and celebrate milestones together.

Contributed by: Ben

Balancing Fairness and Business Needs in Overtime Policies

As our readers suggest while incentivizing overtime and rewarding weekend workers can be effective short-term strategies, they should be used thoughtfully and sparingly.

Balancing fairness and operational needs is key—managers must consider the unique circumstances of their team members, such as caregiving responsibilities, while addressing business demands.

Hiring additional staff may be ideal for long-term challenges but isn’t always feasible for short-term surges.

Ultimately, a mix of strategic planning, meaningful rewards, and open communication can help ensure both the needs of the business and the well-being of the team are met.

For more on employee scheduling and incentives, read these articles next:

• The Top Scheduling Challenges and How to Fix Them
• 100 Great Staff Incentives to Motivate Your Team
• 50 Staff Engagement Ideas to Motivate Your Team

Author: Jonty Pearce
Reviewed by: Robyn Coppell