加班工资争议频发，用人单位的十七条抗辩思路 Overtime Pay Disputes on the Rise: 17 Defense Strategies for Employers

一、时效与程序抗辩：切断法律追溯链条

1. 仲裁时效已过  

依据《劳动争议调解仲裁法》第二十七条规定，加班工资的仲裁时效为一年，加班工资适用特殊时效，其起算点是自劳动关系终止之日。在实际情况中，不乏有员工在离职很长时间后，才提出多年前的加班费主张。例如，员工离职一年之后，才向用人单位索要过去几年的加班工资。在这种情况下，如果用人单位依据法律规定提出仲裁时效抗辩，那么员工相应的仲裁请求因为超过了仲裁时效，已经丧失胜诉的权利。

The arbitration statute of limitations has expired. According to Article 27 of the Labor Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Law, the arbitration statute of limitations for overtime pay is one year. The special starting point for overtime pay is the date when the labor relationship terminates. In actual cases, there are many instances where employees file claims for overtime pay from several years ago long after leaving the company. For example, an employee may request back overtime pay more than a year after resignation. In such situations, if the employer raises a statute of limitations defense based on the law, the employee’s arbitration claim would be time-barred and lose the right to prevail.

2. 无有效考勤记录佐证  

在加班工资争议案中，证据至关重要。若员工仅靠口头陈述、手写工作日志或微信聊天记录证明加班，用人单位可质疑其真实性，要求提供双方确认的考勤记录，像公司打卡记录、加班审批表等。若员工无法提供，其加班主张难获仲裁机构或法院认可，有效考勤记录是认定加班事实的关键依据。

Lack of valid attendance records as evidence. In disputes over overtime pay, evidence is crucial. If an employee relies solely on oral statements, handwritten logs, or WeChat chat records to prove overtime work, the employer can question the authenticity and request mutually confirmed attendance records, such as company clock-in records or overtime approval forms. If the employee cannot provide these, their claim will likely not be recognized by arbitration institutions or courts. Valid attendance records are key to determining whether overtime actually occurred.

3. 灵活应对举证责任  

一般情况下，劳动者主张加班费需自证加班事实。但用人单位有考勤记录时，举证责任转移至用人单位。不过，用人单位通常只需承担两至三年（如广东，深圳三年，其他地区两年）的举证责任，证明员工加班且已付加班费。超出该时间范围，用人单位可因未保留工资支付台账和加班记录进行抗辩。

Flexible response to the burden of proof. Generally, employees must prove the fact of overtime themselves. However, if the employer has attendance records, the burden of proof shifts to the employer. That said, employers typically only bear the burden of proof for two to three years (e.g., three years in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and two years elsewhere), needing to show that the employee worked overtime and was paid accordingly. For periods beyond that, employers can defend by stating they did not retain payroll ledgers or overtime records.

4. 加班未经审批  

很多企业规定员工加班要提前审批，这合法且利于管理。员工不履行审批程序自行加班，不能简单认定为法定加班。用人单位可依据企业制度和法律规定抗辩，规范的加班审批制度能避免管理混乱和成本增加，也让企业在争议时更有力维护自身权益。

Overtime without approval. Many companies require employees to seek prior approval for overtime, which is legal and beneficial for management. Employees who work overtime without going through the formal approval process should not automatically be considered as having worked statutory overtime. Employers can defend based on internal policies and legal provisions. A well-established overtime approval system helps prevent mismanagement and cost overruns, and strengthens the employer's position during disputes.

5. 岗位性质特殊  

企业高管、外勤销售人员等岗位工作性质特殊，难以按标准工时制度管理。企业高管工作时间和地点灵活，外勤销售人员工作时间不固定，难以常规考勤。这些岗位适用弹性工作制，用人单位主张不适用标准工时制可不支付加班费，但采用弹性工作制需经劳动行政部门审批并做好记录。

Special nature of job positions. Positions like corporate executives and field sales personnel have special natures that make it difficult to manage them under standard working hour systems. Executives have flexible schedules and locations; field sales staff have irregular hours and are hard to track via conventional attendance systems. These roles may fall under flexible working systems, allowing employers to argue that standard overtime rules do not apply. However, implementing flexible systems requires prior approval from labor administrative departments and proper documentation.

6. 员工未实际提供劳动  

判断在岗时间是否构成加班，关键看员工是否实际工作。若员工身处岗位却处理私事，如浏览购物网站、玩游戏等，用人单位可主张该时段不构成加班。日常管理中，用人单位可通过明确工作任务、定期验收成果监督记录员工工作状态，作为争议时不认可加班主张的证据。

Employee did not actually perform work. Whether on-duty time constitutes overtime depends primarily on whether the employee was actually performing work. If an employee is present at work but engages in personal matters—such as browsing shopping websites or playing games—the employer can argue that this period does not count as overtime. In daily management, employers can clarify work tasks, regularly inspect and verify results, and record employee performance to serve as evidence against overtime claims during disputes.

二、法律与合同抗辩：合规安排豁免责任

Legal and contractual defenses: Compliance arrangements to exempt liability.

7. 综合计算工时制  

经劳动行政部门审批实行综合工时制的岗位，计算方式与标准工时制不同。在综合计算周期内，总工时未超法定标准工时，除法定节假日加班外，用人单位无需额外支付加班费。例如某生产车间岗位以季度为周期实行综合计算工时制，季度总工时未超标准，除法定节假日外无需付加班费，但要按规定管理并记录。

Comprehensive calculation working hour system. For positions approved by the labor administrative department to implement a comprehensive working hour system, the calculation method differs from the standard working hour system. Within the comprehensive cycle, if total working hours do not exceed the statutory standard (excluding statutory holidays), employers are not required to pay additional overtime wages. For example, a production line worker under a quarterly comprehensive system whose total hours do not exceed the limit does not need to be paid extra for non-holiday overtime, provided proper management and record-keeping are followed.

8. 不定时工作制  

企业高管、长途司机等特殊岗位工作时间不固定，难以常规考勤计算时长，适合实行不定时工作制。依据《工资支付暂行规定》，这类岗位用人单位依法无需支付加班费。以长途司机为例，工作受多种因素影响，实行不定时工作制可合理安排用工成本，但需依法审批并告知员工相关规定。

Unfixed working hour system. Special positions such as corporate executives and long-distance drivers have unfixed working hours and are not suitable for conventional attendance calculations. Under the Provisional Regulations on Wage Payment, employers are legally not required to pay overtime wages for such roles. Taking long-distance drivers as an example, their working hours are affected by various factors. An unfixed working hour system allows reasonable control of labor costs, but must be approved by the relevant authorities and communicated clearly to employees.

9. 薪资包含加班工资  

劳动合同中明确约定 “月薪含固定加班费” 且金额不低于法定标准，用人单位可据此抗辩已足额支付加班费。约定时要明确计算方式，如按基本工资一定比例或固定加班时长确定金额。比如月薪 8000 元含 1500 元固定加班费，按基本工资 6500 元的 23% 计算，便于争议时说明支付情况。

Salary includes overtime pay. If the labor contract clearly stipulates "monthly salary includes fixed overtime pay" and the amount meets or exceeds the statutory minimum, the employer can use this clause to defend that they have fully paid overtime wages. The agreement should specify the calculation method—for example, a percentage of base salary or a fixed number of overtime hours. For instance, a monthly salary of RMB 8,000 including RMB 1,500 in fixed overtime pay calculated as 23% of a base salary of RMB 6,500 can help demonstrate payment details during disputes.

10. 调休替代支付  

根据《劳动法》，用人单位安排员工补休并保留调休记录，可免付休息日加班费。实际操作中，用人单位应建立完善调休制度，员工休息日加班后及时安排补休并记录详细信息，如调休时间、对应加班日期等。员工主张休息日加班费时，可提供记录抗辩无需支付。

Compensatory leave instead of payment. According to the Labor Law, employers can avoid paying overtime wages for rest days if they arrange compensatory leave and keep related records. In practice, employers should establish a sound compensatory leave system, promptly granting leave after rest-day overtime and recording detailed information such as leave dates and corresponding overtime dates. When employees claim rest-day overtime pay, employers can submit these records as evidence to defend against payment obligations.

三、计算标准抗辩：精准削减赔偿金额

Calculation standard defenses: Precisely reducing compensation amounts.

11. 基数不含浮动收入  

计算加班费时，基数通常为员工基本工资，不含奖金、津贴等浮动收入，这在多地司法实践中被认可。如员工基本工资 5000 元，浮动收入 2000 元，以 5000 元为基数计算加班费合乎规定。用人单位核算时要依规确定基数，面对争议抗辩员工不合理主张，避免赔偿增加。

Base does not include variable income. When calculating overtime pay, the base is usually the employee’s basic wage, excluding bonuses, allowances, and other variable income, a principle widely accepted in judicial practices across regions. For example, if an employee earns RMB 5,000 in basic wage and RMB 2,000 in variable income, using RMB 5,000 as the base complies with regulations. Employers should determine the base according to law when calculating, and use this to counter unreasonable employee claims and avoid increased compensation risks.

12. 最小计算单位规则  

企业可在制度中规定 “加班不足半小时不计算”，但需经民主程序制定，如与工会协商或向员工公示征求意见，且不能显失公平。例如经职工代表大会讨论通过并公示后，面对加班时间计算争议，用人单位可依据该规则抗辩，合理削减加班时间计算，降低赔偿金额。

Minimum calculation unit rule. Employers may stipulate in internal policies that "overtime less than half an hour is not counted," but such policies must be developed through democratic procedures—for example, consulting with unions or soliciting employee opinions—and must not be grossly unfair. For instance, after discussion and approval by the Workers' Congress and public notice, employers can cite this policy in disputes over overtime duration, thereby reasonably reducing the claimed overtime hours and lowering potential compensation amounts.

13. 法定倍数争议  

不同加班时间段对应不同法定倍数，工作日加班 1.5 倍工资，休息日加班 2 倍，法定节假日加班 3 倍。处理争议时，用人单位要核对员工主张的加班时间和倍数是否正确。有些员工可能因不熟悉法律或自身利益错算倍数，用人单位应核实后抗辩超额主张，确保计算符合法律规定。

Statutory multiplier dispute. Different overtime periods correspond to different statutory multipliers: 1.5 times regular wage for weekday overtime, 2 times for weekend overtime, and 3 times for holiday overtime. During disputes, employers should verify whether the employee’s claimed overtime hours and multipliers are correct. Some employees may miscalculate due to unfamiliarity with the law or self-interest. Employers should check and rebut excessive claims to ensure calculations comply with legal requirements.

14. 已支付高于法定标准  

若企业实际支付工资总额显著高于法定标准，可主张已涵盖加班补偿。提出主张时要提供充分证据，如工资条、银行流水、工资核算明细等，证明工资构成含合理加班补偿。若企业每月工资远高于法定标准工资加加班费总和，可据此抗辩无需额外支付。

Payment already exceeds statutory standards. If the actual total wage paid by the company significantly exceeds the statutory minimum, the employer can argue that this covers any necessary overtime compensation. When making such a claim, sufficient evidence must be presented, such as payslips, bank transaction records, and detailed wage breakdowns, to prove that the wage structure reasonably includes overtime compensation. If the company consistently pays more than the sum of the statutory base wage plus statutory overtime pay, this can support a defense against further payments.

四、特殊情形与证据抗辩：突破常规责任

Special circumstances and evidence defenses: Breaking through conventional responsibilities.

15. 员工书面弃权  

员工签署自愿放弃加班费声明且不违反法律强制规定，用人单位可作为有效抗辩依据。签署时要确保员工自愿、真实意思表示，无欺诈、胁迫等情形，声明内容明确具体，如放弃时间段、原因等。用人单位妥善保存声明，争议时主张员工已放弃相关权益。

Employee's written waiver. If an employee signs a voluntary waiver statement for overtime pay without violating mandatory legal provisions, the employer can use it as an effective defense basis. Signing should ensure the employee’s genuine and voluntary intent, without fraud or coercion. The content of the statement should be specific and clear, such as the time period being waived and the reason. Employers should properly preserve the signed document and assert during disputes that the employee has waived the relevant rights.

16. 调解协议效力  

用人单位与员工就加班费达成调解协议且员工收到款项后，依据 “一事不再理” 原则，用人单位可主张员工不能再次就同一事项诉求。调解协议具法律效力，达成时要内容清晰明确，包含支付金额、方式、权利义务等条款，保留协议和支付凭证，争议时用于抗辩。

Effectiveness of mediation agreements. Once an employer and employee reach a mediation agreement on overtime pay and the employee receives the payment, the employer can invoke the principle of “res judicata” (no re-litigation of the same matter) to argue that the employee cannot reassert the same claim. Mediation agreements are legally binding and should clearly define terms such as payment amount, method, and respective rights and obligations. Employers should retain copies of the agreement and payment receipts for future defense purposes.

17. 历史支付无争议  

用人单位可提供历年工资条、银行流水等证据，证明长期足额支付加班费，说明员工现在的诉求缺乏合理性。若历史记录显示一直按规支付，员工现有诉求可能无事实依据。如企业保存近五年工资条和银行流水，明确显示含加班费支付，可据此抗辩员工诉求不应支持。

Historical payments without dispute. Employers can submit historical payslips, bank transaction records, and similar documents to prove consistent and full payment of overtime wages, showing that current employee demands lack factual basis. If records clearly show timely and full payment over previous years—say five years’ worth of payslips and bank statements indicating overtime payments were made—this can support a defense against current employee claims.