IELTS Task 2: Benefits and Drawbacks of Working Overtime

Introduction

Overtime is a recurring theme in IELTS Writing Task 2 because it connects economics, health, family life, and workplace culture. Examiners like it: it tests your ability to weigh pros and cons, evaluate consequences, and propose balanced arguments. In this guide, you will learn how to approach this topic strategically, see three complete sample essays (Band 9, Band 7, Band 6), and understand why each one earns its score. You will also get topic-specific vocabulary, high-scoring sentence structures, and a checklist to improve your writing under timed conditions.

Verified past Task 2 questions on this theme include:

• Reported by IELTS-blog.com: Many people are working longer hours and have less free time. Why is this? Is it a positive or negative development?
• Reported by IELTS-blog.com: These days more people work long hours and feel more stressed than before. What are the reasons? What can employers do to help?
• From IELTS Liz (question bank for practice): In some countries employees work long hours and have little leisure time. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

This article provides:

• A clear analysis of a commonly reported question
• Three model essays (Band 9, Band 7, Band 6) with highlighted features
• Marking breakdowns for Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammar
• A focused vocabulary bank and sentence patterns you can reuse
• Actionable checklists for planning, writing, and reviewing

IELTS Task 2 working overtime advantages disadvantages guide

1. Question & Analysis

Some people work very long hours and have little time for leisure or family. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

• Question type: Advantages/Disadvantages (Outweigh)
• Requirements:
  • Present both benefits and drawbacks of working overtime
  • Take a clear position on which side is stronger
  • Support with specific, relevant examples

Key terms:

• “Work very long hours”: sustained overtime beyond a standard workweek
• “Leisure or family”: personal well-being, hobbies, social and family time
• “Outweigh”: your final judgment must be explicit

Common pitfalls:

• Listing pros/cons without a clear verdict
• Vague examples (e.g., “people get tired”) instead of concrete impacts (e.g., “increased risk of burnout or hypertension”)
• One-sided treatment when the question asks to consider both

Strategic approach:

• Plan 2-1 structure: one paragraph on advantages, one on disadvantages, and a conclusion that states which is stronger
• Use topic sentences to signpost your stance early
• Tie examples to realistic contexts, such as Asian corporate culture, start-ups, or shift-based jobs

Work-life balance scale showing overtime benefits and drawbacks

2. Band 8-9 Sample Essay: The benefits and drawbacks of working overtime

Band 8-9 essays are precise, analytical, and well-developed. They show a clear position, a logical progression, and sophisticated control of vocabulary and grammar.

Essay (300 words):
In many contemporary workplaces, extended hours are marketed as a fast track to advancement. While overtime can occasionally deliver measurable gains—such as accelerated skills acquisition and higher income—its hidden costs to health and relationships typically eclipse these benefits. Overall, the disadvantages of persistent overtime outweigh its advantages.

To begin with, working beyond standard hours may provide short-term economic and professional advantages. Employees who stay late often gain exposure to complex tasks that less committed colleagues avoid, thereby sharpening their competencies under real pressure. In industries like consulting or tech start-ups, overtime might correlate with faster promotions or equity rewards, allowing young professionals to accumulate capital early in their careers. For individuals facing urgent financial obligations, the immediate uplift in earnings can be decisive, helping them to pay down debts or support dependents.

Nevertheless, the drawbacks are profound and cumulative. Extended hours are strongly linked with burnout, sleep deprivation, and cardiovascular risks. More subtly, overtime erodes the social fabric that sustains resilience: families eat together less, parents miss key milestones, and friendships atrophy. Over time, these losses undermine productivity itself; fatigued employees make poorer decisions and require longer recovery, imposing hidden costs on employers. At a societal level, cultures that normalise excessive work face declining birth rates and rising mental-health burdens, both of which carry long-term economic consequences.

Crucially, overtime often substitutes for structural solutions. Rather than redesigning workflows, hiring adequate staff, or leveraging automation, organisations may “buy time” from workers. This is efficient only in emergencies; as a routine policy, it is self-defeating. When sustainable workload planning is implemented—clear priorities, protected rest, and outcome-based evaluation—performance improves without sacrificing human well-being.

In sum, although overtime can be tactically useful, particularly during short deadlines, its strategic costs to individuals, families, and economies render it a poor long-term bargain.

Scoring breakdown:

• Task Response: 9
• Coherence & Cohesion: 9
• Lexical Resource: 8.5
• Grammatical Range & Accuracy: 8.5

Why it excels:

1. Clear position stated in the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion.
2. Balanced treatment with deeper development on the stronger side.
3. Specific, realistic contexts (consulting, start-ups, equity rewards, burnout).
4. Logical progression: individual → family → societal impacts.
5. High-level lexis used naturally (erodes the social fabric, outcome-based evaluation).
6. Varied complex structures and precise referencing (this, these losses).

Band 9 IELTS essay structure on overtime advantages and disadvantages

3. Band 6.5-7 Sample Essay: The benefits and drawbacks of working overtime

Band 6.5-7 essays are clear and relevant with mostly accurate grammar and some variety in vocabulary. They may have occasional repetition or less nuanced development.

Essay (265 words):
Working overtime is common in many countries, especially in competitive cities. There are some benefits, but I believe the negative effects are stronger overall. This essay will discuss both sides before giving my view.

On the one hand, long hours can improve income and skills. When employees stay late, they may finish urgent projects and show commitment to their managers. This can lead to better performance reviews, bonuses, or even promotion. In addition, extra time at work exposes staff to more challenging tasks, so they learn faster than people who only do the basics. For young workers who need to support their parents or pay tuition, overtime money can be very important.

On the other hand, working too many hours damages health and relationships. Tired employees have less energy for exercise and cook fewer healthy meals, which can cause weight gain and stress-related problems. Family life is also affected because parents arrive home late and children go to bed without seeing them. Over time, this creates emotional distance and even conflicts. Furthermore, productivity does not always increase with more hours. People make more mistakes when they are exhausted, and the company needs time and money to fix them. In the long term, a culture of constant overtime also makes it hard to attract and retain talented staff.

In conclusion, while overtime sometimes helps people earn more and learn faster, the disadvantages for health, family, and even productivity are greater. Therefore, it should be used only for short-term deadlines, not as a normal policy.

Scoring breakdown:

• Task Response: 7
• Coherence & Cohesion: 7
• Lexical Resource: 6.5
• Grammatical Range & Accuracy: 6.5

Direct comparison with Band 8-9:

• Thesis: Band 9 gives a precise, nuanced thesis; Band 7 uses a generic roadmap sentence.
• Development: Band 9 provides layered impacts (individual-family-society); Band 7 focuses mainly on individual/family.
• Vocabulary: Band 9 uses topic-specific and abstract nouns; Band 7 repeats common words (work, hours, tired).
• Cohesion: Band 9 uses precise referencing; Band 7 relies on basic connectors (on the one hand/on the other hand).
• Grammar: Band 9 varies structures; Band 7 uses more simple sentences and fewer non-defining clauses.

4. Band 5-6 Sample Essay: The benefits and drawbacks of working overtime

Band 5-6 essays address the topic but have limited development, frequent repetition, and noticeable grammar/vocabulary errors. Ideas may be under-explained or loosely organised.

Essay (258 words):
Many people think overtime is always good because it bring more money, but I disagree. People should not works late everyday because it makes bad health and relationship are worse.

Firstly, the benefit is clear. If workers do more hours, the salary increase, and maybe there is promotion chances. Some industries like restaurants and delivery service pay overtime hour by hour, so student can survive in expensive cities. Also, when we do overtime, we learn faster because there is more tasks and boss see our effort.

However, the drawbacks are bigger. When staff working late at night, they sleep less and eat fast food often, so health go down slowly. They also have less time to meet family, which create argument and stress. In my city, many friend is too tired on weekend and just want to sleep. For company, too much overtime is not efficient, because mistake happened when people are tired, so they need time to repair it, which waste the cost.

In conclusion, working extra can help in short time, but if people and companies use it everyday, it is negative for life and productivity. Employers should give more break and planning so the work finish inside normal hours.

Scoring breakdown:

• Task Response: 6
• Coherence & Cohesion: 5.5
• Lexical Resource: 5.5
• Grammatical Range & Accuracy: 5.5

Error analysis:
| Mistake | Type | Correction | Why |
|—|—|—|—|
| People should not works late | Subject-verb agreement | People should not work late | Modal + base form |
| bad health and relationship are worse | Word form/grammar | health suffers and relationships worsen | Correct collocations and plural |
| student can survive | Number agreement | students can survive | Plural noun with general reference |
| working late at night | Verb form | work late at night | Maintain tense/structure consistency |
| many friend is | Number/SVA | many friends are | Plural noun + plural verb |
| waste the cost | Collocation | increase costs / waste money | Natural business collocation |
| give more break and planning | Noun form | give more breaks and better planning | Correct plural and parallel noun phrase |

How to move from Band 6 to 7:

• Develop each idea with a specific example or mechanism (how exactly health declines, how errors increase).
• Upgrade vocabulary by learning topic collocations (e.g., chronic fatigue, staff retention, workload planning).
• Improve sentence variety: add non-defining relative clauses and complex subordination.
• Proofread for article use, plurals, and subject-verb agreement.

5. Essential Vocabulary for The benefits and drawbacks of working overtime

Word/Phrase	Type	Pronunciation	Definition	Example	Collocations
overtime (OT)	n./adv.	/ˈoʊvərˌtaɪm/	Work done beyond standard hours	Overtime should be limited to emergencies.	paid overtime, compulsory overtime
burnout	n.	/ˈbɜːrnaʊt/	Exhaustion from prolonged stress	Overtime increases the risk of burnout.	burnout risk, prevent burnout
work-life balance	n.	/wɜːrk laɪf ˈbæl.əns/	Balance between work and personal life	Long hours harm work-life balance.	healthy balance, balance initiatives
productivity plateau	n.	/ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvɪti plæˈtoʊ/	Point where more effort adds little output	After 50 hours, many teams hit a productivity plateau.	hit/reach a plateau
staff retention	n.	/stæf rɪˈtenʃən/	Keeping employees from leaving	Constant overtime hurts staff retention.	improve retention, retention strategy
opportunity cost	n.	/ˌɒpərˈtuːnɪti kɒst/	Benefit lost by choosing one option	The opportunity cost of OT is family time.	high/hidden opportunity cost
cardiovascular risk	n.	/ˌkɑːrdioʊˈvæskjələr rɪsk/	Likelihood of heart-related illness	Chronic overtime raises cardiovascular risk.	elevated risk, mitigate risk
equity rewards	n.	/ˈɛkwɪti rɪˈwɔːrdz/	Company shares as compensation	Start-ups may justify OT with equity rewards.	offer equity, equity package
outcome-based evaluation	n.	/ˈaʊtˌkʌm beɪst ɪˌvæljuˈeɪʃn̩/	Assessing results, not hours	Outcome-based evaluation reduces unnecessary OT.	adopt/implement evaluation
erode	v.	/ɪˈroʊd/	Gradually wear away	Excessive work erodes family ties.	erode trust, erode morale
in the short term	phrase	/ʃɔːrt tɜːrm/	For a limited period	OT may help in the short term.	short-term gains
on balance	phrase	/ɒn ˈbæl.əns/	Considering everything	On balance, the drawbacks outweigh benefits.	on balance, I believe
nevertheless	linker	/ˌnɛvərðəˈlɛs/	Despite that	Nevertheless, OT can boost early careers.	nevertheless, however
correlate with	v.	/ˈkɔːrəleɪt wɪð/	Have a relationship with	OT often correlates with promotion in tech.	strongly/weakly correlates
sustainable workload	n.	/səˈsteɪnəbl ˈwɜːrkloʊd/	Amount of work manageable long-term	Firms need a sustainable workload to avoid OT.	manage/plan workload

6. High-Scoring Sentence Structures

1. Complex subordination

• Formula: Subordinator + dependent clause, main clause
• Example from Band 9: While overtime can occasionally deliver measurable gains, its hidden costs typically eclipse these benefits.
• Why it scores: Balances two ideas and signals evaluation.
• Additional examples:
  • Although some firms reward long hours, sustained fatigue reduces quality.
  • Because families lose shared time, children may feel neglected.
• Common mistake: Using “although” and “but” together.

2. Non-defining relative clauses

• Formula: Noun, which/whose + extra information, main clause
• Example: Overtime erodes the social fabric, which sustains resilience.
• Why it scores: Adds nuance without breaking flow.
• More examples:
  • Outcome-based evaluation, which focuses on results, reduces OT.
  • Start-ups, whose margins are thin, often overuse overtime.
• Mistake: Forgetting commas around the clause.

3. Participle phrases

• Formula: -ing/-ed phrase, main clause
• Example: Facing urgent financial obligations, some workers rely on overtime.
• Why: Compresses cause/effect smoothly.
• More examples:
  • Exhausted after weeks of OT, teams make avoidable errors.
  • Driven by tight deadlines, managers extend shifts.
• Mistake: Dangling modifiers not matching the subject.

4. Cleft sentences for emphasis

• Formula: It + be + focus + that + clause
• Example: It is the cumulative damage to health that makes routine overtime untenable.
• Why: Emphasises key argument.
• More examples:
  • It is family stability that suffers first.
  • It is short-term crises that may justify OT.
• Mistake: Using clefts too often reduces impact.

5. Advanced conditionals

• Formula: If + present/should + base, will/can + base
• Example: If organisations redesign workflows, they can reduce overtime without hurting output.
• Why: Shows control of hypothetical reasoning.
• More examples:
  • If staff had protected breaks, error rates would fall.
  • Should leaders model boundaries, cultures will shift.
• Mistake: Mixed conditionals used inconsistently.

6. Inversion for emphasis

• Formula: Negative adverbial + auxiliary + subject + verb
• Example: Only in emergencies should overtime be normalised.
• Why: Adds stylistic sophistication.
• More examples:
  • Rarely do long hours guarantee creativity.
  • Never has constant overtime improved retention.
• Mistake: Forgetting subject-auxiliary inversion.

7. Self-Assessment Checklist

Before writing:

• Identify question type (adv/disadv, outweigh?) and decide your position.
• Brainstorm 2-3 precise benefits and 3-4 higher-impact drawbacks.
• Select one or two contexts for examples (e.g., start-ups in Singapore, hospital shifts).

While writing:

• State your position clearly in the introduction.
• Use topic sentences to guide the reader.
• Support each main idea with a mechanism and a concrete example.
• Vary sentence structures and signpost contrasts (however, nevertheless, on balance).

After writing:

• Check for task fulfilment: Did you compare both sides and give a verdict?
• Replace generic words (good/bad) with specific terms (retention, plateau, fatigue).
• Fix grammar hotspots: articles, plurals, SVA, punctuation of relative clauses.
• Ensure 250+ words; trim repetition if overlong.

Time management tips:

• Plan: 5 minutes (ideas + outline)
• Write: 30 minutes (intro 4-5 lines, 2 body paragraphs, conclusion)
• Review: 5 minutes (grammar, cohesion, precise lexis)

Conclusion

The benefits and drawbacks of working overtime are not evenly matched. While extra hours can accelerate earnings and exposure early on, the cumulative damage to health, family life, and even company performance is hard to ignore. To raise your IELTS Writing Task 2 band score on this topic, build a clear position, use precise topic vocabulary, and demonstrate flexible sentence control. With consistent practice and feedback, most learners can move up 0.5–1 band over 6–10 weeks. Start by rewriting one paragraph from your latest essay using the sentence patterns above, then post your full response for peer review [internal_link: IELTS Writing Task 2 peer review]. Finally, remember: on balance, sustainable workload planning is the smarter solution than routine overtime—both in real life and in your essays.