In this paper the focus will be on the meaning of the legal concept of overtime work, the content of its legal formulation and the implementation of overtime work in the Republic of Croatia. Through explanations of individual forms of working time it will become evident that modern-day overtime work is just one of the working time modes and that the law offers several forms of flexible work in order to cover various situations in which employers may find themselves in the global market. The paper will deal with the negative sides of the concept of overtime work, but also with the positive intention of the legislator that has manifested itself through this legal concept. Despite the fact that the paper deals with the issue of implementation of overtime work in the Republic of Croatia, in some parts it will also deal with the international implementation of this work form and it will also offer a comment on working time regulation in market-oriented countries. Overtime work as a legal concept regulated under labour law is one of the most interesting areas, because it combines two seemingly different forces, government regulation and demands of the global market, which strives to minimise the intervention of the government in its processes. By providing the answer to questions about how one can efficiently provide safety and protection of employees through working time regulation, where there is certainly room for improvement, questions will be raised that the law still needs to answer, through a careful research process, consideration of legal practices and further formulation of standards intended to ensure quality and efficiency in relations regulated under labour law in the European economic area.