Capitulated when accountant voted to deduct overtime (5)

I believe the answer is:

caved

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'capitulated' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are past participle verbs, I can't see how they can define each other.

'when accountant voted to deduct overtime' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'when' could be 'e' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'e' is found within the answer.
'accountant' could be 'ca' (abbreviation for chartered accountant) and 'ca' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.