Financial News
- 6 January 2012, 18:39
Brits' Unpaid Overtime 'Worth A Million Jobs'
Workers gave bosses nearly two billion hours of unpaid overtime last year, enough to create a million extra full-time jobs, according to the TUC.
The 1,968 million hours of overtime is worth £29.2bn to the UK economy.
The study found 5.3 million workers put in an average of 7.2 hours of unpaid overtime a week last year, worth around £5,300 a year per person.
Workers in London and the South East did the most unpaid work, with 26.9% and 25% of employees likely to work extra hours for free respectively.
Staff in the West Midlands and the North East experienced the sharpest rise in the likelihood of working unpaid overtime over the last year, up 3% and 2.2% respectively.
Many of the extra hours were a result of a work culture of "pointless presenteeism", but persistent and excessive unpaid overtime was holding back job creation, according to the analysis.
It said some employers were also forcing staff to work extremely long hours that could damage their health. Taking on extra employees would be far more productive and provide much needed jobs.
Nicola Smith, head of economic and social affairs at the TUC, told Sky News: "With unemployment at 8.3% if employers have got a lot of extra work to do there's obviously the option of taking on more staff and helping to boost employment across the economy."
She added that the findings were partly a result of the tough economic climate.
"What this represents is employees putting in a huge amount of extra unpaid effort that they are not being remunerated for to help businesses get by in tough times," she said.
If workers who regularly put in unpaid overtime worked all their hours from the start of the year, the first day they would get paid would be February 24.
The TUC have named this date this year as its annual Work Your Proper Hours Day.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the unpaid hours made "a vital - but often unsung - contribution" to the UK economy.
Barber added: "No-one wants to see us become a nation of clock-watchers. But a more sensible and grown up attitude to working time could cut out needless unpaid hours and help more people into work."
The number of workers doing unpaid overtime has increased by more than a million since records began in 1992, when 4.2 million people regularly did unpaid overtime.
what do you think?
Grant Berry
What about the pay that public sector workers get for doing nothing? That would save billions in tax.
stewgwyn
Grant, I do agree with you about the 'Officer Class' of public sector worker being a waste of money. I have recently become a public sector worker (manual) at 62 for the first time ever, and I see money wasted even at my level. Being accustomed the demands of production & manufacturing I am constantly being told to slow down & ''leave some work for later''. Different world.
Gordon Wright
This happens every time there is a recession or a serious economic situation in Britain where jobs become scarce and unemployment is high. Management then take the opportunity to inflict longer hours on staff, often for less pay because they know that many people will be forced to accept the terms on offer rather than risk losing their jobs altogether. If jobs were easier to come by, people would not accept this and would simply change jobs. No wonder there is no such thing as employee loyalty these days............
Grant Berry
No wonder there is no employer loyalty when staff have your attitude.
stewgwyn
Gordon is correct, Grant. It is not a bad attitude, it is reality. Employers take a ''if you're not happy, you know where the door is'' approach. The advent of the Eastern European immigrant worker has not helped, they work through their lunch breaks to show better production figures and ingraciate themselves to employers.
Grant Berry
stewgwyn - who voted you the judge? He's not correct in my opinion, he's very one sided.
David Leebody
Im with Gordon and stewgwyn on this and him making his comment didnt make him the judge, he just spoke his opinion the same as you and I did.
stewgwyn
Grant, you can't be two-sided in a forum, I've given my opinion which is to be treated as such, you don't have to agree. Opinions are good, it's what makes us different to all the other animals. It doesn't mean I've set myself up as judge.
keith
I believe this study was carried out by the unions. What would they know about real work?
RaggyRalph
There's a word for people who work for nothing. And it's not 'keen!'
Philip Alderson
Is this another press release from the Ministry of the Bleeding Obvious?
stevie may
British workers working for nothing. . Thats just what capitalistic big corporate business wants. Working conditions are getting so bad in this country that very soon we'll be back in the 18th century. . Dark satanic mills are looming. . .
Name witheld
This comment has been removed for violations of our Terms and Conditions.
stevie may
Too right ! Its all part of the capitalistic plan. Back in the industrial revolution the factory owners wanted a medieval feudal soceity, where the workers were kept on low pay and were forced to buy their food from company shops !
Linda Clitheroe
Unpaid over time is nothing new. Many people do it for appearances sake, Working long hours is counterproductive, staff get tired, reducing productivety, Not taking a dinner break, I was guilty of doing this for many years I made my self ill, but no more I work my allotted hours and take my breaks
Harry Kgames
Work to rule. This reeks of the 80's all over again. If you work unpaid overtime then you are stupid! I never have and never would worked for free. Most of these people are office wallers I'll bet. No idea what the real looks or feels like.
stevie may
If your lucky enough to have a job NEVER do unpaid overtime, always take your full breaks and remember that your employer will dump you if it becomes convienient. LOYALTY SHOULD WORK BOTH WAYS
Tricky One
Not the greatest career advice I've ever heard given the current work climate!
tagliatellius
My local council is advertising for volunteers to man libraries, leisure centres etc, etc, no wages but they will pay travelling expenses. I expect unemployment is about to rocket if this is government policy.
Windows Live User
They may as well begin to offer Jobshare Schemes. A million more people will get some money and keep some self respect
Jim England
Too many shirkers and not enough workers! That's not nature's way! Going and earning a wage is the modern equivalent of hunting and foraging to keep yourself and family alive - you couldn't just sit on your backside and expect everyone else to just do it all for you - no, you'd die! Food for thought dole-dwellers!
tagliatellius
Too many workers and not enough jobs.
Francis Brownsill
11:17am on 5/1/2012
What kind of idiot comes up with these satistics??? The only people on an hourly rate are subbies and labourers. What century are these people in?? Virtually everybody is on a salary with a contractual 35 or 40 hour week and if extra work is needed then it has to be done. Dividing two million overtime hours by 40 simply does not cut it. What is supposed to happen - someone sits on their a*** all day and then does two hours work at the end of the day??? Get real.
stewgwyn
1:27pm on 5/1/2012
Francis, you say ''virtually everybody is on a salary with a contractual 35 or 40 hour week''. Millions are on hourly rate not salaries, try getting 35 or 40 hours with the big supermarkets, retail & fast food outlets and cleaning contractors to name but a few. The norm would be an average of 20 hours @ £6.08 per week. Employers have realised that they have lost flexibility by offering full-time salaried positions, i.e. 2 or 3 employees covering 40 hours makes it easier to cope with absence through illness or holidays (or do we say 'leave' in the priveliged salaried world)?