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08/12/2011
Unpaid Overtime Is £29bn Economy Boost
The unpaid overtime by UK workers contributes up to £29bn, according to research published by the Government on Thursday.
The report from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) said workers in managerial and professional roles were working on average around seven hours of unpaid overtime per week.
However, low skilled workers were working the longest hours of any sector, with an average working time of 44 hours per week, although their unpaid overtime was much on average only an hour per week.
Commenting on the figures, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said the unpaid overtime was a valuable boost to the economy.
"These figures shine a light on the valuable but too often unrewarded extra hours that UK workers put in every week.
"Employers should do more to recognise the unpaid overtime that their staff do, which contributes £29bn to the UK economy every year."
Thursday's report also found that the UK still worked much longer than the EU average, with only people in Austria and Greece working a longer week, at 43.7 hours on average. The shortest full-time hours were in Denmark where the average week clocks in at 39.1 hours.
MR Barber added: "While average hours are falling across the economy - both as a result of the recession and changes in working practices - UK workers are still doing the third longest shifts in Europe, with only Austrians and Greeks working longer.
"Smarter working practises and an end to pointless presenteeism would help make staff more productive and get a better work-life balance."
The report said that the average working time for all in employment stood at 36.3 hours a week, a fall of 4.7% on the 1992 level of 38.1 hours a week.
A spokesman for the ONS said this has been the result of changes in the structure of the economy, with a higher proportion of employment being in the service industry where hours tend to be shortest.
(DW)
The report from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) said workers in managerial and professional roles were working on average around seven hours of unpaid overtime per week.
However, low skilled workers were working the longest hours of any sector, with an average working time of 44 hours per week, although their unpaid overtime was much on average only an hour per week.
Commenting on the figures, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said the unpaid overtime was a valuable boost to the economy.
"These figures shine a light on the valuable but too often unrewarded extra hours that UK workers put in every week.
"Employers should do more to recognise the unpaid overtime that their staff do, which contributes £29bn to the UK economy every year."
Thursday's report also found that the UK still worked much longer than the EU average, with only people in Austria and Greece working a longer week, at 43.7 hours on average. The shortest full-time hours were in Denmark where the average week clocks in at 39.1 hours.
MR Barber added: "While average hours are falling across the economy - both as a result of the recession and changes in working practices - UK workers are still doing the third longest shifts in Europe, with only Austrians and Greeks working longer.
"Smarter working practises and an end to pointless presenteeism would help make staff more productive and get a better work-life balance."
The report said that the average working time for all in employment stood at 36.3 hours a week, a fall of 4.7% on the 1992 level of 38.1 hours a week.
A spokesman for the ONS said this has been the result of changes in the structure of the economy, with a higher proportion of employment being in the service industry where hours tend to be shortest.
(DW)
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24 February 2006
Senior managers top overtime table
Senior managers have overtaken teachers as the workers who put in the most unpaid overtime, the TUC has said. The union found that top managers who do unpaid hours put in on average an extra 12 hours of unpaid work each week - an increase of more than two hours from 2005.
Senior managers top overtime table
Senior managers have overtaken teachers as the workers who put in the most unpaid overtime, the TUC has said. The union found that top managers who do unpaid hours put in on average an extra 12 hours of unpaid work each week - an increase of more than two hours from 2005.
23 February 2006
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06 January 2005
UK's workers put in £23m unpaid overtime: TUC
UK workers' unpaid overtime amounted to £23 million in 2004, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have claimed. According to the TUC's latest analysis of official statistics, every employee who did unpaid overtime would have earned, on average, £4650 for their work, if they had been paid at their normal rate.
UK's workers put in £23m unpaid overtime: TUC
UK workers' unpaid overtime amounted to £23 million in 2004, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have claimed. According to the TUC's latest analysis of official statistics, every employee who did unpaid overtime would have earned, on average, £4650 for their work, if they had been paid at their normal rate.
16 October 2013
Royal Mail Workers Balloted Over National Strike Action
Royal Mail could face its first national strike in almost four years, as the Communication Workers Union hold a ballot over action in a dispute over workers terms and condition at the newly privatised company.
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