IT workers lose thousands in unpaid overtime

Trades unions have hit out at a "long-hours culture" that results in UK staff working thousands of pounds of unpaid overtime a year.

In response, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has named this Friday Work Your Proper Hours Day and is urging staff to work only their contracted hours.

Not surprisingly the IT profession features strongly in a TUC league table of unpaid overtime, which assumes a 40-hour working week and six weeks' holiday a year.

Almost half of IT managers (49.4 per cent) work more than one hour over their contracted weekly hours, averaging nine hours and 12 minutes unpaid overtime per week. That adds up to £10,245 a year in overtime pay.

IT professionals fare little better with 36 per cent working unpaid overtime on the average of six hours and six minutes a week, equivalent to £5,104 a year.

IT technicians and user support operators work an average of five hours and 12 minutes more than their contracted hours a week, equivalent to £3,389 in lost overtime payments.

Topping the table way ahead of any IT roles, however, are teachers and lecturers, who work an average of 11 hours and 36 minutes unpaid overtime per week. The TUC estimates the national unpaid overtime bill is £23bn a year.

The TUC wants employees to start on time, take a proper lunch break and clock off on time this Friday, while managers are encouraged to use the day to thank their staff for all their unpaid extra work by taking them for a drink after work.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said in a statement: "Too many workplaces are gripped by a long-hours culture, where staff are expected to put in unpaid extra time week after week. We are not saying that we should all become clock-watchers but it's about time we called time on bosses who think the longer something takes the better the job is done."

Visit the TUC's website to work out how many hours unpaid overtime you work a week.