Time we worked our hours

Mar 1 2010 Kevin Rowan, regional secretary, Northern TUC

DESPITE the fact that there has been a significant drop in the number of people in work combined with the fact that those in work are working shorter weeks the number of people working ‘extreme’ unpaid overtime of more than 10 hours a week has increased by 14,000 to nearly 900,000 last year, according a new analysis of official statistics published last week by the TUC.

As well as lawyers, it is teachers who are the most likely to work the highest levels of unpaid overtime.

This belies the impression some like to give about life being easy in the public sector.

Friday was ‘Work Your Proper Hours Day’, the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime would start to get paid if they did all their overtime at the start of the year.

However, the TUC analysis also shows that those doing ‘extreme’ unpaid overtime of more than 10 hours per week wouldn’t start getting paid until April 26.

Last year over five million people across the UK clocked up an average of seven hours and 12 minutes of unpaid overtime a week worth £27.4bn or £5,402 per employee.

And the TUC analysis shows that it is teachers, health and social service managers and lawyers that are most likely to do unpaid overtime.

This reflects both the commitment that public sector workers have to doing a good job as well as the increasing pressure they feel under.

The constant talk of public spending cuts has led to high levels of anxiety about future employment and fears for service provision.

The growth of ‘extreme’ unpaid overtime comes as the number of ‘underemployed’ people also rises. Official figures show that 2.8 million people say they want more hours in their existing job or full-time work instead of their current part-time job.

With statistics showing nearly half a million managers say they would be willing to work fewer hours even if it meant a pay cut, there is an obvious mismatch between the kind of hours people want to work and the kind of hours they are getting.

Surely there is a better balance of working time to be struck here.