Call to workers who gave nearly £3bn of free labour in 2016

Lyn Collins

Workers in the North West gave their employers £2.9bn of free labour last year by doing unpaid overtime, according to new analysis of official statistics published today (Friday, February 24) by the TUC.

Some 538,521 people in the North West put in an average of 7.3 hours a week in unpaid overtime during 2016. This is worth £5,519 a year on the average wage.

Today is the TUC’s 13th annual Work Your Proper Hours Day. Prior to this day, the average person doing unpaid overtime has effectively worked the year so far for free.

To mark the day, the TUC is asking workers to take a proper lunch break and leave on time.

Managers should consider how to stop relying on their staff’s unpaid overtime.

The TUC is warning workers that Brexit may threaten their working time protections.

Currently guaranteed by EU law, the rights could be weakened by future governments following Brexit.

The TUC has designed a calculator at www.tuc.org.uk/unpaidovertime for workers to find out how much more they would get paid each year if their unpaid overtime was paid at their usual rate.

TUC regional secretary for the North West Lynn Collins said: “Few of us mind putting in some extra time when it’s needed. But if it happens all the time and gets taken for granted, that’s a problem. So make a stand today, take your full lunch break and go home on time.

“The best bosses understand that a long-hours culture doesn’t get good results. So we’re asking managers to set an example by leaving on time too.

“Anyone worried about the long-hours culture in their workplace should get together with workmates and join a union. That way you can get your voices heard and get the support you need to make sure your boss doesn’t break the rules.

“The government still doesn’t have a water-tight plan to stop working time protections getting weaker when we leave the EU. The Prime Minister should promise to put a guarantee into our future trade deals with Europe that British workers will have a level playing field with EU workers.”

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