Member Article

South East and London employees work over £13bn-worth of unpaid overtime

Workers in the South East and London are more likely to work unpaid overtime, according to figures released by the TUC.

The figures, released as part of the union’s Work Your Proper Hours Day today, show that employees in London and the South East worked over £13bn-worth of total unpaid overtime last year.

In London, just under 883,000 employees worked unpaid overtime last year, equating to 25% of the capital’s workforce, averaging 8.2 hours per week per worker.

In the South East, an even greater proportion (38.3%) of the region’s workforce worked unpaid overtime last year, with 858,200 workers working an average of 7.7 extra hours per week.

At a total value of over £13bn-worth of extra unpaid labour, the figures eclipse every other region in the UK and make up over a third of of the £31bn total worth of unpaid overtime by the nation’s workers last year.

Average annual value of unpaid overtime per worker were also the highest in the country, with London workers missing out on just under £8,770 a year, while South East unpaid overtime workers were shortchanged to the tune of £6,430 annually.

Commenting on the new figures, TUC Regional Secretary, Megan Dobney, said: “Too many workplaces in the South East tolerate a long-hours culture. That is why we are calling on employees to take a stand today on Work Your Proper Hours Day and take a full lunch break and go home on time.

“We do not want to turn Britain into a nation of clock watchers. Few people mind putting in extra effort from time to time when it is needed, but it is too easy for extra time to be taken for granted and expected day in day out.

“I would urge anyone worried about a long-hours culture in their workplace to join their union, to make sure they are represented and their voices are heard.”