UK Workers Did £31bn of Unpaid Overtime
Workers in the North West did over £2.7 billion worth of unpaid overtime last year, according to new analysis published by the TUC to mark its annual Work Your Proper Hours Day.
Unpaid Overtime in the North West
The TUC’s analysis of official figures shows that 482,000 workers in the region did unpaid overtime in 2014 worth, on average, £5,739 each. Those working beyond their contracted hours did, on average, 7.9 hours of unpaid overtime a week.
What Is Work Your Proper Hours Day?
Work Your Proper Hours Day is the point in the year when the average person who does unpaid overtime would start to get paid if they recorded all their extra hours from January 1. The TUC is urging staff to take a proper lunch break and leave work on time, and encouraging managers to lead by example.
Sector Analysis of Unpaid Overtime
The TUC analysis reveals that across the UK:
- Employees in education posted the longest unpaid hours (9.7 per week).
- Workers in hospitality recorded 9.3 hours of unpaid overtime a week.
- The mining and quarrying sector saw 9.2 unpaid hours weekly.
Public Sector vs Private Sector
Unpaid overtime is more prevalent in the public sector (27.4% of employees) than in the private sector (18.5%). Overall, the public sector benefits from £11.6 billion worth of free hours annually.
Age Groups and Unpaid Overtime
People in their early 40s are the most likely to do unpaid overtime (26.6%), followed by those in their late 40s (25.4%) and late 30s (25.3%).
Regional Breakdown of Unpaid Overtime in 2014
The following table summarises region-by-region figures based on ONS Labour Force Survey (Q3 2014) and ASHE 2014 data. All figures are estimates of unpaid overtime value.
| Region | Workers Doing Unpaid Overtime | Avg. Hours/Week | Avg. Hourly Pay | Value/Week | Value/Year | Value/Worker/Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 161,742 | 6.8 | £13.58 | £14,936,252 | £776,685,084 | £4,802 |
| North West | 482,022 | 7.9 | £13.97 | £53,198,543 | £2,766,324,258 | £5,739 |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | 398,325 | 7.4 | £13.45 | £39,648,657 | £2,061,730,200 | £5,176 |
| East Midlands | 375,391 | 7.8 | £13.45 | £39,379,960 | £2,047,757,905 | £5,455 |
| West Midlands | 379,601 | 8.2 | £13.71 | £42,675,912 | £2,219,147,446 | £5,846 |
| East of England | 556,120 | 7.7 | £14.33 | £61,365,703 | £3,191,016,560 | £5,738 |
| London | 905,114 | 8.2 | £20.45 | £151,780,655 | £7,892,594,080 | £8,720 |
| South East | 879,876 | 7.7 | £15.76 | £106,769,568 | £5,552,017,560 | £6,310 |
| South West | 471,004 | 7.4 | £13.81 | £48,132,986 | £2,502,915,256 | £5,314 |
| Wales | 189,907 | 7.9 | £13.22 | £19,834,325 | £1,031,384,917 | £5,431 |
| Scotland | 413,069 | 7.3 | £14.63 | £44,111,003 | £2,293,772,157 | £5,553 |
| Northern Ireland* | 59,459 | 7.7 | £13.07* | £5,983,633 | £311,148,947 | £5,233 |
| UK Total | 5,287,282 | 7.7 | £15.11 | £615,154,925 | £31,988,056,100 | £6,050 |
Sources: ONS Labour Force Survey (Q3 2014) and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2014. *No NI earnings figures published in ASHE 2014; 2013 earnings adjusted by UK change (-0.1%).
About the TUC Campaigns
The TUC is organising Fair Pay Fortnight 2015 from Monday 16 February to Sunday 1 March. Part of the Britain Needs a Pay Rise campaign, it will feature events across England and Wales to highlight low pay, pay inequality, and the need for better settlements. For more information, visit www.fairpayfortnight.org.
Additional Resources
Read more about the British TUC’s stance on zero-hours contracts: Zero-hours contracts: just the tip of the iceberg.
workersofengland.co.uk | Independent Workers Trade Union