Welsh workers put in £717 million worth of unpaid overtime last year – Wales TUC analysis

• Workers in Wales put in £717 million of unpaid overtime in 2020
• Today is ‘Work Your Proper Hours Day’ when workers are encouraged to finish on time with the active support of their employers

Welsh employers claimed £717 million of free labour last year because of workers doing unpaid overtime, according to new analysis published today (Friday) by Wales TUC.

Today is the TUC’s 17th annual Work Your Proper Hours Day. On this day, workers are encouraged to finish shifts on time. And managers are encouraged to support staff by setting reasonable workloads and with workplace policies that protect against burnout.

Main findings and impact of the pandemic

Across the UK, more than 3 million people put in an average of 7.7 hours a week in unpaid overtime during 2020. On average, that’s equivalent to £7,300 a year of wages going unpaid for work done.

In Wales, 8.4% of employees did unpaid overtime, averaging 8.6 hours per week. That is equivalent to £6,841 a year of wages going unpaid and is the highest number of unpaid hours worked per week in the UK (see Table 3 in the notes)

With many workers furloughed and reducing their hours of work to care for children, the number of hours worked in the economy has fallen. Compared to recent years, this is reflected in significantly lower numbers of workers doing unpaid overtime. The total unpaid hours and financial value of unpaid hours worked is down too. (see Table 1 in notes)

The top 10 occupations for unpaid overtime are dominated by managers are directors. It suggests that the additional responsibilities of senior staff are not properly supported by employers.

As in previous years, teachers are high up. The challenges of keeping schools open for the children of key workers, while providing home learning lessons too, has kept up their work intensity. (see Table 2 in notes)

Wales needs a ‘Workers’ Budget’

Wales TUC is calling on the UK Government to put forward a ‘Workers’ Budget’ next week. That means providing the funding necessary to invest in the green jobs and infrastructure that Wales needs to modernise our economy, the funding to ensure that all key workers in Wales can get a pay rise, and committing to raising the minimum wage to at least £10 an hour.

Wales TUC is also calling on the UK Government to quickly bring forward the long-promised Employment Bill. It provides a vital opportunity to strengthen protections against work intensity.

Wales TUC General Secretary, Shavanah Taj said:

“Many people don’t like to complain about work intensity in the pandemic. They feel thankful to still have a job. But these figures show the incredible scale of work that is going unpaid in Wales and the unfair burden that has been placed on many workers.”

“The Chancellor should deliver a ‘Workers’ Budget’ that recognises the efforts that people have made. We need the UK Government to put the funding in place so that every key worker can get a pay rise. And to protect jobs and businesses, furlough should be extended to at least the end of the year.”