Unison Herts

The TUC has estimated that if each of them worked the same amount of unpaid overtime at the beginning of this year, they would not start to get paid until Friday 24th February.

To mark that worrying statistics, the congress has named that day as its third Work Your Proper Hours Day, on which it will urge people not to work over their paid hours and to take their full breaks.

"We don't want to turn into a nation of clock watchers" said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.  "Most people enjoy their jobs and don't mond putting in extra effort when there's a rush or an emergency.  But that can easily turn into the long hours culture of extra hours every week".

The research also showed that Londoners work the longest hours in the UK, some putting in an extra 8 hours 12 minutes in a week.  Londoners  were followed by employees in Wales (7 hours and 48 minutes) and Northern Ireland (7 hours and 36 minutes)

On a positive note, the report suggested employers are starting to tackle the UK's long hours culture.  The number of people working unpaid overtime in 2005 was half a million less than in 2003 and the percentage of people working an extra hour a week unpaid has fallen slightly, to its lowest level since 1992.

The unpaid overtime figures, from the latest Labour Force Survey also showed that employees in small workplaces were the least likely to work unpaid overtime.  "Some employers are beginning to realise that endless hours of unpaid overtime are often a sign of an inefficient workplace" said Barber "and not something to celebrate".

"In smart workplaces, people work fewer hours.  The run up to Work Your Proper Hours Day is a great opportunity for bosses to show staff that they want to start tackling their long hours culture".