Credit comparison website TotallyMoney canvassed 2,000 workers with 65 per cent reporting they are not paid for the extra hours they put in, for example by arriving early to work, working on days off, missing meal breaks and leaving late.The average among the survey sample was 8.4 hours extra per week. This is the equivalent of 68 days of unpaid work annually or working free until 9 March every year, according to TotallyMoney's calculations.Sixty per cent of those surveyed also say they do not have a good work-life balance. A quarter feel run-down due to their working hours and their working patterns. A similar number report workload affects or prevents them from taking regular exercise, leading to concerns for employee wellbeing.

Gender dimensions

Women are most likely to not be paid for extra work (30% compared to 43% of men). For six in ten female workers, the most common reason for working extra hours outside those contracted was workload (61%) and feeling overwhelmed by the work.This was also the top answer for men at 56 per cent. Extra money was the next most common reason to take on paid overtime for 30 per cent of men compared to 18 per cent of women.For women, career progression and pressure from senior colleagues (both 24%) tied for second place when it came to why they worked overtime.Women are also more likely to carry out work-related duties while on holiday. Only 13 per cent of men said they worked while on holiday. This figure rises to 24 per cent of women.

Sectoral differences

Perhaps given the deadline-driven, round-the-clock nature of the job, people in publishing and journalism report working the most overtime of all: 10.1 hours, with 48 per cent citing pressure from colleagues as the main reason. Agriculture was very close behind at 10 hours.Over four in ten (44%) of publishers and journalists worked on their holidays while 41 per cent send work-related emails or make calls outside of their standard hours.People who work in teaching and education are working an average of 6.5 hours overtime per week with only 20 per cent being paid for their work.For healthcare professionals, the average overtime worked is 7.7 hours, with 45 per cent claiming this is due to too much work.

---

Read more from Relocate on the gig economy:

• Study raises Millennial wellbeing and productivity concerns

• Tech training could ‘save an hour a week and boost productivity’

• Flexible working and wellbeing: the role of global mobility

---

Regional differences

Londoners are both most likely to do more overtime that people anywhere else in the country (9.6 hours) and are mostly being paid for it.Unpaid overtime is at its highest in the East Midlands with 71 per cent of workers undertaking unpaid overtime.The West Midlands ranks as the most likely place to be paid for overtime worked (47% of workers from this area said they are financially compensated for extra hours).At a time when real wage rises have pitched into negative territory according to the latest ONS data, TotallyMoney has devised an interactive overtime calculator. People can work out exactly how much their unpaid overtime is worth each day, perhaps providing evidence for a pay rise.

For more HR news and analysis from Relocate please follow the link or subscribe to receive the upcoming spring issue of Relocate magazine. Reserve your copy here

Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory
 

Get access to our free Global Mobility Toolkit

©2024 Re:locate magazine, published by Profile Locations, Spray Hill, Hastings Road, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8JB. All rights reserved. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of Profile Locations. Profile Locations accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.