WHAT time are you finishing work today? According to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), you should be clocking off earlier than you think.
Analysis by the umbrella body to mark its 13th annual Work Your Proper Hours Day today found Scots workers put in an average of 7.5 hours of unpaid overtime every week.
If remunerated, the hours would put an extra £5951 a year on to the average wage, it is claimed.
The estimate is based on 386,940 putting extra hours for their employers at an average gross hourly rate of £15.26.
The TUC says the average person doing unpaid overtime is effectively worked for free so far this year and it is urging employees to take their proper lunch break and leave on time in protest.
It has also designed a calculator at www.tuc.org.uk/unpaidovertime to allow users to find out how much more they would get paid each year if their unpaid overtime was covered.
Meanwhile, managers are asked to consider how to rearrange their operations to ease the pressure on their workforce.
Beth Farhat of the TUC said: “Few of us mind putting in some extra time when it’s needed. But if it happens all the time and gets taken for granted, that’s a problem.
“The best bosses understand that a long-hours culture doesn’t get good results. We’re asking managers to set an example by leaving on time too.
“Anyone worried about the long-hours culture in their workplace should get together with workmates and join a union. That way you can get your voices heard and get the support you need to make sure your boss doesn’t break the rules.
“The government still doesn’t have a water-tight plan to stop working time protections getting weaker when we leave the EU.
“The Prime Minister should promise to put a guarantee into our future trade deals with Europe that British workers will have a level playing field with EU workers.”
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