TUC finds teachers take most unpaid overtime

Teachers are at the top of the list of those who work unpaid overtime.

Today (23 Feb) is Work Your Proper Hours Day which, although you probably haven't heard of it, has inspired the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to produce new research on unpaid overtime. 

It found that UK employees worked £26bn worth of unpaid overtime in the last year, with teachers doing more than any other job.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said "urgent action" is required to tackle these long hours. 

“Teachers and schools leaders are dedicated professionals who give so much of themselves to improving the life chances of children and young people," he commented. 

He added that the line between hard work and truly crushing levels of workload has been crossed, with the government’s own research last year showing 50-60 hour working weeks are common.

“This is harming the wellbeing and mental health of dedicated professionals who have at the same time faced a decade of real-terms pay cuts, and is a key factor in fuelling the severe recruitment and retention crisis," he added. 

He said it is "vital" the Workload Reduction Taskforce set up by the government agrees on tangible ways to ease workload and reduce working hours. 

To mark Work Your Proper Hours Day, the TUC is encouraging every worker to take their lunch break and finish on time today.