South West workers put in £2.3 billion of unpaid overtime, according to new analysis published for Work Your Proper Hours Day (Friday 28 February) by the TUC.
It is the TUC’s 21st annual Work Your Proper Hours Day. On this day, workers are encouraged to take the breaks they are entitled to and finish their shifts on time, and managers are encouraged to support staff by setting reasonable workloads and putting in place workplace policies to protect against burnout.
In the South West, 13.1% of workers did unpaid overtime in 2024, putting in an average of 7.1 hours. That’s equivalent on average to £7,300 of wages going unpaid for work done.
Unpaid overtime is an issue for millions of workers. 3.8 million people did unpaid overtime in 2024, putting in an average of 7.2 unpaid hours a week. For those workers, that’s equivalent on average to £8,000 a year of wages going unpaid for work done.
In terms of the proportion of the workforce doing unpaid overtime, the highest occupations are teaching (38%) and health and care managers (35%). Women and men are similarly likely to work unpaid overtime, with 13.2% of women working unpaid overtime compared to 13.1% of men. Women who do unpaid overtime do 6.8 hours a week compared to 7.5 hours a week for men.
The TUC says teachers and health and care managers coming out on top for unpaid overtime highlights the staffing pressures in schools and hospitals. The union body says that, while government’s plans to recruit 6,500 additional teachers will help to improve levels of work intensity, more engagement is needed on workforce issues across the public sector.
TUC regional secretary Ines Lage said: “We are encouraging every worker to take their lunchbreak and finish on time today. And we know that good employers will support them doing that.
“Most workers don’t mind putting in extra hours from time to time, but they should be paid for it.
“Help is on the way for workers who are unfairly being forced to put in unpaid hours. The Employment Rights Bill will make it easier for people to come together in a union and challenge unfair practices.”
On the high levels of unpaid overtime in teaching, health and care, Ines Lage said: “This analysis shows once again the staffing pressures in our public services that have been driven by 14 years of Tory mismanagement.
“It is really important the new government engages with its workforce on issues like workloads to stop staff leaving our schools and hospitals.”
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