THE TUC marked its annual Work Your Proper Hours Day yesterday by highlighting the tens of billions of pounds that employers make from their workers doing unpaid overtime.

They raked in a staggering £27 billion from unpaid labour, according to new TUC figures, which also show that it costs each victim more than £6,000 a year.

The practice affected more than 3.7 million people, equating to 13.5 per cent of the working population.

Teachers were worst hit, collectively doing more unpaid overtime — 4,358,145 hours — than any other category of workers.

Work Your Proper Hours Day seeks to to highlight the exploitation of workers through unpaid overtime.

Unpaid overtime lessened during the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns, but the TUC warned that the number of unpaid hours worked is creeping up again as workplaces reopen.

Regionally, workers in London do the most unpaid overtime – the problem affects 18.1 per cent of workers, with each suffering an annual average loss of £10,150 in wages.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Most of us are happy to put in some extra time when it’s needed, but we should get that time back when it’s quieter. Nobody should end up doing work they don’t get paid for.

“So today, we’re calling on people to take your full lunch break and go home on time. And we’re calling on managers to encourage their staff to finish on time and to lead by example.”

National Education Union joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: “Yet again, teachers rank very highly in the list of professions working the most unpaid overtime. This is a problem that has been going on for decades.

“This is not a sustainable situation and it is leading to burnout. Unless the government gets serious on the root causes, these losses will continue." 

Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of NASUWT, another teaching union, said: “Providing world-class education for children and young people does not and should not need to be at the expense of teachers’ health and welfare. 

"Teachers deserve a better deal on their working hours, workloads and pay.”

The TUC is calling on the government to introduce a long-promised employment Bill and to strengthen protections against overworking and burnout.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Strengthened rights at work, more control over our lives and a better work-life balance will give workers security in their jobs and the respect they deserve.

“In a new digital world, our employment rights need to keep up.”