Workers in the UK clocked up a staggering £31 billion worth of unpaid overtime last year, with teachers and health and care managers bearing the brunt and working the longest hours without pay, according to research. The TUC has called on staff to stick to their contracted hours, take their rightful breaks and for bosses to ensure workloads are fair.

The union has named this Friday 'Work Your Proper Hours Day' to shed light on the huge amount of free labour workers are contributing. The TUC's report revealed that about 3.8 million people toiled through unpaid overtime in 2024, averaging 7.2 hours weekly - translating to an annual loss of roughly £8,000 per worker in wages.

London topped the charts with 17% of its workforce engaged in unpaid overtime, as opposed to the national average of 13%. Teaching and managerial roles in health and care services cropped up as the sectors most affected by unpaid overtime, something the TUC claims underscores the severe staffing issues plaguing schools and , reports .

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Although there's hope that government intentions to hire an extra 6,500 teachers might help withwork demands, the trade union insists there is a need for greater action on workforce concerns across the public sector. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: "Most workers don't mind putting in extra hours from time to time, but they should be paid for it. 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. 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."

Ruth Wilkinson, policy chief at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health said: "It's concerning that people are working so many additional hours, especially without pay.

"This 'always-on' culture not only blurs the boundaries between work and home life, it impacts on people's opportunities to have sufficient rest, something which is potentially harmful as it can cause burnout and other health and safety issues.

"The knock-on effect of this is more people being on sick leave."