South East workers rack up £3.9 billion in unpaid overtime during pandemic
The total is expected to be higher due to people working from home
Workers in the South East of England have put in £3.9 billion of unpaid overtime during the pandemic.
According to an analysis but Trades Union Congress (TUC), key workers contributed £1.2 billion of the unpaid total.
While the number of hours worked in the economy has fallen as a result of furlough or people reducing their hours, the union is still concerned about the total.
The TUC says 13.6% of employees in the South East completed unpaid overtime which averages out at 7.7 hours per week, and is equivalent to £7,300 a year.
As part of the findings, it is calling on the Government to cancel the pay freeze affecting 2.7 million public sector key workers, raise the minimum wage, and fill vacancies in essential services.
Regional Secretary for the TUC, Sam Gurney, said: "Over the last year, many workers in East England have put in huge amounts of unpaid overtime to keep the country going. And they have kept businesses and public services afloat.
"We should thank the key workers who put in extra hours without any extra pay. At the Budget, the chancellor should cancel the pay freeze and give every key worker a decent pay rise. It is what they have earned.
"And he should unlock the public sector job vacancies and gaps that currently exist. That’s an easy way to cut unemployment, reduce burnout among key workers and get our public services back on their feet.
It is expected the total figure of unpaid overtime is much higher due to people swapping theirs offices for their kitchens and dining rooms since last March.
Sam, who has worked from home during the pandemic, finds himself getting lost in his work.
He said: "All of our unions that are affiliated with TUC have been putting out lots of information about health and safety when working from home, taking proper breaks, getting out for walks and exercise.
"I'm responsible for sending lots of that information out and I have found myself constantly over the last year going 'oh no wait, I haven't taken a lunch break' and 'hang on a minute, I haven't been out of the house', so I think it's really easy for people at home in the age of Zoom and Team calls to have back-to-back stuff put in."