The increase in unpaid overtime

New research from Ciphr has shown that some UK employees are clocking up three hours of unpaid overtime per week with 11% of those surveyed putting in an additional five hours a week.

The survey, of 1,000 employees, showed that there are more employees who work unpaid overtime (49%) than those who do receive payment (23%). Employees most likely to work the unpaid extra hours include senior managers, 25-34-year-olds remote workers and those working in legal services and education.

Employees can work unpaid overtime for a variety of reasons. It might be an industry or work culture norm, a dedication to their work, a desire for achievement or to achieve their personal goals, in understaffed or resource-constrained environments, they might work unpaid overtime to cover gaps, ensure essential tasks are completed or because of pressure from managers and colleagues. Alternatively, there may be a fear of falling behind through heavy workloads and tight deadlines or of being seen as less dedicated particularly if job security is low.

Employees might also work unpaid overtime to ensure that a project is completed successfully on time or because they don’t have a clear understanding of their job responsibilities or how long tasks should take whilst some employees resort to working unpaid overtime to catch up on tasks they couldn't complete during regular working hours, something that can be particularly noticeable if people are hybrid or home working.

Although employees might need to put in extra hours to meet business needs, (and be happy to do so), It's important that both employees and employers understand the negative consequences of unpaid overtime. The aim should be to create a workplace culture that values the work-life balance, fair compensation, and sustainable workloads. Employers should communicate clear expectations, manage workloads effectively, and discourage a culture of overwork whilst employees should prioritise their well-being and consider the long-term impact of consistently working unpaid overtime.