Paid overtime falls since recession
The total amount of paid overtime in the UK has fallen by 25 per cent since its pre-recession peak in 2007, according to the latest analysis by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).Official figures show the total number of paid overtime hours in the country has declined from 54 million in 2007 to 41 million in 2011, with the TUC attributing this to a general fall in the number of workers doing paid overtime.
Overall, 825,000 fewer employees regularly worked paid overtime in 2011, while there was a fall in the average amount of paid overtime, down from 11.2 hours per week to 10.6 hours this year.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said an over-reliance on excessive amounts of overtime is "not healthy" for workers, but paid extra hours have been an important source of income for millions of staff.
"With everyone looking for economic green shoots, a rise in the availability of paid overtime would be a welcome sign for millions of workers. A greater focus on improving productivity and earnings from core hours could deliver both better pay and greater profitability," he added.
To achieve this, the country needs better management, by working with employees and their unions to change the culture of long hours, Mr Barber added.
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Posted by John Oak and Wayne Bly
