Pub workers feel pressure to work longer hours

Pub staff are working an average of 50 days extra a year in unpaid overtime, according to new research.

In an analysis of official statistics published today the TUC suggests the recession has led to an increase in pressure on working time for pub workers.

Data from Autumn 2008 shows that 6.6 per cent of pub staff are doing unpaid overtime, up by 1.6 percentage points on the previous year.

Pub staff who are doing unpaid hours are giving away the equivalent of 50 days free work per year - down from 56 last year - which amounts to nine hours 12 minutes of free work per week.

Across the workforce the proportion of employees doing unpaid overtime has been stable since last year, with around five million workers giving away 41 days of free overtime a year, equivalent to seven hours six minutes of unpaid overtime a week.

The analysis was released to coincide with the TUC's Work Your Proper Hours Day.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The recession is bringing new pressure for people to work unpaid overtime. While publicans are doing less unpaid overtime than last year, they are still doing more than most other workers.

"But not all unpaid overtime is useful work helping to overcome the recession. When people understandably fear for their jobs employers still have a responsibility to organise work properly and ensure their workplaces don't get gripped by a long hours culture.

"It would be wrong to replace a 'last person to leave gets a better chance of promotion' attitude with a 'last person to leave is least likely to be made redundant' view. Employers should think about the harm that long hours week in week out does to the firm and staff - its greatest asset."