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Work-Life Balance

date: 21 February 2006

embargo: 00:01 hours Friday 24 February 2006

Managers top 2006 long hours league table

Senior managers have overtaken teachers to leap to the top of the 2006 unpaid overtime league table published by the TUC on Work Your Proper Hours Day (Friday).

Top managers who do unpaid hours put in on average an extra 12 hours of unpaid work each week - an increase of more than two hours from 2005. If they did all their unpaid overtime at the start of the year managers would not get paid until March 24, and if paid for their extra hours would be £24,000 a year better off.

Teaching professionals have been pushed back to second place, although their unpaid overtime is the same as in last year's league table at 11 hours 36 minutes per week, on average. If they did all their unpaid hours at the start of the year they would not be paid until March 22, and if paid for them would be earning nearly £10,000 extra a year.

The TUC's annual league table is published today on Work Your Proper Hours Day (Friday) - the day the average employee doing unpaid hours would start to get paid if they did all their extra time at the start of the year.

Thousands of managers will today get anonymous bossagram emails, which their staff have asked to be sent from the Work Your Proper Hours Day website www.workyourproperhoursday.com telling them that they should join their staff in taking a proper lunch break, then leave on time and take them all out for a coffee or cocktail to say thank you for their extra work.

The league table, which is derived from the official 60,000 strong Labour Force Survey, shows that managerial and professional staff dominate the top places. But less senior staff in IT, law, accountancy and finance are also likely to put in almost an extra day of unpaid work a week.

But there is also some slow progress. Unpaid overtime peaked in 2001/2002, nearly a quarter of a million fewer employees now work unpaid overtime, and the real value of unpaid overtime has fallen by more than half a billion pounds to £23 billion. Yet progress is slow, and there was just a six minute fall in average unpaid overtime last year. The UK still has the longest average hours for full time workers across the EU (even including the new member states) and a bigger proportion of the workforce do unpaid overtime in the UK (20.5 per cent) than in any other EU country. The EU average is 6.2 per cent.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Work Your Proper Hours Day is an opportunity for a bit of fun after work and during lunch breaks up and down the country. But it should also make us all think seriously not just about our own work-life balance, but also about whether we can organise our workplaces better so that we can be just as productive but get home a bit earlier. We are beginning to cut the UK's working hours, but there is still a long way to go before the UK gets anywhere near the European average.'

The 2006 Unpaid Overtime League Table

rank

occupational group

includes

% working unpaid overtime

Average weekly hours of unpaid overtime (for those who do more than 1 hr pr wk)

value of unpaid overtime per year

date when group start to get paid

average hours of unpaid overtime in 2005 league table

1

111 Corporate Managers & Senr Officials

senior civil servants and local government officers, directors and CEOs

45.0%

12 hours

£24,056

24-Mar

9 hours 48 minutes

2

231 Teaching Professionals

including schools, colleges and universities

54.9%

11 hours 36 minutes

£9,937

22-Mar

11 hours 36 minutes

3

117 Protective Service Officers

Officers in armed services, inspectors and above or equivalent in police and fire, ambulance, prisons

26.1%

10 hours 18 minutes

£9,485

14-Mar

9 hours 42 minutes

4

113 Functional Managers

managers in finance, marketing, sales, purchasing, advertising, PR, IT, R&D

50.9%

9 hours 18 minutes

£9,997

08-Mar

9 hours 12 minutes

5

112 Production Managers

managers in production, construction, mining, energy, works and maintenance

41.7%

8 hours 36 minutes

£7,171

04-Mar

9 hours 42 minutes

6

241 Legal Professionals

solicitors, barristers and judges

49.6%

8 hours 36 minutes

£9,638

04-Mar

8 hours 6 minutes

7

243 Architects Town Planners Surveyors

39.8%

8 hours 18 minutes

£6,453

02-Mar

7 hours 24 minutes

8

116 Mngrs in Distrib Storage and Retail

store, warehouse, transport managers

37.9%

8 hours 6 minutes

£4,280

01-Mar

8 hours 0 minutes

9

122 Managers in Hospitality and Leisure

including travel agency, conference and exhibition managers

31.1%

7 hours 54 minutes

£3,838

29-Feb

9 hours 36 minutes

10

123 Managers in Other Service Industries

including garage managers, hairdressing, recycling and refuse

30.9%

7 hours 54 minutes

£5,944

29-Feb

7 hours 18 minutes

11

543 Food Preparation Trades

including butchers, bakers, cooks

9.4%

7 hours 54 minutes

£2,527

29-Feb

4 hours 30 minutes

12

813 Assemblers and Routine Operatives

including factory workers

3.1%

7 hours 48 minutes

£2,941

28-Feb

3 hours 48 minutes

13

242 Business & Statistical Professionals

accountants, economists, actuaries and management consultants

45.9%

7 hours 42 minutes

£7,396

27-Feb

8 hours 12 minutes

14

115 Financial Instit and Office Managers

44.8%

7 hours 30 minutes

£5,993

26-Feb

7 hours 24 minutes

15

118 Health and Social Services Managers

including pharmacy, residential and day care

46.3%

7 hours 24 minutes

£5,268

25-Feb

6 hours 48 minutes

16

343 Media Associate Professionals

journalists and broadcasting, pr officers and photographers

28.4%

7 hours 24 minutes

£5,578

25-Feb

6 hours 24 minutes

17

221 Health Professionals

doctors, dentists, vets, pharmacists etc

36.2%

7 hours 6 minutes

£9,153

24-Feb

7 hours 30 minutes

18

114 Quality and Customer Care Managers

quality assurance managers

46.5%

7 hours

£5,436

23-Feb

8 hours 30 minutes

19

244 Public Service Professionals

including social workers, probation officers, clergy and admin professionals

30.5%

7 hours

£4,281

23-Feb

6 hours 54 minutes

20

353 Business & Finance Assoc Professnls

including finance and accounts staff,

34.3%

7 hours

£5,507

23-Feb

7 hours 18 minutes

21

211 Science Professionals

including chemists, biologists, physicists, geologists and meteorologists

37.0%

6 hours 54 minutes

£5,507

22-Feb

6 hours 18 minutes

22

213 Info & Communication Technology

all IT professionals

37.8%

6 hours 48 minutes

£5,589

22-Feb

6 hours 6 minutes

23

354 Sales & Related Assoc Professionals

including estate agents, sales and marketing staff

30.9%

6 hours 36 minutes

£3,650

20-Feb

6 hours 30 minutes

24

821 Transport Drivers and Operatives

including merchant navy

2.5%

6 hours 18 minutes

£2,273

18-Feb

6 hours 18 minutes

25

341 Artistic and Literary Occupations

artists, writers, dancers, musicians, arts officers, producers and directors

28.9%

6 hours 12 minutes

£3,945

17-Feb

8 hours 6 minutes

26

212 Engineering Professionals

including civil, mechanical, electronics, chemical, design and quality control engineers

29.1%

6 hours 6 minutes

£4,423

17-Feb

6 hours 24 minutes

27

232 Research Professionals

science, social science and other research jobs

39.1%

6 hours 6 minutes

£3,937

17-Feb

5 hours 36 minutes

28

121 Mngrs in Farming Hort Forestry etc

41.2%

6 hours

£3,590

16-Feb

7 hours 18 minutes

29

352 Legal Associate Professionals

34.5%

6 hours

£4,018

16-Feb

6 hours 48 minutes

30

712 Sales Related Occupations

including debt and rent collectors, market traders

14.5%

5 hours 54 minutes

£2,523

15-Feb

6 hours 18 minutes

31

311 Science and Engineering Techinicians

including lab, electrical, electronics and building technicians

17.0%

5 hours 48 minutes

£2,945

15-Feb

5 hours 36 minutes

32

323 Social Welfare Assoc Professionals

youth and community workers and housing officers

21.2%

5 hours 48 minutes

£2,912

15-Feb

5 hours 0 minutes

33

356 Public Service and Other Assoc Prof

including specialist civil servants and town hall staff such as environmental health officers; and personnel staff

26.3%

5 hours 36 minutes

£3,484

13-Feb

5 hours 42 minutes

34

355 Conservation Associate Professionals

including countryside and park rangers

30.5%

5 hours 18 minutes

£2,910

11-Feb

5 hours 48 minutes

35

312 Draughtspersons & Bldng Inspectors

including town planning technicians

26.9%

5 hours 12 minutes

£2,839

10-Feb

4 hours 36 minutes

36

524 Electrical Trades

12.1%

5 hours 12 minutes

£2,613

10-Feb

5 hours 48 minutes

37

342 Design Associate Professionals

graphic, product and clothes designers

26.9%

5 hours 6 minutes

£3,068

10-Feb

5 hours 42 minutes

38

531 Construction Trades

including plumbers, carpenters, brick layers etc

4.6%

5 hours 6 minutes

£2,217

10-Feb

6 hours 36 minutes

39

922 Elementary Personal Service Occuptns

hospital hotel porters, kitchen assistants, bar staff

2.8%

5 hours 6 minutes

£1,270

10-Feb

3 hours 36 minutes

40

331 Protective Service Occupations

NCOs and other ranks, Sergeants and below (or equivalent) in police, fire and prison service

18.2%

5 hours

£3,166

09-Feb

3 hours 48 minutes

41

411 Administrative: Government & Related

civil service executive and admin grades, and other public service and voluntary equivalents

8.9%

5 hours

£2,121

09-Feb

4 hours 30 minutes

42

412 Administrative Occupations: Finance

accounts clerks and similar

15.1%

4 hours 48 minutes

£2,011

08-Feb

4 hours 24 minutes

43

523 Vehicle Trades

6.6%

4 hours 48 minutes

£1,981

08-Feb

3 hours 48 minutes

44

623 Housekeeping Occupations

including caretakers

7.8%

4 hours 48 minutes

£1,567

08-Feb

4 hours 54 minutes

45

413 Administrative Occupations: Records

filing, pensions, insurance, stock control clerks, database, library assistants, market research interviewers

12.8%

4 hours 42 minutes

£1,847

07-Feb

4 hours 18 minutes

46

522 Metal Machning Fitting Instr Makng

4.9%

4 hours 42 minutes

£2,287

07-Feb

4 hours 48 minutes

47

313 IT Service Delivery Occupations

including IT operations technicians and user support technicians

25.2%

4 hours 24 minutes

£2,751

05-Feb

5 hours 12 minutes

48

415 Administrative Occupations: General

10.1%

4 hours 24 minutes

£1,665

05-Feb

4 hours 12 minutes

49

924 Elementary Security Occupations

security guards, traffic wardens, car park attendants

3.9%

4 hours 24 minutes

£1,396

05-Feb

4 hours 18 minutes

50

322 Therapists

including physios, occupational and speech therapists

42.0%

4 hours 12 minutes

£2,678

03-Feb

3 hours 42 minutes

51

421 Secretarial and Related Occupations

including personal, medical, legal secretaries, typists etc

13.7%

4 hours 12 minutes

£1,704

03-Feb

4 hours 0 minutes

52

621 Leisure & Travel Service Occupations

including travel agents, sports and leisure assistants, tour guides

6.7%

4 hours 6 minutes

£1,575

02-Feb

3 hours 24 minutes

53

721 Customer Service Occupations

including call centre agents

8.9%

4 hours 6 minutes

£1,355

02-Feb

3 hours 36 minutes

54

711 Sales Assistants and Retail Cashiers

including telesales

3.3%

4 hours

£1,098

02-Feb

3 hours 30 minutes

55

914 Elementary Goods Storage Occupations

dockers and warehouse workers

3.3%

4 hours

£1,332

02-Feb

5 hours 6 minutes

56

923 Elementary Cleaning Occupations

window cleaners, road sweepers, cleaners. refuse collectors

1.9%

3 hours 48 minutes

£1,037

31-Jan

3 hours 12 minutes

57

321 Health Associate Professionals

nurses, midwives, paramedics, radiographers, chiropodists, opticians, medical and dental technicians

23.4%

3 hours 42 minutes

£2,144

30-Jan

3 hours 36 minutes

58

611 Healthcare & Reltd Personal Services

nursing auxiliaries, care assistants etc

5.9%

3 hours 12 minutes

£1,074

27-Jan

3 hours 6 minutes

59

612 Childcare & Reltd Personal Services

nursery nurses, classroom assistants

19.8%

3 hours 12 minutes

£1,026

27-Jan

3 hours 54 minutes

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- On Work Your Proper Hours Day employees across the country will take a proper lunch and leave work on time. Media opportunities and events will be taking place in most English regions and Scotland and Wales.

- Case studies are available from the TUC Press Office.

- Visitors to www.workyourproperhoursday.com can:

o take a long hours quiz to find out if they are a 'desk junkie' or 'stay late sheep' and get tailored advice on how to treat their unproductive working patterns.

o Challenge colleagues to test their timing on the addictive '9-5' game, featuring cute puppies that work like dogs if you don't win them their proper hours.

o Work out how much their own unpaid overtime is worth in lost wages using our online calculator.

o Send their boss an anonymous 'bossagram', which will email their manager first thing on Friday 24 February to tell them it's Work Your Proper Hours Day and that they should take their staff out for lunch, or a coffee or cocktail after work to say thanks for their efforts.

o Download posters and deskcards to spread the message in the office.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Ben Hurley T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07881 622416 ; E: bhurley@tuc.org.uk
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Press release (2,200 words) issued 24 Feb 2006


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Changing Times: TUC guide to work life balance
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