Restaurant managers do 47 days unpaid overtime

27th February 2009, 12:00pm

Restaurant managers are giving away an average of 47 days unpaid overtime a year, according to a TUC analysis of official statistics published today (27 February).

Data from Autumn 2008 shows that 5.3% of restaurant workers are doing unpaid overtime, down by 1.2 percentage points on the previous year.

Restaurant managers who are doing unpaid hours are giving away the equivalent of 47 days free work per year – down from 51 last year – which amounts to eight hours 18 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.

Today is the TUC's Work Your Proper Hours Day when the average person who does unpaid overtime would start to get paid if they did all their unpaid overtime at the start of the year. In previous years the TUC has made a light-hearted call for employees to work their proper hours for just one day to remind bosses of the extra effort they are putting in.

But at a time when many employees are putting in extra unpaid hours to help their employers through the recession, and save their jobs, the TUC is instead applauding the spirit and dedication of the workers who are helping to keep their businesses afloat.

Excessive long hours working still needs to be addressed in UK workplaces, especially in a downturn, as it can lead to stress and burn out, which lowers productivity and doesn't benefit businesses or staff, said the TUC.

 TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "The recession is bringing new pressure for people to work unpaid overtime. While restaurant managers 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."

Professor Cary Cooper added: "Consistently working long hours is likely to affect your health adversely as well as your productivity. A good work-life balance, which offers quality time at home, is vitally important to both the health of the employee and to the long term health of their company or organisation."

Related Articles:

• 16 Jun 2009 - Peter Avis wins UK Restaurant Manager of the Year award
• 10 Mar 2009 - Leisure, hotel and catering sectors face long road to recovery
• 04 Mar 2009 - Restaurant industry will return to growth in 2010

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