UK media workers' unpaid overtime reaches £288 million a year
By Leah McBride Mensching, Friday 15 February 2008 at 23:34 :: Labor & Employment :: #1272 :: rss
Those working in journalism, public relations, photography and broadcasting are 50 percent more likely to work overtime for free than the rest of the workforce, according to the Trades Union Congress, the national trade union centre in the United Kingdom.
Four in 10 media industry professionals work an average of six hours and 42 minutes for free each week, adding up to unpaid overtime worth about £288 million total each year, the TUC announced Friday.
Of those four out of 10 people, each misses out on £5,884 a year due to working overtime for free.
“So what can you do about it? Well, for a start you could take part in the TUC's 'Work your proper hours day,' on Friday, February 22, in which bosses will be encouraged to ensure their staff take a proper lunch break and leave work on time. Maybe you should check that your boss has heard about it,” writes MediaGuardian's John Plunkett. “Oh, and management will also be asked to thank their staff for all the hard work they put in. But they probably thank you enough already, right?”
According to the TUC, 49,000 media employees are working unpaid overtime.
The TUC said in a statement that it is looking for best and worst workplaces in the United Kingdom for unpaid overtime, and even has an interactive quiz workers can take to work out how proper hours can be reinstated, and why hours grew in the first place.
Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, said in a statement that the media industry “is notorious” for its culture of long hours. “But on 'Work Your Proper Hours Day' we want bosses to thank staff for all the extra effort they put in. They could even show their appreciation by chipping in for those much needed after work drinks.”
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