Older staff 'work unpaid overtime'

The number of older employees working extra hours for no money has soared over the past decade, new figures suggest.

A report by the TUC found that people in their late 50s and early 60s are more likely to work unpaid overtime than those in their early 20s.

The group said more than 660,000 older employees put in unpaid overtime last year, a rise of 250,000 compared with 2001.

The report shows that the likelihood of working extra hours for no cash increases when the person has been in a job for longer.

Fears of losing income have also forced many people to work beyond the traditional retirement age, the TUC added.

The findings were released to mark the TUC's Work Your Proper Hours Day, aimed at encouraging people to finish the unpaid days they do every year and start earning money for themselves.

One in five employees works an average of more than seven hours of unpaid overtime a week, worth £5,300 each or a record total of £29 billion to the economy.

The findings showed that teachers, people in the media and financial services managers were among those most likely to put in overtime for no extra money.

However, the past 10 years have seen the proportion of workers in their early 20s working unpaid overtime fall by a third, the TUC said.

The TUC analysis was based on official Government figures.

Copyright Press Association 2012