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By Will Sturgeon, 24 November 2003 09:20

NEWS Techies are among the workers least likely to be paid for overtime but now it is possible to find out just how much money employers are saving thanks to the TUC.

The trades union body has launched an overtime calculator which will enable workers to find out just how much they are missing out on - and there are probably few sectors worse off than the put-upon techies who often have to work unsociable hours, remain on call and put in time over weekends and holidays.

According to the TUC almost 40 million hours of overtime go unpaid every week in the UK, doing workers out of an average of £4,500 in salary.

But in the world of IT - where base salaries are generally better than average - there is an acceptance of such sacrifices come with the territory.

One techie contacted by silicon.com said: "If you work in operations - or support - if something breaks while you are at work then you stay until it's fixed.

"Also with any kind of upgrade or development work businesses generally want things done outside usual hours," he said. "In the case of a website the best time for that kind of work is between 2:00AM and 4:00AM in the morning. But I don't know of anybody in the business who doesn't know that's what they are letting themselves in for and it just depends on the employer as to whether or not they get paid extra for doing so - some do, many don't."

Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the TUC, claims Britons work the longest hours in Europe on average, with many working the equivalent of an extra day unpaid each week.

Barber believes many of the changes required are cultural rather than purely economic. Simply paying staff for their extra hours is one solution but he believes it will be better for everybody to strike a balance where those extra hours do not need to be worked.

"We need better managed workplaces and cultural change so that people can get their jobs done in the time available and are rewarded for working smartly, not for putting in long hours," he said. "We don't have a robust limit on hours and this is the only country where Bank Holidays can be included by employers in the minimum statutory 20 days [leave per year]."

The overtime calculator can be accessed here.