By Tim Ferguson, 23 February 2007 15:45
NEWS
Nearly half of IT professionals work more than their contracted hours, though the amount of unpaid overtime they're working has fallen over the past five years.
In 2006, 44.8 per cent of ICT workers and 30.6 per cent of IT service delivery employees worked unpaid overtime.
According to Trades Union Congress (TUC) research, ICT workers work an extra six hours six minutes per week, while IT service delivery staff work an average of four hours 36 minutes additionally per week.
But the two groups were ranked 23rd and 31st, respectively, out of all professions - and the amount of overtime worked by both has fallen by more than an hour since 2001.
Like last year, teaching professionals lead do the most unpaid overtime, with an average of 11 hours and six minutes extra work per week.
Postcards from the bleeding edge
Read the latest missive from tech guru and silicon.com columnist, Peter Cochrane, as he blogs from around the world.
In general, unpaid overtime is on the decline but the TUC says progress is "glacial". It estimates some workers will still be working an extra 10 hours or more per week until 2030. Currently, nearly 840,000 professionals work more than 10 unpaid hours per week.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said although most staff are happy to put in extra time when there's an emergency or extra pressure, this should not be taken for granted week in, week out.
Today is the TUC 'Work Your Proper Hours Day 2007' - which urges workers to take their full lunch break and leave work on time.
Comments
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1. MJ Craven
Teachers and lecturers topping the list again??? They only work a twenty-five hour week so with all the prep and marking they do, or the eleven extra hours a week unpaid(?) overtime they do the lazy teaching professions still only end up working a thirty-six hour week. Add to that all the long holidays and training days. The members of the slacker teaching "professions"(not that I have ever met a professional teacher or lecturer) would not know what hard work was if it slapped them in the face.
2. Joel Watson
It's clearly been a long time sicne you were at school Mr Craven. I wouldn't teach in a state school today for five times what I earn now. Unless I wanted to be shot, stabbed, urinated on or something worse. but i don't.
Hard work doesn't begin to describe it. Can you imagine how hard it is to resist the urge to cave in some little scrote's skull after he spits in your face, knowing you will end up in prison if you even look at him wrong.
Think before you speak.