Unpaid Overtime..how much is reasonable?

smogzy

I started a new job about 9 months ago but I have one big bugbear.... I am getting a bit peeved by the constant unpaid overtime I am expected to do.

I typically work approx an extra 5 -10 extra hours a week but their have been occations when I've worked over 60 hours a week. Normally I wouldn't mind but the job in my opinion pays under the average (£2000 PA) wage for an engineer of my experience.

I'm contracted to work 40 hours a week and my contract states that I am to work overtime as part of extra hours to the working week and as call-out cover. It does not state how much overtime I'm expected to do though.

I'm getting to the point where I'm going to say enough is enough and refuse to work overtime without being paid. I do like the job but then I feel that you can only let someone take advantage of you for so long.

If I was to do this possibly ended up in front of a employment tribunal how would they view my contract as to how many overtime hours I would be expected to do? What would be reasonable?

LittleVoice

The Working Time Directive gives a marker of 48 hours on average. So working 45-50 hours a week would, on average, keep you below that figure.

As long as the 60-hour week was very occasional, you are probably still within the 48-hour average. Have you signed an opt-out to work more than the 48-hour average?

I don't know what view ETs are taking but I would guess that they would bear the WTD limit into account.

Emmzi

does your contract say 35 or whatever hours, or does it say something like as many hours as needed to get the job done?

I'd go for an informal chat first to see if there's a friendly resolution to be had. What does everyone else do?