The 10th annual ‘Go Home On Time Day’ report by The Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work estimates that Australian employees will work 3.2 billion hours of unpaid overtime for their employers this year, worth an estimated $106 billion in foregone wages.
A national survey shows the average Australian worker now puts in six hours of unpaid overtime per week, equating to working an extra two months for free every year – up from 5.1 hours in the previous year’s survey.
This year’s survey also included a special questionnaire on digital surveillance: 70% of respondents said their employers use at least one form of digital monitoring, including cameras, GPS tracking, and monitoring internet activity.
“Australians are working more unpaid overtime than ever before, and they’re paying a high price for it,” said Troy Henderson, Economist at the Centre for Future Work.
Related research
Under the Employer’s Eye: Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance in Australian Workplaces
Excessive Hours and Unpaid Overtime: 2018 Update (full report)