Teachers and engineers are the two sets of professionals most likely to put in overtime, a new survey shows.

In fact, unpaid overtime is so common in schools that it is considered a fundamental part of the job.

Teachers have the dubious honour of being the hardest workers among a nation of hard workers, according to the survey of more than 1,500 people, conducted by recruitment agency Reed.

The survey suggets that one in five British workers works more than an extra day of overtime every week. Two-thirds work almost four hours of overtime each week, which equates to 24 working days a year.

Unpaid overtime

Teachers – along with engineers – work an average of six hours overtime each week. This makes them the professionals most likely to put in overtime. Unpaid overtime is considered part of the job description, the research suggests.

Almost 60 per cent of teachers said that they often work through lunch, and nearly half regularly stay late at school.

A Reed spokeswoman said: “Businesses should always be cautious of becoming over-reliant on the heroic efforts of those members of staff who are always prepared and able to go the extra mile.”

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