pay1This Friday (1st March 2013) is the TUC’s Work Your Proper Hours Day, the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year, and starts earning for themselves.

According to a 2011 study by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) 25% of apprentices who work overtime are not paid for doing so. 10% of these apprentices are doing more than 10 hours free per week.

Unionlearn are campaigning to ensure that all apprentices feel valued. That means making sure they are properly paid and have reasonable paid time allocated to good quality learning.

Tom Wilson, Director of unionlearn said:

“We call on all employers who have apprentices to ensure they feel properly valued. Paying for regular overtime is important as an apprenticeship sets up a young person’s expectations for the world of work. We want them to learn that they deserve to be valued throughout their careers.”