British workers are giving away the equivalent of more than £4,000 in unpaid labour each year by regularly working overtime and taking on tasks outside their job description, a new study has found.
It raises concerns about blurred job boundaries, burnout and the hidden toll on workplace wellbeing.
A survey of over 1,000 UK employees, conducted by career platform StandOut CV, reveals that most staff routinely go beyond their contracted duties, and often without additional pay or formal recognition. The report calculates that it amounts to an average of 218 hours of unpaid work per year, or more than five weeks based on a standard working schedule.
The extra effort is not limited to staying late or working through lunch. Employees are increasingly stepping in to fill gaps far outside their remit. That’s whether by acting as IT helpdesk, offering emotional support to colleagues or even cleaning and tidying workspaces.
Routine Overwork and ‘Task Creep’
The study found that 85.7% of workers regularly put in overtime, averaging 2.6 hours per week. In addition, 85.1% also report handling tasks that fall outside their official role, averaging 2.1 hours per week.
Combined, this results in an average 4.7 hours of extra work each week. At the UK’s current average hourly wage of £18.64, it works out at £4,063.52 worth of unpaid labour annually, and typically done without complaint.
While some extra responsibility may be expected from time to time, observers say this level of “task creep” — where job boundaries expand informally — is unsustainable and potentially exploitative, especially when organisations rely on it to maintain day-to-day operations.
What Kind of Work Are Employees Doing Unpaid?
The report highlights five categories of non-role tasks that workers are most frequently asked to do:
- Providing tech support for colleagues – 66.4%
- Offering emotional support – 61.5%
- Cleaning or organising shared spaces – 60.7%
- Onboarding or training new team members – 57.7%
- Completing tasks for other departments – 56.9%
They’re not token contributions either. The time spent on the tasks each week adds up, with the most time-consuming being inter-departmental work (33.7 minutes), onboarding (32.8 minutes) and IT support (31.8 minutes).
More routine or “domestic” extras, like making drinks for others (13.4 minutes) or organising office events (16 minutes), were also common.
Internal Pressure, Unspoken Expectations
One of the most striking findings is the majority of workers take on these responsibilities without being formally asked. Only 23.7% said they had been explicitly instructed to do additional tasks by management. Instead, many cited internal motivations or a pervasive workplace culture that subtly encourages employees to go the extra mile.
Among the top reasons given:
- A personal sense of responsibility – 26.5%
- Unspoken workplace culture – 25.8%
- Short-staffing – 20.2%
- Direct instructions from management – 14.1%
- Pressure from colleagues – 9.6%
- Career development – 3.6%
The blurring of boundaries, while sometimes well-intentioned, risks creating resentment, say workplace experts, particularly when efforts go unnoticed or lead to overwork.
Mixed Feelings: Appreciation vs Burnout
When asked how these additional responsibilities made them feel, employee sentiment was split almost evenly.
Just over half (51.7%) felt positive or neutral, with 17.7% saying it made them feel like a key part of the team and 16.7% feeling appreciated. But 48.3% reported negative feelings, including frustration (18.4%), stress (17.2%) and a sense of unfairness (12.7%).
Crucially, nearly half (46.2%) of respondents said they never feel comfortable declining a request to do work outside their job description. Yet of those who did say no, more found their decision respected (33.8%) than penalised (20%). That suggests that fears about refusing extra work may be unfounded.
Impact on Core Responsibilities
The report also explored how these additional duties affect employees’ actual job performance. More than half (50.7%) said the extra tasks had a negative impact on their primary responsibilities, with 14.1% saying it actively distracted them.
A further 36.6% said there was some impact, while 41.7% reported a neutral effect and only 7.6% felt it helped. The cumulative picture is one of a workforce quietly absorbing more work than ever, often without adequate support, clarity or reward.
A Hidden Cost to Employers
While employers might benefit from staff pitching in informally, experts warn that this invisible labour has long-term costs. Over time, unpaid and unacknowledged work can contribute to disengagement, poor morale and higher turnover, notably if workers feel undervalued.
The findings echo growing concern about workload pressures in the UK, where employees already work the longest hours in Europe, averaging 42 hours per week.
With wellbeing now a key focus for many organisations, the report adds new weight to calls for clearer role definitions, better resourcing and a cultural shift away from presenteeism and silent overwork.