A new league table shows by the TUC that teachers and lecturers do more overtime than any other occupation.

The average length of teachers’ and lecturers’ unpaid overtime a week is 11 hours 36 minutes, almost two hours more than the runners up in the league table, corporate and senior managers.

If teachers and lecturers did all their unpaid overtime at the start of the year, it would mean they did not start to get paid until 22 March.

But because they are paid so much more, senior managers’ overtime is worth much more than any other groups. Taking the average pay for senior managers, their average unpaid overtime of 9 hours and 48 minutes a week is worth £19,000 a year, while teachers’ longer hours are worth just half this (£9,892).

The unpaid overtime league table has been published by the TUC and shows how the £23 billion of unpaid overtime worked in the UK last year breaks down between different occupational groups. On average people’s unpaid overtime is worth £4,650 a year.

The top ranks of the league table are dominated by managers and professionals, but farm workers who do unpaid overtime also put in long unpaid hours, 8 hours 54 minutes a week, worth just over £2,500 a year on average - as do those who work in the arts, who do 8 hours 6 minutes a week, worth £5,600 a year.

Finance and accounts staff are the biggest group of white collar staff who rank high in the unpaid overtime league table. Those who do unpaid overtime put in 7 hours 18 minutes a week on average, worth £6,000 a year.

The TUC's Work Your Proper Hours Day, on February 25, urges staff to do their contracted hours and encouraging their managers to take the opportunity to thank employees for their extra work.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Everyone knows we work the longest hours in Europe. Too many workplaces are gripped by a long hours culture, where staff are expected to put in unpaid extra time week after week. We are not saying that we should all become clock-watchers, but it’s about time we called time on bosses who think the longer something takes the better the job is done."