Unpaid overtime soars as Canarian workers give six hours a week for free
A new study has revealed that employees in the Canary Islands are working an average of six unpaid overtime hours every week, equivalent to roughly two months of unpaid work a year. The findings come from the latest report by the Economic Office of the CCOO trade union, based on data from Spain’s Active Population Survey (EPA).
Across Spain, the report estimates that 2.49 million unpaid overtime hours were performed each week in 2025. The Canary Islands show similar patterns to the rest of the country, with widespread unpaid extra hours across several sectors.
The study highlights education, transport and storage, manufacturing, construction and retail as the most affected industries. In the Archipelago alone, workers perform around 129,924 overtime hours every week, and more than 52,000 of those hours are not paid. According to CCOO Canarias’ Secretary for Trade Union Action, Ignacio Hernández, this affects around 8,200 workers across the islands.
Hernández warns that the issue goes far beyond salaries, stressing the financial impact on the social security system. He estimates that companies are avoiding between €2,000 and €3,000 a year per worker in social contributions by failing to pay for these extra hours.
Nationwide, around 441,000 employees performed unpaid overtime in 2025, with 39% of all extra hours in Spain neither paid nor declared. The economic impact is enormous: €3.24 billion in unpaid wages and lost social security contributions. On average, each affected employee worked the equivalent of €7,355 worth of unpaid hours last year.
The union also notes that the volume of unpaid overtime nationally is equivalent to the creation of 62,000 full-time jobs, positions that could exist if companies did not rely on free labour. It warns that excessive working hours are not only illegal, but also a major public health concern, increasing sickness rates, stress-related conditions and anxiety disorders. The CCOO argues that these consequences place additional pressure on the healthcare system due to employer malpractice.
To tackle the problem, the union is calling for the urgent approval of a digital working-hour record system, agreed with the Ministry of Labour but not yet implemented. Hernández insists the system must apply to all companies, regardless of size, and allow employees to record their own hours directly. He also argues that labour inspectors should have online access to company records in real time to prevent fraud and respond effectively to complaints.
CCOO Canarias stresses that time-tracking must be complemented by better workplace organisation. The union adds that measures such as remote working have already demonstrated clear benefits, reducing sick days, improving employee wellbeing and helping curb excessive working hours.
Share:
