Workers in finance graduate jobs and other professionals should "fight back" against a working culture which sees them completing huge swathes of unpaid overtime.

Research conducted by the Trades Union Congress revealed that almost a million people clock up an average of two hours of free labour every day.

The director of the Institute of Employment Rights, Carolyn Jones, reacted with concern to the findings.

"Employers are wanting to squeeze more and more out of fewer and fewer workers," she said. "It reflects a degree of fear and insecurity amongst working people."

She believes that in some professions it is now assumed that employees will work unpaid overtime and is worried that overworked individuals do not perform at their best and could endanger their health.

However, there is no legal requirement for employers to pay for workers’ extra hours so long as the overall pay rate does not fall below the minimum wage.

Equally, there is no requirement for anyone to work more than 48 hours a week, though many employers encourage workers to sign a waiver.

Ms Jones said: "The working times regulations set out maximum working hours and rest periods, and people should check their rights before accepting employer demands."

Had all overtime estimated to have been completed in 2009 been paid for, the total cost to employers would have stood at £27.4 billion.

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