Millennials are giving away up to £34 billion in overtime every year.
A poll of 2,000 employed adults found they do an average of almost three unpaid hours a week over their contracted time.
Based on an average hourly wage of £18.24, this equates to approximately £49 being given away for free every week per full-time Millennial employee.
It also emerged those aged 18-44 do the most overtime – with this dropping to just over two hours of overtime per week for Boomers.
Because of this lack of free time, mealtimes and nutrition are also suffering – as 73 per cent said their job negatively affects their diet and eating habits.
With the average working Millennial choosing fast food or takeaways for dinner twice a week because they don’t have time to cook for themselves.
Ambition was revealed as a key driver for putting in these extra hours, with 63 per cent of Millennials and 76 per cent of Gen Zs believing overtime is essential to get ahead.
And 23 per cent of all workers feel the younger generations are more ambitious.
George Taylor, founder at Frive, which commissioned the research, said: “Society has got the wrong end of the stick when it comes to younger generations.
“Millennials and Gen Z are actually working harder than anyone, but often at the expense of their health and happiness.”
The pursuit of success does come at a cost – 31 per cent of Millennial workers will regularly skip being home for dinner, and 19 per cent have missed a family member’s birthday.
Five per cent even admitted they haven’t been at the birth of their own child due to work commitments, according to the OnePoll.com data.
But while 56 per cent of Gen Zs and 44 per cent of Millennials believe the upsides of their work ethic are the fresh ideas and creativity they bring to the table, only 19 per cent of Boomers agree with them.
Instead believing they bring a more vocal approach to mental health (50 per cent), a less formal dress code (50 per cent), and a more relaxed attitude towards work (37 per cent).
And 15 per cent envy the younger generation’s ability prioritise self-care over their careers.
Despite these beliefs, 33 per cent of Gen Zs and Millennials will spend three or four evenings out of the average week still at their desks, something only 22 per cent of the general population do.
The study also found 30 per cent of Gen Z and 22 per cent of Millennials feel pressured a few times a week, if not every day, to work overtime to meet the expectations placed upon them.
This level of stress may be why 60 per cent of these generations would be willing to take a pay cut if it meant they could work fewer hours.
Frive’s spokesperson added: “Work is important, but without balance, burnout is inevitable – something that I found out the hard way myself.
“And sacrificing on our nutrition and our health in the pursuit of success doesn’t help with this either.
“Ultra-processed foods play a big part in our health – adolescents in the UK now get nearly two-thirds of their calories from UPFs in foods such as meal deals or takeaways.
“These foods are convenient in the short term but are linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even poor mental health.
“That’s why we made it our mission to make eating well easy, quick and nutritious, giving people back the time and energy they need to thrive.”
TOP 10 THINGS BRITS HAVE MISSED THANKS TO OVERTIME:
1. Being home on time for dinner
2. Drinks or dinner with friends
3. A friend’s birthday
4. A football match
5. Personal health appointments
6. A family member’s birthday
7. A child’s sports day
8. Picking the kids up from school
9. A concert
10. A date or night out with a partner
