Employees giving away over two months of overtime every year: Malibu and Brian Cox urge nations to Clock Off

• Malibu has partnered with the legendary actor, who is famously known for playing a workaholic, to show how great life can be when you finish work on time.
• Global campaign launches in light of 84% of workers stating they have felt the pressure to work overtime.
• Top three countries of over workers are US (60 hours), UK (40 hours) and Germany (31 hours), clocking up the most overtime per month
• Nearly three-quarters (72%) of workers across the UK, US, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Greece believe the amount of overtime they are expected to work has increased since the pandemic.

This comes on the heels of a new survey² revealing well over three quarters (79%) of workers across the UK, US, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain regularly work overtime, logging an average of 2 working days (16 hours) per week. Looking at who tops the table, the US ranked the highest with the average worker clocking a staggering 60 hours unpaid overtime per month, UK came in second with 40 hours and Germany was slightly less with 31 hours per month.

The second iteration of Malibu’s Do Whatever Tastes Good campaign is a rallying cry for the masses to down tools, switch off screens, and shut laptops on time, to make time for the people and things they love. Whether it’s a barbeque, picnic in the park, or a cheeky happy hour visit, Malibu wants people to remember how joyous clocking off on time can be!

To kick things off, Cox features in a fun new advert, sporting a bold pink suit and vintage roller skates. At exactly 17:01 pm Brian checks his watch, comes to his senses, and leaves the boardroom. He then skates down the boardwalk, inviting passersby to clock off with him and release their summer selves. The advert ends with Brian in his ultimate clock-off destination – sitting back in his bespoke office-style recliner on the beach, with a heavenly Malibu Piña Colada in hand. 

While Brian is all about clocking off from the boardroom on time, the new survey has found there’s a bigger issue at play – the rise of disguised overtime. Smartphones bring the office to our fingertips, and we’ve been found to regularly answer emails, instant messages, text messages, and calls well beyond working hours. The average worker sends and takes work-related messages and calls over 28 times per week outside of work hours, unintentionally racking up more than two full days of unpaid overtime every month.³ And, over one in three Brits (41%) admit to working while on annual leave as they struggle to clock off from work.

To help people truly clock off, Malibu brought the world’s first ‘Clock Off Fountain’ to the heart of London. From 17:01pm yesterday, the overworked had the chance to toss their phones into the ‘Clock Off Fountain,’ releasing themselves from relentless emails and instant messages. There was no need to worry about phones being lost forever either – each device was safely wrapped in a watertight, padded case for peace of mind. When ready, the phones were safely retrieved from the fountain, allowing the overworkers to sit back, relax, and enjoy the liberation of unplugging with a complimentary Malibu Piña Colada in hand!

Brian Cox comments: “Contrary to the characters I play, I’m all about celebrating the enjoyment of life and taking time off for the people and things that matter. In some roles I was consumed by work, control, and power, and never knew when to clock off. But the reality is, we all need to disconnect if we want to enjoy what life has to offer. The “Do Whatever Tastes Good” campaign by Malibu is about reminding people that their free time is sacred and should be enjoyed, and this is a message I support.”

Malibu’s VP of Marketing, Craig van Niekerk, says: “We understand that work is a meaningful part of life—it provides purpose, structure, and a way to contribute. But it’s overwork—not work—that’s wearing us down. At Malibu, we’re all about inviting people to unplug and enjoy life. Building on the positive, free-spirited energy of our first ‘Do Whatever Tastes Good’ campaign, our ‘Clock Off’ message feels more important than ever. In a world that rarely stops, we’re reminding everyone to slow down, prioritise joy, and make time for what truly matters. So, clock off on time, enjoy a Malibu Piña Colada, and keep that summer feeling going all year long.”

For those wanting to Clock Off and embrace their summer self, and find out more about Malibu’s Do Whatever Tastes Good campaign, please visit Malibu’s website and Instagram channel.

Additional findings from the survey reveal:

• More than one in three (34%) often feel pressured to work beyond their contracted hours
• More than one in five (21%) are expected to work unpaid overtime
• More than one in ten (12%) think they have a bad work life balance
• Almost one in five (19%) have an unhealthy attitude to working overtime
• Almost one in five (18%) say they feel overworked
• 16% say they never clock off from work on time
• Nearly a quarter (23%) say work dominates most of their time

UK [2,000 sampled]

• Almost a third (30%) of Brits often feel pressured to work beyond their contracted hours
• More than one in four (26%) of Brits are expected to work unpaid overtime
• Nearly a third (32%) of Brits are expected to work paid overtime
• More than one in ten Brits (11%) think they have a bad work life balance
• Nearly one in five (17%) Brits have an unhealthy attitude to working overtime
• More than one in five (21%) Brits say they feel overworked // -> 5% more than the US
• Nearly one in five (18%) Brits say work dominates most of their time
• 14% of Brits say they never clock off on time // -> 17% more than the US

US [2,000 sampled]

• 38% of US workers often feel pressure to work beyond their contracted hours
• 14% of US workers are expected to work unpaid overtime
• Nearly half of US workers (46%) are expected to work paid overtime // -> 44% more than the UK’s percentage of paid overtime workers
• Nearly one in ten (9%) US workers think they have a bad work life balance // -> 22% more than the US
• 15% of US workers think they have an unhealthy attitude towards working overtime
• One in five (20%) of US workers feel overworked
• Nearly one in five (19%) US workers feel that work dominates more of their time
• More than one in ten (12%) US workers never clock off on time

GEN Z [1,564 sampled]

• Gen Z feel it the most with almost half often feeling the pressure (45%) to work beyond their contracted hours, more than double the pressure boomers experience (20%)
• It’s Gen Z that are also expected to work the most unpaid overtime, with nearly a quarter (22%) logging unpaid hours.
• It’s Gen Z who feel that work dominates most of their time, with over a quarter (28%) making that statement, compared to just 16% of boomers
• Gen Z’s are on average logging 2 additional hours per week of unpaid overtime compared to their Millennial counterparts, meaning they are working an extra day per month
• Gen Z’s are feeling it the most since the pandemic with almost half (48%) believing that they are expected to work more unpaid overtime, compared to only 24% of Boomers
• More than 1 in 10 (12%) Gen Z’s fear they’ll be made redundant if they don’t work overtime
• Gen Z’s are sending / taking the most calls, emails, whatsapp’s messages and video calls outside of work at an average of 39 per week equating to an extra 3.5 days per month.

MILLENNIALS [5,343 sampled]

• Millennials top the table when it comes to the worst work life balance, with 14% of respondents reporting a poor work life balance
• Millennials also have the unhealthiest attitude towards working overtime, with nearly a quarter (22%) reporting an unhealthy attitude
• Millennials feel the most overworked, with more than one in five (21%) stating that they feel overworked