Workload levels mean more than two-fifths of teachers are working the equivalent of an extra day each week – with more than one in 10 working an additional two days without pay, research has found.
A survey by the EIS teaching union found 44.3% of teachers who took part said they work an additional seven unpaid hours in a typical week.
Meanwhile 11.5% of teachers said they work an extra 15 hours or more per week – the equivalent of two more days.
The results are revealed in a survey the union carries out every two years which looks at workload, health and wellbeing issues.
The results of the EIS national survey paint a stark picture on the matter of teacher workload. It is a story of persistent, excessive workload demands being placed on teachers at all grades and at all stages of their careers.https://t.co/pTerJXQFgX
— EIS (@EISUnion) June 3, 2025
The findings were made public ahead of the union’s annual general meeting later this week – where it will open a consultative ballot for industrial action over the Scottish Government’s “failure” to meet a commitment to reduce time spent in classes for teachers.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “The results of the EIS national survey paint a stark picture on the matter of teacher workload.
“It is a story of persistent, excessive workload demands being placed on teachers at all grades and at all stages of their careers.
“This has serious health, safety and wellbeing implications for teachers, and is contributing to a worrying upward trend in stress-related illness throughout the teaching profession.”
A total of 10,789 teachers from across Scotland took part in the survey – with only 17.5% saying they are either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their workload levels.
Two-thirds (66.9%) reported being either “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with workload levels generally.
When looking at the preparation and marking teachers have to do for classes, almost three-quarters (73%) said they are rarely or never able to do this within the working week.
And 64% said they can never complete all the tasks assigned to them within their working week.
Ms Bradley said tackling “excessive teacher workload” is one of the key aims of the union’s Stand Up for Quality Education campaign.
She vowed to press both local councils, who employ teachers, and the Scottish Government on the “vital issue”.
It comes after the last SNP Holyrood election manifesto pledged to cut the time teachers spend in the classroom by 1.5 hours a week “to give them the time they need to lift standards”.
But Ms Bradley said: “Four years on from that pledge being made, there has been absolutely no tangible progress towards delivering it, and no proposals as to how it will be delivered.
“It is the failure to deliver on this vital promise on class contact time that will lead to the EIS opening a consultative industrial action ballot over workload at our annual general meeting later this week.”
The Scottish Government said ministers will continue to work with unions and local government body Cosla to “agree our approach to delivering a reduction in class contact time”.
A spokesperson added: “This is also why we are providing local authorities with an additional £186.5 million to restore teacher numbers, alongside an additional £29 million to support the recruitment and retention of the ASN (additional support needs) workforce.
“This funding has been provided on the clear agreement that meaningful progress is made on reducing teacher class contact time.”
