Research for the TUC showed that workers in education and financial services are among those most keen to cut down their working week.
Hotel and restaurant staff are least likely to want to work fewer hours for less pay, although the TUC said this reflected the large number of part-time employment in the industry.
An analysis of the working habits of 60,000 households showed that manufacturing workers are also unhappy with the number of hours they work.
The research was published ahead of Work Your Proper Hours Day on Friday, which the TUC has calculated is the day that people who worked unpaid overtime will start to get paid if they did all their unpaid work at the start of the year.
Treating
The union organisation urged people to work their proper hours on Friday and take a full lunch break, and called on firms to thank their staff for their hard work by treating them to lunch.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Most people enjoy their jobs most of the time, but nearly half would like to work fewer hours.
"Worryingly, more than two million are so desperate to downshift that they would give up pay in return for a better work-life balance.
"But all our long hours are not making us more productive. Too many workplaces are gripped by a long hours culture, which staff and managers could easily work together to tackle.
"Work Your Proper Hours Day this Friday is the ideal time to get started with more happy hours and fewer long hours." Tweet
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I agree that my employees should work less hours but have the same pay.
The reason being is that if i show condiseration then they will recepricate by working twice as hard meeting deadline & give staff a better life style.
I totally agree with the opinion of the TUC. I think the culture of long hours has been installed upon us for years now. Whilst working at my last company staff were made to feel awkward if they left the office at 5pm, and this was not just directed by management, but also be other colleagues. There is a persistant lack of job security these days, which it turn creates and atmosphere of fear amongst staff as to who will lose their job first.I am not shocked by the calculation of the unpaid days the TUC stated, I have friends who regularly work 45-50 hrs per week and only get paid for 37 1/2 hours.