It is fairly easy to get engrossed in ones work. Whether a project is enjoyable or not, once someone gets in the ‘grove’, they will find themselves spending much more time on their work than they might realise.
Subconsciously, we know that working absurdly long hours is bad. But exactly how bad is it? According to a recent study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), published in Environment International, it can be a potential killer.
The study found that long working hours led to 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016, a 29% increase since 2000.
In what is a first global analysis of the loss of life and health associated with working long hours, WHO and ILO estimated that, in 2016, 398,000 people died from stroke and 347,000 from heart disease as a result of having worked at least 55 hours a week. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths from heart disease due to working long hours increased by 42%, and from stroke by 19%.
More importantly, the study highlighted that this work-related disease burden is particularly significant in men (72% of deaths occurred among males), people living in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, and middle-aged or older workers. Most of the deaths recorded were among people aged 60-79 years, who had worked for 55 hours or more per week when they were between the ages of 45 and 74 years.
Overall, the study concluded that working 55 hours or more per week results in a much higher risk of potentially lethal health complications such as strokes or cardiovascular complications, as opposed to a 35-40 hour work week.
Apart from the above, the study also noted that the number of people working long hours is increasing, and currently stands at 9% of the total population globally. This trend puts even more people at risk of work-related disability and early death, it stated.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way many people work. Teleworking has become the norm in many industries, often blurring the boundaries between home and work.
“In addition, many businesses have been forced to scale back or shut down operations to save money, and people who are still on the payroll end up working longer hours.”
As such, even if it is company policy to limit working overtime, HR should be kept appraised on how many hours each individual employee is working per week in order to ensure they do not overwork themselves.
