According to a new report by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization, long working hours cause hundreds of thousands of fatalities each year. According to the study, working more than 55 hours a week in a paid job resulted in 745,000 deaths in 2016, up from 590,000 in 2000. In 2016, almost 398,000 people died as a result of a stroke, and 347,000 died as a result of heart disease. Long hours may have a negative influence on health due to physiological stress responses as well as behavioral changes (such as an unhealthy diet, poor sleep, and limited physical activity), according to the authors.
WHO and ILO estimate that 398 000 people died from stroke and 347 000 died from heart disease in 2016 as a result of working at least 55 hours a week in a first worldwide examination of the loss of life and health associated with working for long hours. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease and stroke grew by 42 percent and 19 percent, respectively.
This burden of work-related disease is disproportionately high among men (72 percent of deaths), those living in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions, and middle-aged and older workers. The majority of the deaths were among those aged 60 to 79 who died after working for 55 hours or more per week between the ages of 45 and 74.
Working long hours is currently acknowledged to be the risk factor with the highest occupational illness burden, accounting for around one-third of the overall estimated work-related burden of disease. This changes the focus to a more psychosocial occupational risk factor for human health, which is still relatively new. In comparison to working 35-40 hours a week, working 55 or more hours a week is related with a 35 percent higher risk of stroke and a 17 percent higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, according to the study.
Furthermore, the number of people working long hours is rising, and it now accounts for 9% of the world population. As a result of this tendency, even more people are at risk of being disabled at work and dying young. The new study comes as the COVID-19 pandemic puts an emphasis on work-hour management; the pandemic is hastening innovations that could feed the trend toward longer work hours.
“The COVID-19 epidemic has significantly affected the way many people work,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “In many businesses, teleworking has
become the standard, blurring the lines between home and work. Furthermore, many businesses have been compelled to reduce or eliminate activities in order to save money, and those who remain on the payroll are obliged to work longer hours. There is no work worth risking a stroke or heart disease for. Governments, businesses, and employees must collaborate to set limitations that preserve workers’ health.”
