UN: 55-hour workweeks can shorten one’s lifespan

• Working long hours can have a significant impact on a person’s health, which could lead to a shorter lifespan.
• According to a study by the United Nations, working 55-hour workweeks or longer is “a serious health hazard.”
• People who worked longer hours were found to have a higher risk for stroke and heart disease.

A United Nations study revealed that working 55-hour workweeks or longer can increase one’s risk of premature death from strokes and heart disease.

The study by the UN’s World Health Organization and International Labour Organization agencies was published in the Environment International journal. It is the first global analysis of the impact of working long hours on life and health.

The study looked into pre-pandemic data of dozens of studies that involve hundreds of thousands of participants.

According to the study, working 55-hour workweeks or longer was associated with an estimated 35 percent increase in the risk of stroke, and a 17 percent rise in the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared to working 35 to 40 hours.

According to the estimates of the WHO and the ILO, most of the recorded deaths from stroke and heart disease were among people aged 60 to 79, but who had worked 55 hours or more per week when they were between 45 and 74 years old.

The number of deaths related to long working hours only increased through the years.

Maria Neira, director of the WHO’s environment, climate change, and health department, stated, “Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard.”

“It’s time that we all — governments, employers, and employees — wake up to the fact that long working hours can lead to premature death,” she continued.

While there was no difference in the effects on men and women, the risk is higher among men (accounting for around 72% of deaths) since they represent a larger proportion of workers, said Frank Pega, a technical officer from Neira’s WHO department.

The risk is also higher among people in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, where informal sector workers may be forced to work longer days.

The WHO stated, “With working long hours now known to be responsible for about one-third of the total estimated work-related burden of disease, it is established as the risk factor with the largest occupational disease burden.”

The WHO raised their concerns and pointed out that about nine percent of the world’s population are working long hours. This number is only steadily increasing as the pandemic drives up the need for longer working hours.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the new trend of working from home also tends to blur the lines between work and home activities, making it harder to disconnect.

“No job is worth the risk of stroke or heart disease,” he declared. “Governments, employers, and workers need to work together to agree on limits to protect the health of workers.”

Pega recommends having firmer schedules of work hours while at home, including rest periods and personal time.

Source: Yahoo! News