In some cultures, overworking is glamour. In some organizations, it is glamourous to overwork; employees think they are being seen. There are also organizations where overwork is encouraged.

Should anyone overwork?

In the 1990s, when sociologist Junko Kitanaka from Keio University, Japan first started studying the Japanese culture of working oneself to death, it was unheard in USA and Europe.

Now it is known to all that overwork is unhealthy; it increases the chance of a premature death.

Overwork doesn’t spare anyone; it is detrimental to everybody’s health, be it the senior managers, business owners or the workers alike.

In a recently published landmark study done jointly by WHO (World Health Organization) and ILO (International Labor Organization), it was found that around 750,000 deaths occurred in 2016 due to long working hours (at least 55 hours per week).

The study concluded that working 55 or more hours per week is associated with an estimated 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease (heart attack), compared to working 35-40 hours a week.

The number of deaths due to long working hours increased for heart disease by 42% and by 19% for stroke between 2000 and 2016.

When people normalize long working hours, knowingly or unknowingly, it’s a worry because overwork deprives the worker of the time needed for work-life balance.

Most of the deaths occurred in people aged 60-79 years, who had worked for 55 hours or more per week when they were between 45 and 74 years.

Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, at the World Health Organization remarked, “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”.

Currently about 9% of total population globally is working long hours and the trend is increasing. This puts more people year on year at risk of work-related disability and early death.

When people normalize long working hours, knowingly or unknowingly, it’s a worry because overwork deprives the worker of the time needed for work-life balance. Unfortunately, the importance of work-life balance most of us underestimate unless something catastrophic happens to our health.

It is good to introspect, especially if you have been working long hours for more than a week before it becomes a habit and begins to slowly affect your physical and mental health negatively.

Working for around 40 hours per week gives the employees time for work-life balance which not only helps improve the wellbeing, both in the short-term as well as long-term, but also improves productivity.

One can’t be efficient at work if chronically overworking. Yes, in case of some projects or research that is time-bound, it is understandable to work extra hours for a few days. If it is taking more than a few days, then a rest period for a at least a day or two is helpful, else efficiency is bound to drop, inattention increases, mistakes happen, sometimes leading to accidents.

Overwork causes stress due to imbalance in work-life balance which leads to sleep deprivation and social isolation. Overwork does not allow time to exercise and relax; on the contrary, negative coping mechanisms increase, like an increase in indulgence in smoking and alcohol further leading to deteriorating mental and physical health. If nothing is done to reverse this, chances of premature death increases.

MSME business owners can take a hint from this WHO-ILO study and be mindful that they themselves also should not overwork and have a realistic goal of working up to 40 hours per week to minimize the risk of premature heart attacks and stroke. Working for around 40 hours per week gives the employees time for work-life balance which not only helps improve the wellbeing (mental and physical health), both in the short-term as well as long-term, but also improves productivity.

Similarly, in large companies OH physicians or visiting doctors, can apprise the management of this study and influence them to reduce the number of working hours to around 40 and to view it as a wellness initiative having many benefits both to the employee and the organization.

Overwork doesn’t spare anyone; it is detrimental to everybody’s health, be it the senior managers, business owners or the workers alike.

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Dr Ajay Sati is an Occupational Health physician who prefers to describe himself as an Occupationist, to denote, ‘an expert in diseases and other concerns of occupations’. Dr Sati has managed health and wellness programs in industries he worked, like the atomic energy, and energy (oil & gas) in India and overseas. An experienced virtual consultation expert he was involved in many greenfield and brownfield projects providing inputs from health point of view. He is currently involved in a health startup independently.