Maarthandam

Think working a few extra hours is harmless? Think again. Working too much isn’t just making people tired, it’s killing people silently.

The numbers are scary – the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that over 800,000 people worldwide die every single year because of working excessively long hours, especially those pushing past 55 hours a week. In fact, a staggering 745,000 deaths in 2016 alone were directly linked to working more than 55 hours a week, primarily from heart disease and stroke. This isn’t just about feeling burnt out; it’s about life and death.  

Let’s break down the hard facts on how working too much is screwing up lives:

Specific Symptoms Emerge at 45+ Hours:

If you consistently work 45 hours or more per week, you’re significantly more likely to experience specific psychological stress responses like irritability, anxiety, and general depression. Fatigue and a profound lack of vigor also become notably greater at this 45-hour mark. The more often you work these long hours, the worse these feelings get. [Proof]

Lack of Energy & Anxiety

Compared to those who don’t work long hours, people frequently working overtime see their irritability, depression, and fatigue increase by three times or more. Lack of vigor goes up by at least two times, and anxiety by at least one time.  [Proof]

Longer Shifts Prevent Cellular Repair

A major pathway to these illnesses is chronic sleep deprivation and severely disrupted sleep patterns caused by long hours.

For instance, 12-hour shifts are linked to bigger drops in sleep length, alertness, and performance compared to 8-hour shifts. This consistent lack of restorative sleep means your body’s circadian rhythms fail to adapt fully , depriving your brain and body of essential repair processes. This deprivation leads to chronic fatigue, heightened stress, impaired cognitive function, and ultimately, the development of severe physical and mental health conditions [Read this paper]. The constant undermining of the body’s natural repair mechanisms leads to a cascade of negative health outcomes that can be challenging to reverse.

Work outside work hours has highest risks

Using work-related devices outside of regular work hours is a bigger anxiety trigger than just working long hours. One study found that using work devices off-hours carried an Odds Ratio (OR) of 2.18 for anxiety symptoms, compared to an OR of 1.32 for just working long hours.

The highest risk, an OR of 2.57, was for those who did both – worked long hours and stayed connected after hours. This constant mental tethering means your brain never truly rests.

The Medical Proof of Damage

Heart Attacks and Strokes: Prolonged hours are directly linked to a higher risk of heart attacks , ischemic heart disease, stroke , high blood pressure , and metabolic disorders

Deaths : As mentioned, the WHO and ILO estimate that 745,000 deaths globally in 2016 were due to ischemic heart disease or stroke caused by working over 55 hours a week

Hidden Damage : Raised cortisol levels from constant work affects blood sugar levels and immune system. It takes ten years to show the effect of overwork. In the source quoted here, we can see that even sitting for too long at your work-desk can cause type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Feeling bad that you can’t eat sweets due to diabetes? Blame your workplace !

Metabolic Syndrome : Research on Japanese workers who worked >10 hours a day suggests that working more than 10 hours a day increases if you are over 40. To understand how dangerous this is, Metabolic syndrome is highly predictive of cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and all-cause mortality.

Gastrointestinal Problems : Long working hours can cause gastritis. Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. Research says ‘ an irregular and unhealthy lifestyle, including smoking and alcohol use,  and psychosocial stress caused by long working hours, have been considered the main contributing factors. Furthermore, these factors can cause more frequent abdominal symptoms and gastrointestinal disease, and thus long working hours might cause gastrointestinal problems.

Feeling nauseous? A bad stomach ache? Yes go to the toilet, but go back to your home!

Atrial Fibrillation : Individuals working long hours had a 1.4-fold increased risk of atrial fibrillation compared with those working standard hours. For your information, Atrial Fibrillation is indicative of several heart problems.

Musculoskeletal Pain : You worked overnight and didn’t sleep well? OUCH ! Does that hurt? Well yes it will. Overworked Japanese adults who slept less because of work pressure had severe pain. The research even says that sleeping instructions must be provided by occupational health staff, catch that !

Claim 1 : Specifically, working ≥45 hours a week significantly increased the risk of irritability, anxiety, and depression. Fatigue and lack of vigor also became significantly greater at the 45-hour mark

Call for Change

The evidence is undeniable. Far from a badge of honor, working excessively long hours is a critical threat to our physical and mental well-being, silently eroding health and tragically claiming hundreds of thousands of lives each year. This isn’t just a matter of personal choice; it’s a global health crisis demanding urgent recognition and change. It’s time we prioritized lives over relentless labor.