Working more than 55 hours a week increases the risk of death from heart disease and stroke, according to a study by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization.
This first global analysis of the loss of life and health damage associated with long working hours is published as the Covid-19 pandemic accelerates developments that may reinforce the tendency to work longer hours. The study, published in the journal Environment International, however, does not relate to the pandemic, but to previous years. The authors synthesized data from dozens of studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants.
Long working hours can lead to premature death
“Working 55 hours or more per week represents a serious health hazard“said Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Environment, Climate Change and Health Department at WHO.” It is time for everyone – governments, employers and employees – to finally admit that long working hours can lead to premature death “, she added.
The study concludes that working 55 hours or more per week is associated with estimated 35% increased risk of stroke and a 17% risk of dying from ischemic heart disease compared to working 35-40 hours per week. WHO and ILO estimate that in 2016, 398,000 people died from stroke and 347,000 from heart disease after working at least 55 hours per week. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths due to heart disease linked to long working hours increased by 42%, a figure that stands at 19% for strokes. Most of the recorded deaths were among people aged 60 to 79, who had worked 55 or more hours per week when they were between 45 and 74 years old.
First risk factor for occupational disease
In summary, says the WHO, “now that it is known that about a third of the total estimated work-related disease burden is attributable to long working hours, this is in fact the first risk factor for occupational disease“.” We therefore found no difference between the sexes in terms of the effect of long working hours on the incidence of cardiovascular disease, “WHO expert Frank Pega told a press conference. .
However, the disease burden is particularly important in men (72% of deaths concern them) because they represent a large proportion of workers in the world. It is also more important in people living in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, where, Pega explained, there are more informal sector workers likely to be forced to work long days.
More work during lockdowns
The WHO is all the more worried about this phenomenon as the number of people working long hours is increasing. He currently represents 9% of the world’s total population. The pandemic should do little to reverse the trend. On the contrary.
“Telecommuting has become the norm in many industries, often blurring the lines between home and work. In addition, many companies have been forced to downsize or shut down to save money and the people they continue to employ end up with longer working hours, ”said Dr Tedros Adhanom. WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus But, he warned, “No job is worth taking the risk of stroke or heart disease. Governments, employers and workers must work together to agree on limits to protect workers’ health. “
Citing a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 15 countries, Pega said that “the number of working hours increased by around 10% during confinementsTeleworking, combined with a digitalization of work processes, makes it more difficult to disconnect workers, he said, recommending to organize “rest periods.” The pandemic has also increased insecurity in the workplace. employment, which, in times of crisis, tends to push those who have kept theirs to work more to show that they are competitive, noted the expert.
This first global analysis of the loss of life and health damage associated with long working hours is published as the Covid-19 pandemic accelerates developments that may reinforce the tendency to work longer hours. The study, published in the journal Environment International, however, does not focus on the pandemic, but on previous years. The authors synthesized data from dozens of studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants. “Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Environment Department, climate change and health at WHO. “It is time for everyone – governments, employers and workers alike – to finally admit that long working hours can lead to premature death,” she added. The study concludes that working 55 hours or more per week is associated with an estimated 35% increase in the risk of stroke and a 17% increase in the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease compared to working 35-40 hours per week. WHO and ILO estimate that in 2016, 398,000 people died from stroke and 347,000 from heart disease after working at least 55 hours per week. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths due to heart disease linked to long working hours increased by 42%, a figure that stands at 19% for strokes. Most of the recorded deaths were among people aged 60 to 79, who had worked 55 or more hours per week when they were between 45 and 74 years old. In summary, says the WHO, “now that it is known that about a third of the total estimated work-related disease burden is attributable to long working hours, this makes it the number one risk factor for occupational disease. “. “We therefore found no gender difference in the effect of long working hours on the incidence of cardiovascular disease,” WHO expert Frank Pega told a press conference. , the burden of disease is particularly high among men (72% of deaths concern them) because they represent a large proportion of workers in the world. It is also higher among people living in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions, where, Pega explained, there are more informal sector workers who may be forced to work for The WHO is all the more worried about this phenomenon as the number of people working long hours is increasing. It currently represents 9% of the total world population. The pandemic should do little to reverse the trend. On the contrary. “Teleworking has become the norm in many industries, often blurring the lines between home and work. In addition, many companies have been forced to scale down or shut down their activities to save money and the people they continue to employ end up with longer working hours, ”said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. But, he warned, “No job is worth taking the risk of stroke or heart disease. Governments, employers and workers must work together to agree on limits to protect workers’ health. “Citing a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 15 countries, Pega said” the number of working hours has increased by about 10% during lockdowns. ” Teleworking, combined with a digitalization of work processes, makes it more difficult to disconnect workers, he said, recommending to organize “periods of rest”. The pandemic has also increased job insecurity, which, in times of crisis, tends to push those who have kept theirs to work more to show that they are competitive, noted the expert.
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