The number of people worldwide who died from stroke or heart disease as a result of working long hours shot up by 29 percent between 2000 and 2016, according to new estimates by the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation.
The analysis of global data, released earlier this week, shows that in 2016 alone nearly three-quarters of a million deaths could be attributed to stroke or ischemic heart disease caused by working 55 hours a week or longer. Most of the deaths were among men aged 60 and above, living in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region, who were working such long hours at the time of their death or had done so earlier in their career.
Furthermore, the number of people working such long hours globally is increasing. According to WHO and ILO estimates, 9 percent of the entire global workforce, or nearly 300 million workers, are working long hours now. And with the pandemic adding still more stressors, the number of deaths is probably even higher today.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, pointed out that remote work—despite being lauded for the flexibility it allows—has blurred the boundaries between home and work, frequently exacerbating situations where layoffs have already left people with greatly increased work burdens. “No job is worth the risk of stroke or heart disease,” he warned. “Governments, employers and workers need to work together to agree on limits to protect the health of workers.”
Working long hours has for a long time been known to have serious adverse effects on health, with prior research linking it to not just stroke and heart failure but other forms of chronic illness and mental health issues. WHO statistics also indicate that working 55 hours or more per week is the highest risk factor for occupational disease, with one-third of work-related health issues linked to long working hours.