Do you hate working long hours? Most people do. But it turns out that pulling overtime isn't just tedious and stressful... it's actually bad for your health.
A newly-published study has found that overwork kills approximately 745,000 people every year due to a variety of knock-on adverse health effects, such as strokes and heart diseases.
Published in the scientific journal Environment International, the paper was conducted in a collaborative effort by researchers working for the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization.
The study was titled: "Global, regional, and national burdens of ischemic heart disease and stroke attributable to exposure to long working hours for 194 countries".
Take a look at this video of a Walmart employee quitting her job in the most dramatic way:According to WHO's data, people who work more than 55 hours per week place themselves at a higher risk group for ischemic heart disease and strokes, compared to people who work a standard amount of 35-40 hours per week.
The analysis of global data found that, in 2016, 398,000 people died from strokes and a further 347,000 from heart disease as a result of having worked excessive hours.
Meanwhile, between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths from heart disease due to working long hours increased by 42%, and from strokes by 19%, in the space of 16 years.
The study also found that men living in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia, between the ages of 45-75, were at the most risk of dying or developing a serious health condition through overwork.
Not only that, but the study's authors have speculated that the COVID pandemic will also have had a negative effect on the health of workers in a range of occupations.
Per BBC News, WHO technical officer Frank Pega said: "We have some evidence that shows that when countries go into national lockdown, the number of hours worked increase by about 10%."
Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated: "The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way many people work."
He continued: "Teleworking has become the norm in many industries, often blurring the boundaries between home and work.
"In addition, many businesses have been forced to scale back or shut down operations to save money, and people who are still on the payroll end up working longer hours.
"No job is worth the risk of stroke or heart disease. Governments, employers, and workers need to work together to agree on limits to protect the health of workers."
