Long working hours are
killing hundreds of thousands of people a year, according to the World Health
Organization (WHO).
The first global study of its kind showed 745,000 people died in 2016 from
stroke and heart disease due to long hours.
The report said
working long hours was estimated to be responsible for about a third of all
work-related disease, making it the largest occupational disease burden.
The WHO suggests that employers should now take this into account when
assessing the occupational health risks of their workers.
The report found that people living in South East Asia and the Western Pacific
region were the most affected and said the trend may worsen due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
In the UK you cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average – normally averaged over 17 weeks. This law is sometimes called the ‘working time directive’ or ‘working time regulations’.
You can choose to work more by opting out of the 48-hour week. If you’re under 18, you can’t work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week.
Exceptions to the 48-hour rules include:
· where 24-hour staffing is required
· in the armed forces, emergency services or police
· in security and surveillance
· as a domestic servant in a private household
· as a seafarer, sea-fisherman or worker on vessels on inland waterways
· where working time is not measured and you’re in control, e.g. you’re a managing executive with control over your decisions
The WHO research found
that working 55 hours or more a week was associated with a 35 per cent higher
risk of stroke and a 17 per cent higher risk of dying from heart disease,
compared with a working week of 35 to 40 hours.
The study, conducted with the International Labour Organization (ILO), also
showed almost three quarters of those that died as a result of working long
hours were middle-aged or older men.
Often, the deaths occurred much later in life, sometimes decades later, than
the long hours were worked.
While the study did not cover the period of the pandemic, WHO officials said
the recent jump in remote working and the economic slowdown may have increased
the risks associated with long working hours.
“We have some evidence that shows that when countries go into national
lockdown, the number of hours worked increased by about 10 per cent,” WHO
technical officer Frank Pega said.
The report said working long hours was estimated to be responsible for about a
third of all work-related disease, making it the largest occupational disease
burden.
The WHO suggests that employers should now take this into account when
assessing the occupational health risks of their workers.
Capping hours would be beneficial for employers as that had been shown to
increase productivity, Mr Pega said.
“It’s really a smart choice to not increase long working hours in an
economic crisis.”
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matters relating to employment law, contact our expert team today.