Long work hours and uncertain shifts have been normalized in modern society. Over 15 million Americans work full-time on night, evening, rotational, or other irregular shifts, and many of them put in more than 40 hours per week at their jobs. Worker tiredness may result from such work schedules.
Shift employees may be assigned to changes that include rotating or on-call hours, days, and nights. They might put in longer hours than the standard 40 per week by working consecutive shifts, rotational or irregular shifts, or long shifts. However, extended work hours can lead to poor health and raise the possibility of injuries and accidents.
The Effect of Long Work Hours
Researchers are pushing for a cap of no more than 39 hours per week despite the fact that average working hours vary significantly between nations. It’s understandable why working more than that could be harmful to your physical and emotional well-being.
There is little time for other aspects of life when spending long, sedentary days in front of the laptop coping with back-to-back conferences and countless Slack notifications. Stroke, back pain, and heart disease are a few health issues that may result from this. Your mental health will certainly suffer as well over time, making you more susceptible to stress, worry, and sadness.
Why People Work Long Hours
Several aspects of how we work have changed because of modern technology. Still, it has also sparked a hyper-connected society that makes it more difficult than ever to disengage when we need to.
In an effort to finish more work before a deadline for a significant project, we frequently put everything on hold, respond to one email past midnight, and allow our work to continue into the weekend. Nevertheless, a study discovered that when we start working more than 50 hours each week, our productivity actually decreases.
While some see the main benefit of working overtime as better income, others see it as an opportunity to show their commitment and raise their chances of promotion.
Working longer may also result from a lack of personnel, a flat administrative structure in which everyone fills multiple roles, or simply from the fact that you enjoy your job so much that you lose track of time.
Whatever your motivations for working extra hours, it’s crucial to remain productive and healthy when you’ve had a long week.
