35% increase in risk of stroke and 17% increase in risk of dying from heart disease … Long weeks at work can be fatal reveals new study by World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization.
Work to live… or to die younger? A new study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) published in the journal International environment makes this alarming observation. The results of the inquiry made public on Monday, May 17 confirm that the “workaholics” (contraction of the English terms of “work” and “alcoholic”), that is to say those and those who work more than 55 hours per week, are at a much higher risk of premature death compared to those who maintain 35 to 40 hour shifts per week.
“Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard” says Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Environment, Climate Change and Health Department at WHO.
Increased risk of stroke and ischemic heart disease
The study concludes that working more than 55 hours per week is linked to an estimated 35% increase in the risk of stroke and a 17% increase in the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease. In addition, the WHO and the ILO estimate that in 2016, 745,000 people died worldwide for working at least 55 hours per week – 398,000 people died of stroke and 347,000 of heart disease – the The number of deaths due to heart disease and stroke linked to long working hours has increased by 29% since 2000. Most of the deaths recorded concerned people aged 60 to 79, who had worked 55 hours. or more per week when they were between 45 and 74 years old. In addition, the disease burden is particularly high among men (72% of deaths concern them) and among people living in the regions of the Western Pacific and South-East Asia because they represent a large proportion of workers. in the world. On the other hand, Frank Pega, expert at the WHO specifies that they have “Found no gender difference in the effect of long working hours on the incidence of cardiovascular disease”.
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Telework, a source of concern for the WHO
Coffee break undermined, telework which makes it more difficult to disconnect workers, increased job insecurity which pushes workers to be more competitive, interruption of activities within companies to save money… These new work trends during this pandemic should do little to help workers’ health. But on the contrary, the increase in the number of people working long hours each week during lockdowns, representing about 10% of the total world population, precisely promotes health risks. Although the French are among the most protected employees in the world with the right to 30 working days of leave per year, compared to the United States which remains the only rich nation in the world without having paid leave, the reversal of this phenomenon is certainly not to be neglected. Indeed, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, warns that “Governments, employers and workers must work together to agree on limits to protect workers’ health”. That is what is said.