Feeling overworked? Long work hours killing 745k people a year, says WHO

Working for longer hours is actually killing people, says the findings of a new World Health Organisation study. It was revealed that as many as 745,000 people died of heart disease and stroke brought upon by long work hours in 2016.

The first-of-its-kind analysis categorised work for more than 55 hours per week with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, in comparison to a workweek of 35 to 40 hours.

The rate of work-related deaths was noted to be higher amongst mid-age or older men and people living in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions.

As the pandemic continues to blur the lines between work hours and personal time, work-life balance has gotten increasingly hard to come by which may have a long-lasting impact on both our mental and physical health.

Stressing on the importance of building healthy boundaries, the WHO chief said that ‘no job is worth the risk of stroke or heart disease.’