Risks of extending working hours

The lengthening of the working day over 8 hours a day is common in workers who have deadline for submitting a project or delay in their daily tasks. However, the increase in working hours can contribute to the increase of work accidents and / or produce health-damaging conditions.

Some studies and scientific investigations diagnose that long working hours can cause psychological illnesses and serious health problems. The following are some risks associated with long working days:

  • Depression: stress and lack of rest can develop depressive symptoms in workers.
  • Stress and anxiety: Work pressures during long periods of time can cause stress that can lead to anxiety.
  • Insomnia: it is one of the most frequent problems among people who suffer long hours of work. This deficiency of rest affects, in other aspects such as productivity or health.
  • Cardiovascular problems: Some studies show that working more than 50 hours a week can cause elevation of blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, due to increased fatigue and reduced hours of sleep.
  • Muscle problems. Performing mechanical work or maintaining a static posture helps generate muscle problems. If the working days are extended or short breaks are not carried out during the same, muscular and circulatory problems can be derived.
  • Increase the risk of obesity: long working hours can affect the time we spend eating, therefore, our metabolism is affected.
  • Brain problems: a report by the American Journal of Epidemiology states that people with longer working days show worse mental skills, a deterioration of short-term memory and a higher risk of future mental illness.
  • Decreased productivity: sleep deprivation and stress causes deficits in cognitive processing, concentration and memory, therefore productivity is reduced.

Source: HIPERTEXTUAL