Larsen & Toubro Chairman 90-hour Work Week: After Naryana Murthy’s 70-hour work week suggestion, L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan wanting employees to work 90 hours a week has reignited the debate on work-life balance.
In an internal meeting video, he advocates Sunday work, claiming he works on Sundays too. His comments, including a controversial anecdote about China’s work hours, received massive backlash.
After his controversial statement went viral, actor Deepika Padukone took to Instagram and criticised his remarks with #MentalHealthMatters and called it “shocking.”
Amid the uproar over his statement, various health experts have also come forward highlighting the importance of optimal work hours.
A World Health Organisation (WHO) study found that working 55 or more hours per week increases the risk of stroke by 35 per cent and the risk of dying from heart disease by 17 per cent.
“Long hours lead to chronic stress, which triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, elevated cortisol levels can increase blood pressure and heart rate, both of which raise the risk of heart disease. Chronic high blood pressure is a key risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure,” says Dr Mukesh Goel, cardiothoracic and heart and lung transplant surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi as quoted by Indian Express.
A 2021 WHO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) report, published in the journal Environment International revealed that 488 million people worldwide have long working hours, and more than 745 000 people died in 2016 from heart disease and stroke related to working more than 55 hours per week. Citing this report, The Lancet Regional Health journal commented that these figures make long working hours one of the biggest occupational health hazards.
Since the ILO put the 8-hour workday into international law in 1919, the average working time has decreased in most countries globally, but the number of people who overwork has been increasing since 2000 according to the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates.
How long working hours affect you?
The report revealed that overworking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, as well as affecting mental health. “Physical and mental strain of the overworked people can start from acute physiological responses such as fatigue, stress, impaired sleep, and unhealthy lifestyle changes in response to the stress. In addition, overworking reduces work performance and results in productivity loss due to illness and occupational injuries,” it stated.
Another 2022 study, published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal, revealed that working hours had a significant indirect effect on depression via occupational stress. Long working hours may also lead to job burnout and occupational stress. It also revealed that the prevalence of stress, depression, and suicide tend to increase with the increase of the working hours.
What are the signs of unhealthy work-life balance?
According to Cleveland Clinics, here are some signs that you might have an unhealthy work-life balance:
- You stop taking care of yourself.
- You’re not focused on your mental health.
- Your work no longer feels meaningful.
- You constantly worry about your job performance.
- You have trouble establishing boundaries between home and work.
- You’re lonely.