The UN warned that working more than 55 hours a week posed a “serious health hazard” and increased the risk of death.

To work more than 55 hours per week increases the risk of death for heart disease and stroke, according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), published Monday.

This first comprehensive analysis of loss of life and health damage associated with long hours is released as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates changes that may increase the tendency to work longer hours.

However, the study published in the journal International environment It does not refer to the pandemic but to previous years. The authors synthesized data from dozens of studies with hundreds of thousands of participants. “Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard”, Emphasizes Dr María Neira, WHO Director of Environment, Climate Change and Health. “It is time for all of us – governments, employers and workers – to finally recognize that long working hours can lead to premature death,” he adds.

The study concludes that working 55 hours or more per week is associated with 35% increased risk of stroke and 17% of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared to someone working 35 to 40 hours per week.

WHO and ILO estimate that 398,000 people died of stroke and 347,000 of heart disease in 2016 after working at least 55 hours per week.

Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths from heart disease linked to long working hours increased by 42%, a figure that rises to 19% in the case of strokes.

The negative health effects of long hours usually appear ten years after starting to work long hours, so the main victims are people between the ages of 60 and 80 who have had to work under these conditions at least from 45 years old.

“Although it is known that about a third of the total estimated work-related morbidity is attributable to long working hours, the reality is that it is the number one risk factor for occupational disease.“Summarized the WHO.

“We found no gender difference in the effect of long working hours on the incidence of cardiovascular disease,” WHO specialist Frank Pega told a press conference. Nonetheless, morbidity is particularly high among men, with 72% of deaths due to this cause, given that they represent a large portion of workers globally.

The situation is most serious among people living in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, where informal workers are forced to work long hours, Pega explained, but also Latin AmericaThey are the ones who suffer the most from these types of health problems, as these less regulated jobs are more likely to last a long time.

In contrast, in regions where governments have imposed laws that attempt to limit working hours, such as Europe or North America, the incidence of death from cardiovascular problems is somewhat lower.

To combat this growing public health problem, UN agencies call on governments to legislate maximum hours in their labor market, and collective bargaining between companies and employees to remedy this.

WHO and ILO believe that nearly one in 10 workers worldwide (around 480 million) have to work more than 55 hours per week.

In view of this, “governments must implement legislation and policies that set limits on working hours, such as the one in the European Union which sets a maximum of 48 hours per week,” said Neira. in this regard, even admitting that this type of directives are not always observed in European countries.

The agencies are also calling for collective bargaining between workers and companies to set maximum hours, and that the employees themselves better “share” the workload among their colleagues to achieve similar results.

No more work in confinement

WHO is concerned about the increase in the number of people working long hours, which currently represents 9% of the world’s population. Yes the pandemic shouldn’t do much to reverse the trend. On the contrary.

“Telecommuting has become the norm for many activities, often blurring the lines between home and work. In addition, many companies have been forced to scale back or shut down to save money, and people who keep their payroll end up with longer working hours”Said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO.

He warned that “No job is worth the risk of stroke or heart disease. Governments, employers and workers must agree to set limits that protect workers’ health ”.

Citing a study by the National Office for Economic Research in 15 countries, Pega said that “the number of working hours increased by around 10% during childbirth.” Teleworking makes it difficult for workers to disconnect, said Pega, who recommended organizing rest periods.

(With information from AFP and EFE)