Occupational health & social equity
Long Working Hours
Working time far beyond standard full-time hours — WHO/ILO flag 55 or more hours per week — associated with elevated risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death.
Definition
Long working hours generally denotes weekly working time substantially above standard schedules; the WHO/ILO joint estimates define exposure as 55 or more hours per week. Their 2021 analysis linked long hours to approximately 745,194 deaths from ischaemic heart disease and stroke in 2016, with relative risks of about 1.17 for heart disease and 1.35 for stroke compared with 35–40 hour weeks.
References
≥55 h/week definition, RR 1.17 IHD / 1.35 stroke, 745,194 deaths in 2016
Overview
What it means
Long hours harm health through chronic stress responses, reduced sleep and recovery, and displacement of physical activity and social connection; risk rises with duration and intensity of exposure.
How it is used
The concept underpins working-time regulation (maximum hours, rest periods), the UN Decent Work agenda, corporate human-rights due diligence on excessive overtime in supply chains, and ESG social metrics.
Why it matters
Overwork is a recognised occupational hazard and a development issue: it degrades health and productivity, disproportionately affects low-income and informal workers, and undermines SDG 8 (decent work).
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