In contemporary times, professionals have been working for longer hours. Diverse studies have been undertaken with the aim of determining the impact of working long hours on the health and safety of those concerned . According to the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), two factors, fatigue and stress significantly contribute to higher risks for occupational injuries .
Kodz, et al. (2003) disclosed the impact of working long hours in terms of a decline in job performance which was traced to “detrimental effects on such things as rates of error, pace of work and social behaviour” (p. 1). Instead of increasing productivity, which is actually the ultimate aim for professional to work long hours, there were studies that revealed that the contrary actually occurs. Shepard and Clifton (2000) also confirmed that “the use of overtime hours actually lowers average productivity, measured as output per worker hour, for almost all of the industries in the sample, even when the data are controlled or corrected. More precisely, a 10-per cent increase in overtime resulted, on average, in a 2.4-per cent decrease in productivity measured by hourly output” (cited by Golden, 2001, p. 5).
Likewise, the quality of work-life-family balance reportedly deteriorates. With more time spent by professionals at their work setting, lesser time is allotted for their respective families.
This was corroborated by Dembe, et al. (2005) who revealed that “working in jobs with overtime schedules was associated with a 61% higher injury hazard rate compared to jobs without overtime. Working at least 12 hours per day was associated with a 37% increased hazard rate and working at least 60 hours per week was associated with a 23% increased hazard rate” (p. 588). Overall, working longer hours have evidently been proven to be hazardous to one’s health, in complying with a balanced family life, and in sustaining an exemplary job performance on a long-term basis, as validated from the studies indicated herein.
Reference List
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Work Schedules: Shift Work and Long Working Hours. [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/workschedules/[Accessed 22 May 2013].
Dembe, A., Erickson, J., Delbos, R. & Banks, S. (2005). The impact of overtime and long work hours on occupational injuries and illnesses: new evidence from the United States. [Online] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16109814[Accessed 22 May 2013].
Golden, L. (2001). The Effects of Working Time on Productivity and Firm Performance: a research synthesis paper, s.l.: International Labor Office.
Kodz, J. et al. (2003). Working Long Hours: a Review of the Evidence. Employment Relations Research Series ERRS16.
Meijman, T. (1997). Mental fatigue and the efficiency of information processing in relation to work times. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, Volume 20, pp. 31-38.
Shepard, E. & Clifton, T. (2000). Are Longer Hours Reducing Productivity in Manufacturing?. International Journal of Manpower, 21(7), pp. 540-553.
White, J. & Beswick, J. (2003). Working Long Hours. [Online] Available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2003/hsl03-02.pdf[Accessed 22 May 2013].
