Tuesday, June 3, 2025
The Lagos Today
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
The Lagos Today
No Result
View All Result
Home World News

Long working hours killing 745,000 people a year, study finds

by Eucharia Egwuma
May 17, 2021
in World News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
0
Long working hours killing 745,000 people a year, study finds
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Long working hours are killing hundreds of thousands of people a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The first global study of its kind showed 745,000 people died in 2016 from stroke and heart disease due to long hours.

The report found that people living in South East Asia and the Western Pacific region were the most affected.

The WHO also said the trend may worsen due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The research found that working 55 hours or more a week was associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, compared with a working week of 35 to 40 hours.

The study, conducted with the International Labour Organization (ILO), also showed almost three quarters of those that died as a result of working long hours were middle-aged or older men.

Often, the deaths occurred much later in life, sometimes decades later, than the long hours were worked.

While the study did not cover the period of the pandemic, WHO officials said the recent jump in remote working and the economic slowdown may have increased the risks associated with long working hours.

“We have some evidence that shows that when countries go into national lockdown, the number of hours worked increase by about 10%,” WHO technical officer Frank Pega said.

The report said working long hours was estimated to be responsible for about a third of all work-related disease, making it the largest occupational disease burden.

The WHO suggests that employers should now take this into account when assessing the occupational health risks of their workers.

Capping hours would be beneficial for employers as that had been shown to increase productivity, Mr Pega said.

“It’s really a smart choice to not increase long working hours in an economic crisis.”

_BBC

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • X

Like this:

Like Loading...
Tags: EmoloymentHolidays
Previous Post

Covid-19: Lockdowns ease in England, Wales and most of Scotland

Next Post

COVID-19: Lagos records 30 new cases, with zero fatality

Eucharia Egwuma

Eucharia Egwuma

Related Posts

The Global Innovation Race: Can Africa Afford to Move Slowly?

by Iyanu Ale
March 3, 2025
0

Africa has long lagged behind the rest of the world in economic development, with an economy smaller than India’s and...

Ethiopia’s Digital Stock Exchange Revolutionizes Trading

Ethiopia’s Digital Stock Exchange Revolutionizes Trading

by Iyanu Ale
January 13, 2025
0

The launch of Ethiopia's first stock exchange in 50 years marks a significant milestone in the country's economic development. This...

Next Post
COVID-19: Lagos records 19 new cases, with zero fatality

COVID-19: Lagos records 30 new cases, with zero fatality

Please login to join discussion

Recommended

Airport Flyover Road Closure: Lagosians Lament Poor State of Alternative Roads

LASG To Auction 88 Vehicles Confiscated For Violating Traffic Rules

4 years ago
Apapa, Tin-Can Ports need Immediate Rehabilitation – Oyetola

Apapa, Tin-Can Ports need Immediate Rehabilitation – Oyetola

2 years ago

Popular News

    Connect with us

    Tags

    #EndSARS 2023 Elections 2023 polls 2023 Presidency ACCIDENT Africa All progressives Congress APC Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Babajide Sanwo-Olu CBN Central Bank of NIgeria Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 Covid-19 in Lagos Covid-19 in Nigeria Covid-19 Vaccine Cryptocurrency Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC Federal Government Federal Government of Nigeria Fraud Gov. Sanwo-Olu House of Representatives Lagos-Ibadan expressway Lagos state Lagos State Government Lagos State House of Assembly Lagos State Police command Muhammadu Buhari Murder Naira NDLEA Nigeria Nigeria Customs Service Nigerian Economy Nigeria Police Force Rape Strike action TECH UK United Kingdom US

    News

    Opinion

    © 2020 The Lagos Today - Nkali.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result

    © 2020 The Lagos Today - Nkali.

    %d