In many areas of the world eight hours is considered a traditional workday. Even though it is known as a standard workday, a large portion of the world population works more than eight hours. An employee often works more than eight hours a day because their employer requires it or because they need the money. Regardless of the reason for doing so, it has been proven that long hours can have a negative impact on an employee and their family.
There are a number of health risks associated with working long hours. These health risks are elevated for workers in certain professions. Working longer than the traditional eight hours is likely to place a large amount of stress on employees. It has been known that stress is likely to cause a sleep deprivation. Individuals who suffer from a lack of sleep and a large amount of stress are likely to have a weak immune system. To be able to fight illness an individual body needs to receive the appropriate amount of rest and relaxation.
When an employer puts their health at risk they are not only putting themselves in danger, but those around them. Contagious colds and illnesses could spread from employee to employee or it can even be brought into the home. The last thing that an employer wants is for employees to get ill and request time off from work, but that does not stop many of them from requesting or requiring their employees to work long hours.
The most obvious impact that long hours will have on you and your family is the amount of time that you will get to spend with them. Whether you are a newlywed or a parent, the time that you spend at home is important to your family relationships. It is not uncommon for tension to be present in a household where one or more of the home occupants are working long hours. It is also possible for unnecessary stress to occur when one family member is picking up extra household duties due to the other one working long hours.
When an employee has regularly been putting in long hours at their workplace it is often difficult to stop. It is not uncommon for an employee to fear asking their employer for a reduction in hours in fear of losing their job. If a job was accepted on the terms that workdays would be longer than most traditional ones it may be difficult for you to find a solution to your long hours. If you agreed to the work arrangement your only alternative may be finding an organization that values the balance between working and life. If you did not agree to work long hours and were only doing so to bring in extra income you are encouraged to speak with your employer about returning to traditional work hours if your hours are having a negative impact on yourself and your family.
There are many individuals who are required to work long hours or multiple jobs to financially support themselves and their family. Even if you are one of those individuals who must work long hours you still deserve to have a healthy balance between your work and your life.
— Jennifer Foote.
We will continue to discuss work & life balance in the series of Achieving Work-Life Balance. Stay tuned.
