Latest news with #longhours
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
How companies could save money by sending employees home on time
Many employers are demanding more from workers these days, pushing them to log as many hours as possible. Google, for example, told all its employees that they should expect to spend 60 or more hours in the office every week. Some tech companies are demanding 12-hour days, six days a week, from their new hires. More job applicants in health care, engineering and consulting have been told to expect longer hours than previously demanded due to a weak job market. On the other hand, companies such as Cisco, Booz Allen Hamilton and Intuit have earned a reputation for supporting a strong work-life balance, according to Glassdoor employee ratings. To promote work-life balance, they offer flexible work options, give workers tips on setting boundaries and provide benefits to promote mental and physical well-being, including mindfulness and meditation training and personal coaching outside of work. As a psychologist who studies workplace performance and well-being, I've seen abundant evidence that overworking employees can actually make them less productive. Instead, research shows that when employees have the time and space to lead a fulfilling life outside work, such as being free to spend time with their families or pursue creative hobbies, it improves their performance on the job. Falling prey to the 'focusing illusion' For example, a team of researchers reviewed 70 studies looking at how managers support workers' family lives. They found that when supervisors show consideration for workers' personal roles as a family member, including providing help to workers and modeling work-family balance, those employees are more loyal and helpful on the job and are also less likely to think about quitting. Another study found that workers who could take on creative projects outside of work became more creative at work, regardless of their own personalities. This was true even for workers who didn't consider themselves to be very creative to start with, which suggests it was the workplace culture that really made a difference. When employers become obsessed with their workers' productivity, they can get hung up on tracking immediate goals such as the number of emails sent or sales calls made. But they tend to neglect other vital aspects of employees' lives that, perhaps somewhat ironically, sustain long-term productivity. Daniel Kahneman, the late psychologist whose research team won a Nobel Prize in economics, called this common misconception the 'focusing illusion.' In this case, many employers underestimate the hidden costs of making people work more hours than they can muster while maintaining some semblance of work-life balance. Among them are mental health problems, burnout and high turnover rates. In other words, overly demanding policies can ultimately hinder the performance employers want to see. Taking it from Simone Biles Many top performers recognize the value of work while also valuing the time spent away from it. 'At the end of the day, we're human too,' said Simone Biles, who is widely considered the best gymnast on record. 'We have to protect our mind and body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.' Elite athletes like Biles require time away from the spotlight to recuperate and hone their skills. Others who are at the top of their professions turn to hobbies to recharge their batteries. Albert Einstein 's passion for playing the violin and piano was not merely a diversion from physics – it was instrumental to the famous and widely beloved scientist's groundbreaking scientific insights. Einstein's second wife, Elsa Einstein, observed that he took short breaks to play music when he was thinking about his scientific theories. Taking a break I've reviewed hundreds of studies that show leisure time isn't a luxury − it fulfills key psychological needs. Taking longer and more frequent breaks from your job than your workaholic boss might like can help you get more rest, recover from work-related stress and increase your sense of mastery and autonomy. That's because when employees find fulfillment outside of work they tend to become better at their jobs, making their employers more likely to thrive. That's what a team of researchers found when they studied the workforce at a large city hospital in the U.S. Employees who thought their bosses supported their family life were happier with their jobs, more loyal and less likely to quit. Unsurprisingly, the happier, more supported workers also gave their supervisors higher ratings. Researchers who studied the daily leisure activities of 100 Dutch teachers found that when the educators could take some of their time off to relax and engage in hobbies outside work, they felt better and had an easier time coping with the demands of their job the next day. Another study of German emergency service workers found that not having enough fun over the weekend, such as socializing with friends and relatives, can undermine job performance the following week. Finding the hidden costs of overwork The mental health consequences of overwork, spending too many hours on the job or getting mentally or physically exhausted by your work are significant and measurable. According to the World Health Organization, working more than 55 hours per week is associated with a 35% higher risk of having a stroke and a 17% higher risk of developing heart disease. Working too many hours can also contribute to burnout, a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term work stress. The World Health Organization officially recognizes burnout as a work-related health hazard. A Gallup analysis conducted in March 2025 found that even employees who are engaged at work, meaning that they are highly committed, connected and enthusiastic about what they do for a living, are twice as likely to burn out if they log more than 45 hours a week on the job. Burnout can be very costly for employers, ranging anywhere from US$4,000 to $20,000 per employee each year. These numbers are calculated from the average hourly salaries of employees and based on the impact of burnout on aspects such as missed workdays and reduced productivity at work. That means a company with 1,000 workers could lose around $4 million every year due to burnout. Ultimately, employers that overwork their workers have high turnover rates. One study found that the onset of mandatory overtime for South Korean nurses made more of them decide to quit their jobs. Similarly, a national study of over 17,000 U.S.-based nurses found that when they worked longer hours, turnover increased. This pattern is evident in many other professions besides health care, such as finance and transportation. Seeing turnover increase Conservative estimates of the cost of turnover for employers ranges from 1.5 to two times an employee's annual salary. This includes the costs of hiring, onboarding and training new employees. Critically, there are also hidden costs that are harder to estimate, such as losing the departed employee's institutional knowledge and unique connections. Over time, making workers work extra hours can undercut an employer's performance and threaten its viability. Abundant evidence indicates that supporting employees' aspirations for happier and more meaningful lives within the workplace and beyond leaves workers and their employers alike better off.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
When workers' lives outside work are more fulfilling, it benefits employers too
Many employers are demanding more from workers these days, pushing them to log as many hours as possible. Google, for example, told all its employees that they should expect to spend 60 or more hours in the office every week. Some tech companies are demanding 12-hour days, six days a week from their new hires. More job applicants in health care, engineering and consulting have been told to expect long hours than previously demanded due to a weak job market. On the other hand, companies such as Cisco, Booz Allen Hamilton and Intuit have earned a reputation of supporting a strong work-life balance, according to Glassdoor employee ratings. To promote work-life balance, they offer flexible work options, give workers tips on setting boundaries and provide benefits to promote mental and physical well-being, including mindfulness and meditation training and personal coaching outside of work. As a psychologist who studies workplace performance and well-being, I've seen abundant evidence that overworking employees can actually make them less productive. Instead, research shows that when employees have the time and space to lead a fulfilling life outside work, such as being free to spend time with their families or pursue creative hobbies, it improves their performance on the job. Falling prey to the 'focusing illusion' For example, a team of researchers reviewed 70 studies looking at how managers support workers' family lives. They found that when supervisors show consideration for workers' personal roles as a family member, including providing help to workers and modeling work-family balance, those employees are more loyal and helpful on the job and are also less likely to think about quitting. Another study found that workers who could take on creative projects outside of work became more creative at work, regardless of their own personalities. This was true even for workers who didn't consider themselves to be very creative to start with, which suggests it was the workplace culture that really made a difference. When employers become obsessed with their workers' productivity, they can get hung up on tracking immediate goals such as the number of emails sent or sales calls made. But they tend to neglect other vital aspects of employees' lives that, perhaps somewhat ironically, sustain long-term productivity. Daniel Kahneman, the late psychologist whose research team won a Nobel Prize in economics, called this common misconception the 'focusing illusion.' In this case, many employers underestimate the hidden costs of making people work more hours than they can muster while maintaining some semblance of work-life balance. Among them are mental health problems, burnout and high turnover rates. In other words, overly demanding policies can ultimately hinder the performance employers want to see. Taking it from Simone Biles Many top performers recognize the value of work while also valuing the time spent away from it. 'At the end of the day we're human too,' said Simone Biles, who is widely considered the best gymnast on record. 'We have to protect our mind and body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.' Elite athletes like Biles require time away from the spotlight to recuperate and hone their skills. Others who are at the top of their professions turn to hobbies to recharge their batteries. Albert Einstein's passion for playing the violin and piano was not merely a diversion from physics – it was instrumental to the famous and widely beloved scientist's groundbreaking scientific insights. Einstein's second wife, Elsa Einstein, observed that he took short breaks to play music when he was thinking about his scientific theories. Taking a break I've reviewed hundreds of studies that show leisure time isn't a luxury − it fulfills key psychological needs. Taking longer and more frequent breaks from your job than your workaholic boss might like can help you get more rest, recover from work-related stress and increase your sense of mastery and autonomy. That's because when employees find fulfillment outside of work they tend to become better at their jobs, making their employers more likely to thrive. That's what a team of researchers found when they studied the workforce at a large city hospital in the U.S. Employees who thought their bosses supported their family life were happier with their jobs, more loyal and less likely to quit. Unsurprisingly, the happier, more supported workers also gave their supervisors higher ratings. Researchers who studied the daily leisure activities of 100 Dutch teachers found that when the educators could take some of their time off to relax and engage in hobbies outside work, they felt better and had an easier time coping with the demands of their job the next day. Another study of German emergency service workers found that not having enough fun over the weekend, such as socializing with friends and relatives, can undermine job performance the following week. Finding the hidden costs of overwork The mental health consequences of overwork, spending too many hours on the job or getting mentally or physically exhausted by your work are significant and measurable. According to the World Health Organization, working more than 55 hours per week is associated with a 35% higher risk of having a stroke and a 17% higher risk of developing heart disease. Working too many hours can also contribute to burnout, a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term work stress. The World Health Organization officially recognizes burnout as a work-related health hazard. A Gallup analysis conducted in March 2025 found that even employees who are engaged at work, meaning that they are highly committed, connected and enthusiastic about what they do for a living, are twice as likely to burn out if they log more than 45 hours a week on the job. Burnout can be very costly for employers, ranging anywhere from US$4,000 to $20,000 per employee each year. These numbers are calculated from the average hourly salaries of employees and based on the impact of burnout on aspects such as missed workdays and reduced productivity at work. That means a company with 1,000 workers could lose around $4 million every year due to burnout. Ultimately, employers that overwork their workers have high turnover rates. One study found that the onset of mandatory overtime for South Korean nurses made more of them decide to quit their jobs. Similarly, a national study of over 17,000 U.S.-based nurses found that when they worked longer hours, turnover increased. This pattern is evident in many other professions besides health care, such as finance and transportation. Seeing turnover increase Conservative estimates of the cost of turnover for employers ranges from 1.5 to two times an employee's annual salary. This includes the costs of hiring, onboarding and training new employees. Critically, there are also hidden costs that are harder to estimate, such as losing the departed employee's institutional knowledge and unique connections. Over time, making workers work extra hours can undercut an employer's performance and threaten its viability. Abundant evidence indicates that supporting employees' aspirations for happier and more meaningful lives within the workplace and beyond leaves workers and their employers alike better off. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Louis Tay, Purdue University Read more: Trump administration's lie detector campaign against leakers is unlikely to succeed and could divert energy from national security priorities US workers with remote-friendly jobs are still working from home nearly half the time, 5 years after the pandemic began Remote work has made developing relationships with colleagues harder – here's what workers and bosses need now Louis Tay is affiliated with ExpiWell, a mobile-first tech startup that enables researchers to capture momentary experiences of people. Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
16-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
How To Get Your Workaholism Working For You
BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 14: Young couple working with laptops late at night in their bed, the ... More scene is posed by models on January 14, 2014, in Berlin, Germany.(Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images) If you've ever read a book only to get to the end of the page and realize you've been thinking about work the whole time, you may be experiencing workaholism. Maybe you decided to skip that dinner party across town because you have so much work to do…or perhaps it's that some days you have so much work to do that you feel guilty taking a break, even if it's just to eat lunch or go to the washroom. For years, we've heard dire warnings that long hours can take a taxing toll on our longevity and to avoid an early grave, we have looked to a number of tools and tactics to pull us away from our commitment to work. But this research, published in Academy of Management Discoveries by Drs. Lieke ten Brummelhuis, Nancy Rothbard, and Benjamin Uhrich, reveals a far more nuanced picture. The authors meticulously disentangle two crucial aspects of "working to excess": the simple act of working long hours (a behaviour) versus a workaholism (a mentality), captured by the compulsive inner drive to work. What these researchers found is genuinely surprising and carries significant implications for how we perceive, manage, and even encourage work in our organizations. The central finding is that it's not the actions we take that matter most, but the thoughts we have. In other words, working long hours, by itself, doesn't appear to be the primary culprit behind severe health risks. Their findings showed that it was not the sheer number of hours that led to decreases in happiness and increases in cardiovascular issues, at least according to the objective health biomarkers like those associated with metabolic syndrome used in this study of 763 employees. Instead, the real alarm bell rings for workaholism – that compulsive, often guilt-driven need to work. This deep-seated mentality was directly linked to a cascade of negative health outcomes. The study reveals that workaholics experience reduced subjective well-being, manifesting as depressive feelings, sleep problems, and a pervasive "need for recovery" that ironically, makes it difficult for them to actually recover. This internal distress triggers a health impairment process that can eventually lead to physiological issues like elevated blood pressure and cholesterol – precursors to serious conditions like cardiovascular disease. The constant mental engagement with work, the inability to truly "switch off," seems to be the critical factor disrupting the body's natural recovery and equilibrium. But here's where it gets even more fascinating, and frankly, encouraging, especially for leaders who have the ability to influence employee experiences: work engagement acts as a powerful shield against these health risks, even for workaholics. The research distinguishes between "non-engaged workaholics" (those who work compulsively but don't enjoy it) and "engaged workaholics" (who also work excessively and compulsively, but find vigour, absorption, and dedication in their tasks). The stark difference? Non-engaged workaholics faced a significantly higher risk for metabolic syndrome. However, for the highly engaged workaholics, this health impairment process was markedly attenuated. In fact, the study even hinted at a negative direct relationship between workaholism and health risks for the engaged group, suggesting a protective effect. Why this protective mechanism? The authors propose that engaged workaholics possess more robust resources, externally - like job autonomy, social support at work and home, as well as internally, such as time management skills, communication skills, and greater intrinsic motivation. These resources enable them to better cope with stress, viewing work demands as challenges to be overcome rather than debilitating threats. This "thriving" mindset, which can be trained with intention and consistency, allows them to adapt and even grow stronger in response to work-related stressors, effectively buffering against the negative health consequences. Work-Life Strategy, a recent book written by one of the authors of this study, offers more information on how to untangle the compelling pressure to work all the time. The takeaways for industry professionals are profound. 1. Firstly, it's time to shift our focus from simply counting hours to understanding the why behind working habits. Companies should prioritize identifying and addressing compulsive work mentalities, particularly when coupled with low engagement. 2. Secondly, fostering a culture of high work engagement is not just about productivity; it's a critical investment in employee health and resilience. Job designs that provide autonomy, meaningful tasks, constructive feedback, and supportive relationships can cultivate this engagement, helping even the most dedicated workers thrive without compromising their well-being. Ultimately, this research provides a powerful blueprint for creating workplaces where intense dedication doesn't come at the cost of health. It encourages us to demand of ourselves and our work a higher standard for meaningful, genuinely engaging work and social connection by cultivating an environment where working hard is intertwined with authenticity, respect, civility, purpose, and recognition. It's about striving for an "engaged form of workaholism," where employees feel committed to devote their skills and resources towards something that they believe in so that the harder they work, the healthier they will be - and as a result, the more sustainable an organization's success.
Times
13-05-2025
- Health
- Times
How stress of working long hours may alter your brain
Working excessively long hours can not only leave you tired and ratty, it could also change the very structure of your brain as it tries to cope with the stress, a study suggests. The brains of those who worked more than 52 hours a week showed marked physical differences compared with those on less antisocial work schedules. It is possible that those who work long hours might see a short-term benefit from increased volume in parts of the brain that govern alertness or efficiency, according to researchers in South Korea. • Want better health, less anxiety, more sleep? You've got a nerve But they believe it is likely that the changes are negative over a long period, and that prolonged periods of working long hours
