70 hour work week: Working long hours could lead to serious diseases, premature death, says doctor

Amid the continued debate over the 70-hour work week, Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a leading neurologist, has hit out at such demands by CEOs and urged people to choose organizations that care for employees and have reasonable working hours to ensure a better work-life balance.

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Working long hours and risk of serious diseases

Reacting to Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, who said he supported Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy¡¯s call for the 70-hour work week, Dr. Kumar pointed out that working long hours is associated with an increased risk of multiple serious diseases and even premature death.

"Working 55 or more hours per week is associated with a 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared to working 35-40 hours a week. More than 800,000 people die every year due to working for more than 55 hours a week. Long working hours are associated with a higher risk of being overweight, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. People working 69 or more hours a week are more likely to have moderate to severe depressive symptoms than those working 40 hours a week," Dr. Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad, said.

Also read: 70-Hour Work Week: This Is How To Maintain work-Life Balance

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal backs Narayana Murthy's 70-hour work week advice: Do you agree?

What do the scientific studies show?
??Working 55 or more hours per week is associated with a 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared¡­ pic.twitter.com/Lb18PP6RAZ

¡ª Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (@hyderabaddoctor) July 11, 2024

CEOs want to make money

He further said that CEOs are inclined to recommend long working hours for their employees to improve their company's profits and their own net worth.

"If employees fall sick, they can be 'easily substituted,'" he said.

Also read: Here is why Chinese youths are selling their bosses and colleagues on e-commerce platforms

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Any addiction is bad for health

When someone pointed out that he had grown a company from 2 to 1000 people by working 14 hours per day and that satisfaction is an addiction, Dr. Kumar responded by saying, "Any addiction¡ªgood or bad¡ªis ultimately bad for health."

When another user argued that personal growth can only be achieved by putting in extra effort, Dr. Kumar said, "You are correct; however, is the career growth justified at the cost of one's own health?"

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