The phenomenon of “karoshi,” a Japanese term for death due to overwork, is gaining global attention as a growing number of workers face severe health risks linked to excessive working hours. A new study has highlighted that working over 55 hours per week significantly increases the risk of strokes, further underscoring the dangers of overwork and its potentially fatal consequences.
The study was able to monitor the health condition of workers for a long time and found out that those individuals who worked over 55 hours a week for consecutive weeks are at a higher risk of having a stroke than people with more balanced work schedules. The results are alarming, especially in fast-paced work cultures where long hours are often seen as a sign of dedication and productivity. Experts argue that this trend is not just a health issue but a growing workplace crisis.
Therefore, what is “overwork”? According to the experts, overwork is not just the number of hours spent at the office but the extent of physical and mental labor burden on the workers. There is long hours spent on work, chronic stress, lack of rest, and a poor work-life balance resulting in various health problems such as heart disease, mental health disorders, and even premature death.
The world is dealing with increased phemonema overwork; more workers request reforms in the workplace to promote workers’ well-being. Requests for shorter workweeks, improved mental health support, and better work-life balance are becoming loud. There is a huge need to improve healthy workspaces, risking karoshi and developing protection of workers’ lives in the future years.
