Working long hour, more accidents, less productivity

22^nd March,

The OSHRI (Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute) reported that people working over 52 hours recorded depression double.

The OSHRI said on the 22^nd that people working over 52 hours which is the legal maximum limit of working hours, recorded double those working less than 40 hours in the percentage of depression, in its report ‘study on working hours’ effect on workers’ health and accidents’.

According to this report that analyzed 6200 people who were the target of ‘research on working environment in 2010’, accident rates of workers with working hour from 40 hours to 52 hours and workers with working hour over 52 hours were higher than workers working less than 40 hours by 1.74 and 2.57 respectively, considering gender, age, status in employment, level of education and pay of the targets.

This report shows that the average working hour of workers who responded that they experienced accidents or losses was 51.7. In contrast, workers with working hour of 44.9 on average said that they did not undergo accidents or losses. In conclusion, workers who experienced accidents or losses worked 6.8 hours more than workers who have not suffered from accidents or losses.

Working long hour also led to poor productivity. Rate of absence because of health problem for workers with working hours from 40 to 52 was 1.99 times those with less than 40 hours of work and for workers with working hours over 52, it was 2.24 times those working less than 40 hours per week.

Meanwhile possibility of depression of workers working over 52 hours a week was 2.13 times those working less than 40 hours per week. Their possibility of insomnia was 1.86 times workers working less than 40 hours per week. Workers who experienced depression worked 5.3 hours more than those who worked less than 40 hours. In the meantime, workers who suffered insomnia worked 4.4 hours more than those who worked less than 40 hours. Workers who had headache worked 1.84 more hours than those working less than 40 hours per week.

Work and family also lose balance further because of working long hours. Among workers who responded that they lose the balance between work and family, respondents working 40 to 52 hours were 2.66 times workers working 40 hours and workers working over 52 hours were 9 times workers who work less than 40 hours per week. Workers who said that their balance between work and family was broken worked 11.9 hours more than those who said that they keep their work and family balanced.

OSHRI’s report also introduced to medical research cases overseas, adding “some reports shows that workers working over 11 hours per day have three times higher possibility of myocardial infarction than those who work 8 hours a day. Also, proportion of leaving the job of the workers working over 60 hours per week because of accidents or losses were 3.7 times higher than those working less than 40 hours a week.

KOSHA said that this report revealed the level of working hour that affects workers’ health in an objective manner, adding “we must consider reducing working hour to promote workplace safety and health.”