Working More Doesn't Mean Living Better: The Hidden Cost of Excessively Long Workweeks

Workplace wellbeing isn't just about what happens during working hours. It also depends on how much time people have to recover. And research suggests that overlooking this aspect can have significant consequences for health.

Anyone can have a busy day. Or even a particularly demanding week.

The problem arises when intense workloads, overtime, and constant availability become the norm.

For many organizations, working longer hours is still associated with greater productivity. But the number of hours spent at work doesn't necessarily reflect how well someone is doing or how sustainably they can perform over time.

What Does Research Say About Excessively Long Workweeks?

According to a joint analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), working 55 hours or more per week, compared with working 35–40 hours, is associated with:

• A 35% higher risk of stroke

• A 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease

WHO/ILO estimates attribute approximately 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease worldwide in 2016 to long working hours.

These figures don't mean that every demanding workweek is dangerous. However, they highlight the importance of recognizing prolonged exposure to excessive workloads as a health concern, not just an organizational issue.

Source: WHO/ILO, 2021.

Work-Related Stress Also Comes at an Organizational Cost

Mental health is another essential factor.

According to the WHO, depression and anxiety are associated with approximately 12 billion working days lost worldwide every year, at an estimated cost of US$1 trillion in lost productivity.

Of course, not all these conditions are caused by work. However, environments characterized by excessive workloads, limited control over tasks, and job insecurity can contribute to mental health risks.

For companies, this means that wellbeing shouldn't be viewed solely as an additional employee benefit.

It's also a matter of long-term workplace sustainability.

Why Should HR Teams Care About Recovery?

Recovery involves several aspects of everyday life: getting enough sleep, staying physically active, taking adequate breaks, and being able to truly disconnect from work.

No single metric can fully describe a person's wellbeing.

However, monitoring habits over time can help identify changes and encourage greater self-awareness.

For organizations, this raises an important question:

Are we creating conditions that allow people to recover, or are we simply asking them to sustain increasingly demanding workloads?

Addressing this requires concrete action: effective workload management, supportive leadership, flexibility where possible, and a culture that respects personal time.

From Individual Awareness to More Measurable Wellbeing

Wearable technology can play a role in this process.

Wearable devices and dedicated applications allow individuals to monitor indicators such as sleep, physical activity, and recovery, helping them better understand their daily habits.

It's important to distinguish these insights from clinical assessments: consumer wearables provide estimates and general guidance, not medical diagnoses.

With Vitality+, companies can offer employees a wellbeing experience that combines wearable devices, personalized insights, challenges, and incentives to encourage participation.

The HR platform also enables organizations to monitor aggregated indicators while respecting employee privacy, without exposing individual health data to company managers.

These tools are not a substitute for effective organizational policies. However, they can complement them by encouraging engagement and awareness.

The Future of Corporate Wellbeing Starts With a Different Question

For years, many companies have focused primarily on how much their employees can produce.

Today, it's becoming increasingly important to ask what conditions enable people to work well over the long term.

Promoting recovery doesn't mean compromising performance. It means recognizing that people's health deserves attention even when business results are positive.

Real progress isn't about asking employees to do more and more. It's about creating the conditions that allow them to thrive while they work.

Here's how Vitality+ helps organizations build more engaging and measurable wellbeing programs.

Sources

World Health Organization & International Labour Organization (2021). Long working hours increasing deaths from heart disease and stroke.

World Health Organization (2026). Mental health at work.

International Labour Organization. Psychosocial risks and mental health at work.