If there’s anyone out there like myself, my job is more than just a job. It’s a 24/7 passion project, which means I log in a lot of overtime. But while the extra cash on my check is cool, a new study has me thinking twice about staying late from now on.
The study, which was conducted by Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU), suggests you should only work a maximum of 39 hours a week or you’ll run the risk of negatively affecting your health. The researchers came to this notion after analyzed data collected from 8,000 Australian adults as part of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.
For those that work long hours, they found that each minute that adds up has the potential to “erode” a person’s physical and mental health. According to the study, the main finding focused on the fact that it leaves workers “less time to eat well and look after themselves properly,” lead researcher Huong Dinh, of the ANU Research School of Population Health, said in a statement.
Researchers also make a point to explain that women in particular should limit their work load to 34 hours a week, while men should cut theirs down to 47 hours a week. Dinh went on to explain that the reasoning was that men spend less time doing domestic work.
“Given the extra demands placed on women, it’s impossible for women to work long hours often expected by employers unless they compromise their health,” Dinh said.
