Trends in Long Working Hours and Their Impacts on Health
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Wu, Shiuan-Be
Abstract
In recent years, cases of sudden deaths allegedly attributed to overwork have triggered intensive discussion in Taiwan. According the the survey conducted by the government in 2009, 17.6% of the working people in Taiwan reported working 50 hours or more per week. However, very few studies have been conducted to examine the trends of working hours in Taiwan as compared to other countries, or the characterstics of workers with extensive working hours. Despite that studies from western countries have found associations between long working hours and poor health, little information was available concerning the health impacts of long working hours in working people in Taiwan.
There were two objectives in this study. First, we reviewed the trends of average weekly hours as well as the prevelance of workers with working hours of 49 hours or more per week in Taiwan and in selected countries during the period from 1870 to 2010. Secondly, we examined the associations between working hours and self-reported health outcomes using the data from a national survey conducted in 2007. The modifying effects of work factors on the associations between working hours and health outcomes were also examined.
Results from the first part indicated that average working hours were descending in Taiwan as well as in the selected developed countries. Data from the Taiwan Labour Force Survey in 2009 showed that 19.1% of male and 16.6% of female workers worked for 49 hours or more per week. However, data from the Taiwan Social Change Survey showed prevalence rates of 39.2% in male and 33.8% in female workers. The latter rates were two-fold than the former rates.
Results from the second part indicated that long working-hours were more prevelant in elder workers, men who were married or had family care workloads, women who were single or divorced, women with lower education levels. In terms of type of employment and work, it was noticed that long working hours were more prevalent in employers and the self-employed, workers in service sectors, works with rotating or night shifts, workers on performance-based or piece-rated pay systems, workers in smaller sized enterprises, and white collar low-skilled employees. Results from multivariate regression models showed that long working hours were associated with higher risk of sleep deprivation and unhealthy lifestyle (including lacking in exercise, smoking, and used of alcohol-containing energy drinks. However, no association was found between working hours and self-reported health status. When stratified by gender, only men with long working hours (60 hours or more per week) were found to have higher scores of personal burnout.
We suggest that job stress and health problems should be of concern among workers with long working hours. In addition, psychosocial work hazards other than long working hours should also be assessed monitored. We suggest that the questionnaire items used in national surveys should be improved by distinguishing actual verse ususal working hours and overtime work hours with pay verse without pay. Time spent on comuting and unpaid house work should also be assessed.
Subjects
long working hours
trends
international comparison
workers health
SDGs
Type
thesis
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