Globally, 745,000 people die a year from long working hours

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have released the world's first survey on the health effects of long working hours. According to the report, 745,000 people worldwide died from long working hours in just one year. On average, nearly 1.5 people die every minute because of overtime. The "long hours" in this report refer to working 55 hours a week. There is good evidence that people who work long hours (≥55 hours/week) have a 35 percent increased risk of stroke and a 17 percent increased risk of dying from ischemic heart disease compared with those who worked 35 to 40 hours a week, the report said.