Are You Dying At Your Desk?

Are You Dying At Your Desk?

Overworking can cause a number of different health issues stemming from strokes heart attacks cerebral haemorrhages and other other sudden causes of high work demands. Recently the media has drawn particular attention to the death toll in China that is steadily increasing with allegations that it is caused by working too hard.

According to the China Daily Youth 600000 Chinese workers die a year from being overworked however some argue there may be other causes involved. In April it was reported that 1600 workers died daily.

The director of the International Labor Organization’s China Office Tim De Meyer stated that the issue has become a worrying physical and mental health hazard with many disobeying Chinese labour laws concerning the amount of overtime a person is allowed to be subjected to.

It is claimed that the work-life balance is overlooked due to the pursuit of riches as white-collar workers get paid twice the salary of blue-collar workers. It is an ancient belief in China that the community overrides the individual and that people must strive to work towards the development of the nation and the economy.

60 percent of workers complained about docking more than the legal limit of 2 hours overtime per day which not only takes a toll on health but also family life. There have also been a number of deaths recently that have caught media attention and caused concern.

However the people of China believe in total dedication and the theory that something worth doing is worthy of self-sacrifice. As a result people are now being urged not to forget that overwork also damages nations and families as the death toll in China continues to rise.

A blogging website called Weibo which is like the Chinese equivalent to Facebook has been filled with complaints about stress caused by work and reports of people who have died both old and young. One comment in response to his boss who told employees to spend more time on the job read: “What’s the point of working overtime so you can work to death?”

Although working hard is important people need to be aware of the health implications this can involve. Stress can lead to a number of different problems including damage to the heart which can ultimately lead to death. Employers are urged promote employee welfare as it can be damaging to the individual as well as the business in terms of production and morale.

If you have suffered from stress at work contact us now for advice on a claim.