Reduce chronically long workweeks
Sustained 55 hour weeks carry a measurable stroke and heart risk, and leave no room to recover.
The number, drawn
Why it matters
Long weeks create continuous strain and crowd out everything outside work. WHO and ILO found that working 55 hours or more a week is associated with 35% higher stroke risk and 17% higher risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease, compared with 35 to 40 hours, and they attribute roughly 745 000 deaths a year to the exposure. These are comparisons between exposure groups, not proof that cutting your hours reverses risk by the same amount. Changing workload usually needs your employer, not just willpower.
How to do it
- Track your actual working time for two weeks, including work done at home.
- If long weeks are routine, raise priorities, staffing or workload with your manager or worker representative.
- Agree explicit finishing times and availability where your circumstances allow.
If work pressure is affecting your health, discuss support and possible adjustments with a clinician or occupational health service.
Do it
Pick the time you have. Anything beats nothing.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Recall when you started and finished work yesterday, including evening messages; estimate the total rather than your contracted hours.
5 minutes
Start a work-hours log with today's start time, breaks and finish time; include work done at home.
15 minutes
Review last week's calendar and messages, total your actual hours, and identify one recurring task that extends your day.
30 minutes
Prepare a workload discussion: list essential tasks, deadlines, actual hours and what could be postponed or shared.
A plan
Two weeks of facts, then a workload agreement
- For two weeks, record your actual hours without trying to prove you can fit more in.
- Take the pattern to your manager, worker representative or occupational health team and discuss priorities or staffing.
- Agree achievable hours and availability where possible, then review whether the change is working.
In real life
- Count the Sunday emails and evening calls when you total your working week.
- Ask your manager which deadline can move when the assigned work exceeds your agreed hours.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeWorking faster may leave the workload unchanged: bring your hours and priorities to a workload discussion.
- Common mistakeIf you cannot safely challenge your manager, seek confidential advice from a worker representative or occupational health service.
Trusted guides
Check usSources
- Evidence grade
- B Consistent large cohort studies, with some trial evidence.
- Basis
- WHO and ILO systematic reviews of long working hours; observational exposure comparisons
- The number
- 35% higher stroke risk at 55 or more hours a week versus 35 to 40 (WHO and ILO, 2021)
- Outcome
- stroke risk, observational association
- Comparison
- Working 55 or more hours/week vs 35 to 40
- Tier 1 guidelineLong working hours increasing deaths from heart disease and stroke: WHO, ILOWHO and ILO, 2021
- Tier 1 guidelineMental health at workWHO, 2026
General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.