Long working hours taking toll on health
SINGAPORE – The report (“Toiling away without sleep is not normal”; March 3) highlighted the story of a 21-year-old intern who died after working for 72 hours straight at the London office of an investment bank.
I am concerned about the situation in Singapore as I have come across many young patients who are clocking long hours at work.
Accountants who start work at 8am tell me that ending at 10pm is considered “early”.
A recent article (“3 out of 4 lawyers leave practice in first decade: Law Society chief”; Jan 4) reported that many young lawyers gave up practising law.
I am certain the long hours and stress involved in meeting deadlines are among the reasons.
Doctors in hospitals also have to clock long hours, deal with heavy workloads and render good care at the same time.
And these are not the only professionals facing such challenges.
What is disturbing is that there seems to be an unwritten requirement, in most instances, for junior employees to stay behind until after their bosses have left.
Those who opt for work-life balance may be branded less diligent or less deserving of being promoted or taking on more responsibilities.
When I advise my patients to tweak their heavy work schedules in the light of their deteriorating health, the common response I get is: “It can’t be helped.”
Do we need to have a tragedy like the one described in the report before we call for a change in mindset?
Poor work-life balance deters married couples from having children. Even if they do have children, this does not augur well for balanced family life and relationships.
Category: Features, Health alert
