Many Bank employees leave home at 9 AM, spend most of the day sitting in an office chair, leave office at 8 PM and reach home at 9 PM. Such a routine may appear normal in today’s work culture, but is it healthy? Health evidence raises concerns when long working hours and prolonged sitting continue regularly for months or years.
Research from major health and labour organisations shows that long working hours, extended sitting, insufficient physical activity and inadequate recovery time can increase health risks.
WHO and ILO Warn About Long Working Hours
A major joint analysis by the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization found a significant association between very long working hours and cardiovascular disease.
According to WHO, working 55 hours or more per week was associated with an estimated 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease, compared with working 35 to 40 hours per week.
The WHO-ILO analysis also estimated that long working hours led to 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischaemic heart disease in 2016. WHO described long working hours as an important occupational health risk.
A 9 AM to 9 PM Routine Leaves Little Time for Recovery
Consider the daily routine of an employee:
9 AM: Leaves home
10 AM: Reaches office
10 AM to 8 PM: Office work
8 PM: Leaves office
9 PM: Reaches home
11 PM: Goes to sleep
In this example, around 12 hours of the employee’s day are connected with work and travel.
Reaching home at 9 PM leaves only around two hours before an 11 PM bedtime. During this period, the employee may need to eat dinner, spend time with family, complete household work and prepare for the next day.
This does not automatically prove that the schedule is harmful. However, if actual weekly working hours repeatedly reach 55 hours or more, the WHO-ILO evidence on cardiovascular risk becomes particularly relevant.
Sitting for Long Hours is Another Health Concern
The problem may become more serious for employees with desk or sitting jobs.
A CDC-published workplace study describes prolonged sitting as a health risk and examined ways to reduce sitting among employees with sedentary jobs.
Scientific literature has also linked sedentary office behaviour with increased risk of cardiometabolic problems, type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease and musculoskeletal problems. These findings describe risk associations and do not mean that every desk employee will develop these conditions.
Therefore, an employee who sits for most of the office day and then spends another hour sitting during travel may accumulate a large amount of sedentary time.
Long Work Hours Can Contribute to Fatigue
The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says workplace fatigue is commonly associated with schedules that disrupt or shorten sleep, including extended work hours. Stress and mentally or physically demanding work can also contribute to fatigue.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also states that studies show long work hours can result in increased stress, poor eating habits, lack of physical activity and illness.
This may explain why some employees say:
“I sleep, but I still wake up tired.”
However, morning tiredness can have many causes. Long work hours should not automatically be assumed to be the only reason.
Excessive Workload May Also Affect Mental Health
The WHO says poor working environments can pose a risk to mental health. It specifically identifies excessive workloads, low job control and job insecurity among workplace psychosocial risks.
An employee who remains mentally engaged with office work for most of the day may have limited time to mentally disconnect before sleeping.
This is particularly important when a person reports difficulty relaxing, persistent work-related thoughts or feeling mentally active around sleep.
How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?
WHO recommends that adults undertake 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination.
WHO also makes a simple point: any amount of physical activity is better than none.
For an employee reaching home at 9 PM every day, finding enough time for regular physical activity may become difficult.
Short Activity Breaks Can Be Added During Office Hours
Employees with sitting jobs do not necessarily have to wait until evening to become active.
A CDC workplace physical activity guide provides ideas for adding short 5-to-10-minute activity breaks during the working day.
An office employee can, for example, walk during a short break, use stairs where practical, move while taking suitable phone calls and avoid remaining seated continuously for very long periods.
These small breaks are not a complete replacement for recommended weekly physical activity, but they can help reduce uninterrupted sitting.
Is Leaving Office at 8 PM Every Day Healthy?
Occasionally working until 8 PM is different from doing it every day for years.
A person who leaves home at 9 AM and reaches home at 9 PM may still remain healthy if the person gets adequate sleep, exercises regularly, eats properly, takes movement breaks and has enough recovery time.
However, a routine involving very long weekly working hours, prolonged sitting, little exercise, inadequate sleep and continuous work stress should not be described as a healthy lifestyle.
The strongest evidence is particularly concerning when actual work reaches 55 hours or more per week. WHO and ILO have associated this level of long working hours with increased risks of stroke and death from ischaemic heart disease.
Conclusion
Working hard is often considered a sign of dedication, but employee health also depends on recovery, sleep and physical movement.
An employee who regularly spends almost the entire day between office and travel may have very limited time for exercise, family life and mental recovery. When the job is also mostly sedentary, the health concern becomes more important.
Scientific evidence does not say that leaving the office at 8 PM will automatically cause disease. But it clearly shows that very long working hours and prolonged sedentary behaviour are health risks that employers and employees should take seriously.
