One in every four employees are putting their health at risk by working through the day without a break, a new survey has found and advocated for adopting healthier working practices.
Long hours, reporting to duty while ill and lack of exercise pose “serious risks” to employees’ health and could prove costly for them, said the report by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
The survey of 2,600 adults also found that a third skip their lunch because of heavy workloads that could result in long-term back pain, obesity, depression, heart disease, and stroke.
Phil Gray, chief executive of the CSP, said overworking and not taking breaks “is actually costing employers and their staff“.
“Employees pay the price with their health and there is a cost to employers in reduced productivity and performance,” he was quoted as saying by the Telegraph.
“Work is good for us and can contribute to physical and mental wellbeing -- but not when overworking means people don’t have the time or energy to look after their own health or when staff are at work but are not fit for work.”
Ben Willmott, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, agreed, saying the findings should ring alarm bells for employers.
“A certain level of pressure at work is of course desirable,” he said.
“However when the pressure people face regularly exceeds their ability to cope, in other words stress, it is likely to lead to time off work and is linked to conditions such as depression, anxiety and heart disease.”
